All Ford articles – Page 45
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ArticleEditor's Note: Clearing the backlog
The solution offered by General Motors to American Axle workers brings an end to one of the most bitter disputes in the recent history of vehicle making. The US$200 million offer from GM to pay off the supplier’s early retirement offers, pension plans and other buyouts, comes after the carmaker ...
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Article
Kozyra is leaving Continental
Hanover, Germany – William Kozyra is leaving Continental ahead of his scheduled end-of contract date to “take up a new challenge in another company”. He has been Deputy Member of the Executive Board of Continental for the NAFTA region since February 2006.Elsewhere Samir Salman, Head of Division Chassis and Safety ...
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Article
Chong succeeds as Vice President and General Manager for DuPont Automotive
Wilmington, DL – DuPont has named BC Chong as Vice President and General Manager, DuPont Automotive OEM Coatings, succeeding Marty McQuade who plans to retire later this year following 31 years of service.William Weber, currently Global Business Director – Ethylene Copolymers in Packaging and Industrial Polymers, will succeed Chong as ...
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Article
Stebbins steps up as president and CEO of Visteon
Van Buren Township, MI – Donald Stebbins has been elected President and CEO of Visteon. Stebbins, who was President and COO, succeeds Michael Johnston in the CEO role. Johnston will continue as executive chairman of the global automotive supplier.www.visteon.com
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ArticleAll things automatic
From June 10 for four days, the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany will put everything in automotive manufacturing to the test at Automatica 2008. We preview a show that promises to attract 30,000 visitors to 900 exhibitors Automatica offers international coverage of assembly and handling technologies, robotics, machine ...
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ArticleSpeeding up production design with Delmia
Features of MGSSystem is efficient and intuitiveChina Motor Corporation (CMC), based in Taiwan, turned to a team from the National Tsing Hua University to assist it in completing its digital factory project. The result was a tailor-made program developed using Delmia V5 known as MGS.Prototyping at the China Motor Corporation ...
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ArticleMakers mark
Automated identificationAesthetic applicationFlexible installationDesktop systemsMarked improvementLight applications for lasersSMD applicationsPotential drawbacksWhile manufacturers have long seen the light when it comes to lasers, some are still in the dark when it comes to their use in parts identification. AMS finds an industry hiding its light under a bushelFeatured in all digital ...
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ArticleCrisis? What crisis?
National boomAsset managementRevising the supplyRebalancing the lineRobot sourcingBigger flex and alcoholPetrol preferenceLocation, location, locationPersonal space issuesManufacturing – Argentina-styleNew credit laws have led to a boom in demand for new cars in Brazil, while Argentina is still on the rebound from the 2001 financial crisis. What does this mean for manufacturing ...
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ArticleNo strings attached
Realistic parametersFobs and flashesNo margin for errorZigBeeMesh networksBluetooth capacityPractical wireless control solutions for auto manufacturing and what the future holds for this technologyIt would be something of a finance officer’s dream if automated factories could be controlled from a central point. Whether it was onsite or, even better, remotely, it ...
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ArticleConnecting the network
A matter of choiceDifferent attributes for different networksChoosing one or the otherOpening the WindowsExploiting the gatewaysBenefits of integrationControlling the carriersDriving the devicesInstallation times are reducedCommunications systems are becoming increasingly standardised but there are still two distinct campsOne of the most fundamental factors shaping shop floor manufacturing operations in the automotive ...
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ArticleTier suppliers under pressure
Cost of raw materials is relentlessThe supplier base is shrinkingAssembly integrationLife’s a batchGetting up close and personalConsolidation could be the new trendThe economic downswing means that more than ever, Tier Ones in the automotive sector are fighting for business, but there are a few success stories out thereThe ongoing, and ...
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ArticleA desire named street car
A potential for frictionThe future is plasticPassing on the skillsTechology transferRunning a Grand Prix racing team is not a cheap exercise, but carmakers involved in this most elite of motor sports are counting on the spin-offs of technology transfer to their commercial productsThe link between racing teams and carmakers has ...
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ArticleSkills training
Raising the barUp-skilling the staffIn a world preoccupied with the principles of lean manufacturing, a new generation of the workforce has emerged that needs to be given the tools – through skills training – to meet an increasingly important roleAlmost a quarter of a million people are employed by the ...
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ArticleWasting away
Reduction is increasingBalancing the conflictWaste not, want notMetal and plasticFluids – the environment’s worst enemyUsing recycled materialsInformed workforceOutsourcing waste managementTough regulations on recycling are coming into force on an almost monthly basis, but for vehicle makers waste management is not a new idea. Some have been sorting the swarf from ...
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ArticleAdding a bit of local colour at Toyota
Localising TPSEuropean supplyLean productionOne model diversityPotential beyond YarisFocus on the localLevels of automationEnvironmental challengesDesign for the futureThe Toyota Production System is a global success thanks to its customisation on a local level, and nowhere is this more evident than at the company’s Valenciennes plant in France. AMS talks to TMMF ...
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ArticleEditor's Note: Is the US the new Mexico?
It used to be that carmakers were from a given country, an integral part of the national heritage. Every product announced how it was made with pride in towns full of hard-working people that lived and died the brand. You didn’t choose which company you worked for, your birthplace chose ...
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ArticleLiving in a material world
Lightweight end of lifeReinventing traditional materialsTime for magnesiumAdvances in steelPlastic potentialAerospace and automotive convergenceHybrid vehiclesEnd-user benefitDevelopments in alternative materials are driving change in the drivetrain and bringing benefits to an industry trying to reduce emissions and improve performance Talk to anyone involved in the automotive supply chain and chances are ...
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Article
Litre Meter ships 30,000th flow meter
Litre Meter, a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of custom fl ow meters, has shipped its 30,000th fl ow meter to tyre maker Michelin in North America. The LMH Pelton wheel fl ow meter was shipped to Michelin for use in its rubber mixing operation in South Carolina. Rubber is ...
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ArticleEnergy buffer for servo press machines
Some press machine manufacturers use highperformance servo motors as ram drives. These have short-term, high energy requirements for the targeted acceleration – which can lead to voltage dips in the power supply. To counteract these, Fanuc GE has developed ‘energy charge’ modules, which can buffer the energy and thus ensure ...
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ArticleAll-around sound from Bruel & Kjaer
Sound mapping in enclosed spaced, such as car and aircraft interiors, is set to become easier and quicker with Bruel & Kjaer’s new Spherical Beamforming system. Unlike other methods, which only map part of their surroundings, Spherical Beamforming provides a complete omnidirectional noise map. It is ideal for carrying out ...