All Ford articles – Page 47
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ArticleCarrying the can
Flexible systemsPeugeot in ChinaLegacy worriesMoving bodies and parts from A to B demands a flexible conveyor system and it’s a case of mix and match for most OEMsThere are a number of options available when it comes to conveying work in progress in automotive facilities but they generally fall into ...
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ArticleBody conditioning
The key to lower-cost componentsMelt conditioning and high-pressure die castingMelt conditioning and twin roll castingMelt conditioning and direct chill casting (MC-DCC)Melt conditioning and recycling One of the major restrictions to the increased use of aluminium and magnesium alloy components in automotive applications is their relatively high cost compared to similar ...
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ArticleRace for green engineering
Can motor racing ever be environmentally sustainable? It depends what questions you ask. AMS talks to Honda Formula One environmental engineer Jamie Shaw to find out how green the industry really isThroughout the 2007 season, the Honda Formula One team ran with a distinctive livery. Eschewing traditional sponsors, Honda ran ...
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ArticleEfficiency redefined at Hannover
This year’s Hannover Fair from April 21-25, 2008 includes 10 flagship international trade fairs and more than 1,000 themed special presentations and forums. The scope ranges from the latest trends in automation, technologies for maximising energy efficiency and security, state-of-the-art automotive solutions to customised PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) or MES ...
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ArticleNavistar rising
Vertical foundriesLeaving the transfer lineDistinguishing featuresCommonality and changeEnvironmental challengeQuality assurance stationsCompetitive cultureIn the face of emissions regulations, global competition and new materials, truckmaker Navistar is putting new manufacturing processes into effect. AMS talks to Vice President of Manufacturing Tom Horn about themTom Horn is the man responsible for the company’s ...
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ArticleQuality assurance products shine
Control 2008 – the international exhibition for quality management will be held at Stuttgart, Germany, on April 22-25, 2008. AMS previews some of the products that will be shown at this popular annual eventAs the world’s only trade fair that focuses strictly on quality assurance, Control presents the entire spectrum ...
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ArticleBrownfield is the new green
Brownfield site makes economic senseWinding up the powerDoing the right thingIn the debate about brownfield versus green, Ford comes down clearly on the side of making new from old. The company’s efforts to revitalise its former Dagenham plant have the environment in mindIt is difficult to precisely recall when big ...
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ArticleEditor's Note: Generals and Mercenaries
So just what is GM’s global outsourcing/insourcing policy? Or does it even have one? The General can be rightly proud of its Global Manufacturing System – rolling out common conveyor, control and robot systems around the world, sharpening its logistics policy with the help of well-controlled providers and good planning ...
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ArticleKnowledge is power at Scania
Global standardAssembly in SodertaljeFoundry knowledgeClean machiningBuffers and flowsCrankshaft contrastReplacing old linesBlocks and headsConrod and linersBenchmarking from the beginningScania schoolingState-of-the-art assemblyScania’s reputation is built on global standards that have their roots in the exemplary Sodertalje facility in Sweden. AMS talks to Production Manager Eric Angquist about the importance of manufacturing know-howWith ...
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ArticleHinrichs wants a revolution in robotics
Forefront of efficiencyCompetitive operatingPriorities for recoveryThe role of robotsQuality gainsPlanning and programmingParamount safetyRobot wish listJoe Hinrichs has got a wish list. He wants to see robots on the shopfloor that will revolutionise productivity and offer new levels of skilled automation and safety. AMS talks to him about the future of ...
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ArticleLooking toward the light
Rising and falling ratesSize and strengthNew launchesLight Land RoverThe percentage of innovative lightweight materials in vehicles continues to increase, but so does the weight of the average car. What’s being done to balance the scales?The recent signing of the Energy Independence and Security Act by President George Bush has brought ...
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Article
Detroit Electric appoints Albert Lam for CEO
Santa Rosa, CA – Former CEO of Lotus Engineering Albert Lam is to be the CEO of Detroit Electric. A collaboration between ZAP and China Youngman Automotive Group, the company is re-launching the century-old electric car brand in the US of the same name.“I’m excited to be given this opportunity ...
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Article
Škoda assembly people have been discriminated
Prague, Czech Republic – Polish workers hired for Škoda assembly have been found to have been systematically discriminated against by the Zetka Auto agency tasked with hiring them. The Czech State Labour Inspection Office and the country’s national ombudsman found that the wages and bonus payments Zetka gave its employees ...
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Article
Kibsgaard takes up the role of Managing Director of BMW UK
Oxford, UK – From March 1 2008 Klaus Kibsgaard will take up the role of Managing Director of BMW’s UK subsidiary. Current Managing Director Jim O’Donnell will take up a new role as President and COO of BMW of North America LLC on April 1.www.bmw.com
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ArticleArmed robotic forces
New trends in roboticsIncreases and decreasesUser-friendly robotsSpeed, accuracy and qualityRobot assemblyProduction flexibilityRobotic relationshipsOEMs and robotics suppliers are collaborating closely on user-friendly solutions to the production processThe automotive sector, with its seemingly neverending quest for greater productivity, has proved to be a fertile breeding ground for robotic innovation. The body shop ...
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Article
Klaus Volkert sentenced two years and nine months for breaches
Stuttgart, Germany – The former head of Volkswagen’s Works Council, Klaus Volkert, received a two years and nine month sentence for breaches of trust in the affair involving bribes to Works Council members paid by former VW executives including fomer Personnel Director Peter Hartz, via whom Volkert is reported to ...
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ArticleWeapons of mass production
Built to sell abroadTraining the engineers of the futureThe seat of innovationStrength in numbersA change in the landscapeThe bean counter’s dreamInvestment in training pays offSupplier parkFocused investments reap rewardsThe landscape of vehicle making is changing, particularly in the manufacturing regions of France, Spain and the United KingdomEurope as a whole ...
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ArticleFollowing the guidelines
Flexible conveyorsChoosing the right AGVAutomatic unloadingControl systemsFinal assemblySafety firstFuture advancesThe specific use of automated guided vehicles between shipping dock and assembly line is offering carmakers safety-conscious production savingsSeveral decades ago, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) were being heralded as the ultimate answer to the material handling requirements of automotive OEMs. Plants ...
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Crunch time for the car industry
Designed to be disposableDrain on resourcesCarmakers need to think about the end to a car’s life right from its beginning if a coherent recycling initiative is to be properly realised. Simon Palmer from recycleyourcar.co.uk gives his view on what needs to be doneCar design has always been governed by function ...
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ArticleHexagon’s BRAVO HP for body and subassembly inspection
Hexagon Metrology has added its new range of BRAVO HP horizontal-arm measuring systems to its existing range. BRAVO HP was developed for flexible and accurate dimensional inspection of thin-walled components like bodyshells, car bodies and subassemblies.The BRAVO HP features a stable and precise mechanical structure with an integrated temperature compensation ...