All Ford articles – Page 37
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ArticleAMS 10th Anniversary: Digital manufacturing
Getting the full pictureVirtual part and plant developmentFull circleLegacy creates problemsThe first issue of AMS noted that General Motors had, in 2000, already been using simulation tools for over a decade. At plants around the world the company had put various software packages into widespread use in applications ranging from ...
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ArticleAMS 10th Anniversary: Conveyors & robotics
Beyond weldingLending a robotic handWhat goes up must come downGetting it thereImproving functionalityNo other application in automotive production is, or will ever be, as robot-intensive as welding. In 2000, AMS reported that both GM and Ford were purchasing robots in their hundreds for the production of the new Corsa and ...
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ArticleAMS 10th Anniversary: Automation systems
Market saturationTouch sensitiveFull automationProtecting the peopleIn 2000, AMS reported BMW as having a total of 1,275 bodyin- white robots in total at its Dingolfing, Regensburg and Munich plants. The Regensburg equipment alone, totalling 475 units, represented an investment of $320 million. Meanwhile, GM had installed 500 Fanuc robots at its ...
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ArticleAMS 10th Anniversary: Assembly & testing
Interviewed by AMS in 2000, Henrik Hakonsson, CFrom clay to CraySilence is goldenEngine and part testingMeeting the targethief Executive of Bruel and Kjaer, called for ‘intelligent’ tools which would make sound and vibration testing equipment both easier to use and better at data collection.“There is a definite need for innovation ...
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ArticleChanging times
AMS magazine is 10 years old this year. During this time, it has reported on some of the most exciting - and turbulent - times in car making’s historyNano – a car for everymanHow globalization really panned outQuality expectationsWritten on the bodyIn the eye of the beholderPowertrain – testing timesFrom ...
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Morin resigns as CEO of Valeo over a disagreement
Paris, France – Valeo has announced that CEO Thierry Morin has resigned. The move comes following a reported disagreement over company strategy. Jacques Aschenbroich has been named as his replacement. Morin had been Chairman and CEO for eight years.In a statement, Valeo said, “This decision comes as a result of ...
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Article
Wagoner steps down as CEO of GM at request
Washington, DC – GM CEO Rick Wagoner has stepped down at the request of the US presidential administration. He will be succeeded as CEO by COO Fritz Henderson.Board member Kent Kresa, Chairman Emeritus of Northrop Grumman, will take over as interim non-executive chairman of the GM board.GM has said it ...
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ArticleEastern Europe’s engine of growth
Why Hungary?Mercedes moves inGM plans no assembly restartAutomation and shifts in productionNew machinery - the ‘Dream Budget’Cold test and hot testNext stop - UzbekistanPlant building – integrator or GM?Suzuki revisitedRenaissance manSumming up the Suzuki way in HungaryKey suppliers in HungaryMany financial commentators have forecast that after the current recession ends, ...
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Muir steps down as CEO of Mazda
Oberursal, Germany – Mazda Motor Europe CEO James Muir has stepped down from his position. Muir’s replacement will be current Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Guyton.Muir, who had been head of Mazda’s European operations since 2005, is said to be taking up a new position outside Mazda, possibly with a rival ...
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ArticleWhat lies beneath the site
History in the makingNew beginning for Browns LaneEven before the recent slowdown, questions of how to deal with a industrial plant at the end of its useful life had preoccupied automakers for some time. The core concept of what an automotive manufacturing site should be has, after half a century ...
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ArticleComposites in carmaking
As fuel prices continue to rise and awareness of climate change grows, one might expect carbon fibre and other lightweight composites to be at the top of every carmaker’s R&D shopping list, but things are not so simpleFrom the supercar to the super low-cost carRound and black – and a ...
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ArticlePlus and minus for hybrids
How carmakers and their partner companies are advancing towards the goal of bringing electric, hybrid-electric and other alternative powertrains to marketRecharging Michigan’s battered economyThe Renault-Nissan Alliance’s electric car infrastructure projectPowering the Chevrolet VoltLi-Ion fires, short battery life and other challengesToshiba – electric vehicle power on four or two wheelsConnecting tyres ...
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ArticleElectrostatic separation system for paint overspray
Boost efficiency, save energy, avoid CO2 emissions – these are today’s strategies for successful and sustainable production.Eisenmann has released the E-SCRUB, an electrostatic separation system for paint overspray that offers both product and energy efficiency. Further, the system can be retrofitted without difficulty into existing plants to allow paint specialists ...
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ArticleANCA MX7 CNC grinding system
ANCA has announced the introduction of its new MX7 grinding machine. Capable of manufacturing a variety of tools up to 16mm (5/8”) diameter, ANCA’s CNC grinder is specifi cally designed to meet the needs of tool production facilities, while retaining maximum flexibility.The MX7’s permanent-magnet spindle performs across the entire spindle ...
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ArticleNew CombiLine Cube flexible laser workstation
Used as a single workstation or integrated into a production line, Rofin’s CombiLine Cube is the effi cient solution for manual and automated laser marking.The CombiLine Cube has two modes of access. For easy job setup the machine front slides up to give wide access to the marking fi eld. ...
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ArticleRobots extend their reach
With production levels under close scrutiny in the current credit squeeze, OEMs that have already invested in automation are well placed to manage the challenges ahead.Flexible vehicle assembly‘Welds’ apartReasons to be cheerfulThe automotive industry is the world’s biggest user of industrial robot technology. The automation of such operations as welding, ...
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ArticleSolid steel round bar from Sandvik Sanmac
The range of Sandvik Sanmac stainless steel grades has been further improved through an ongoing product development programme designed to increase productivity for customers in the machining industry.Whether the requirement is for milling, turning, tapping, thread cutting, drilling, sawing, etc., Sanmac from Sandvik can offer the most suitable stainless steel ...
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ArticleIgus lauches new torsion-resistant robot cable
Igus has announced the introduction of a shielded robot cable for applications involving high levels of torsion. Chainfl ex CF Robot is designed for both robotic and non-robotic applications, such as rotary tables or spindle drives, that have to be supplied with high power levels.In contrast to conventional braided copper ...
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Pepperl+Fuchs launches new proximity sensors
Pepperl+Fuchs has released its new X-Series Pile Driver Extended Range Inductive Sensors. The sensors are available in 12mm, 18mm and 30mm diameters to deliver sensing ranges of 5mm, 10mm or 15mm – up to 2.5 times the range of traditional inductive sensors. One-hundred per cent stainless steel housings 20 times ...
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ArticleNew Jet Edge 90,000psi pump
Jet Edge has announced the introduction of its new 50hp, 90,000psi (6,200 bar) X-Stream xP90-50 waterjet intensifi er pump. The Jet Edge X-Stream xP90-50 achieves much faster waterjet cutting speeds and drastically lowers operating costs compared to traditional 60,000psi (4,100 bar) waterjet pumps, enabling users to increase productivity and reduce ...