All articles by Ian Henry – Page 15
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ArticleThe tide is turning against diesel
The Volkswagen emissions scandal is arguably the biggest and most serious issue the industry has faced for years – in fact, ever. Corporate responsibility? A sham. Sustainability? Ditto. Customer trust? Damaged beyond repair. VW might go bankrupt with all the fines and legal suits that are around the corner.That, at ...
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ArticleVW's platforms to perform?
The OEM has introduced four vehicle platforms to maximise global production efficiency, but not without difficulty. AMS looks at the steps taken so far, the benefits still to come, and asks if the strategy will workIn February 2012, Volkswagen announced the latest incarnation of its platform strategy, encompassing four modular ...
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Article¿Ascenso antes de la caída?
Los fabricantes globales de automóviles están invirtiendo en operaciones de producción en EEUU y México; AMS analiza los últimos desarrollos y cómo se prepara la industria del automóvil para la próxima desaceleraciónDespués de la recesión de 2008, los ‘Tres grandes’ constructores americanos, Ford, GM y (antes de unirse a Fiat) ...
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ArticleSubir antes de cair?
Fabricantes de veículos globais estão investindo em suas operações de produção em todos os EUA e México; AMS analisa os últimos desenvolvimentos - e como eles posicionam a indústria automotiva para a próxima recessãoNo rescaldo da recessão de 2008, as empresas de automóveis americanas, o 'Big Three', Ford, GM e ...
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ArticleNorth America's rise before a fall?
Global vehicle-makers are investing in their manufacturing operations across the US and Mexico; AMS reviews the latest developments – and how they position the automotive industry for the next downturnGM splashes the cashFord shuffles production line-upFCA holds back on expansionToyota prepares for mega-platformNissan expands in the US and MexicoHonda boosts ...
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ArticleA magnet for manufacturing
Low-cost labour and free-trade deals are attracting investment in Mexico by global OEMs and suppliersVehicle production is booming in Mexico. In 2014, a record 3.22m vehicles were made there, an increase of nearly 10% on 2013. Much of the rising production was in response to strong demand from the US ...
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ArticleUn imán para la producción
Los reducidos costes laborales y los acuerdos de libre comercio están atrayendo a México las inversiones de los constructores y proveedores globalesLa producción de vehículos se está disparando en México. En 2014, se produjo una cifra récord de 3,22 millones de automóviles en el país, un crecimiento del 10% respecto ...
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ArticleUm ímã para fabricação
Trabalho de baixo custo e ofertas de livre-comércio estão atraindo investimentos no México por parte de OEMs globais e fornecedoresA produção de veículos está crescendo no México. Em 2014, um recorde de veículos de 3.22m foram feitos lá, um aumento de quase 10% sobre os números de 2013. Grande parte ...
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ArticleAt the crossroads?
AMS looks at Japanese OEMs in Europe and what the future holds for their production operations thereFour of the Japanese vehicle companies have manufacturing operations in Europe: Honda, Nissan, Suzuki and Toyota. Nissan’s UK factory in Sunderland is widely regarded as one of the most efficient in Europe, while its ...
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ArticleThe view from Frankfurt
Every other year, the automotive industry’s European movers and shakers convene in Frankfurt to gaze in admiration at the latest offerings and future concepts, particularly from the German brands. This year, despite the looming worry over what China’s slowdown might mean, the European car companies did not disappoint, with a ...
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ArticleAlliance in action
AMS examines the joint projects between Daimler and Renault-Nissan in terms of vehicles, powertrains, technologies, factories, geographies and timescales – and the advantages for each partnerFrom a near standing start in 2010, the Daimler-Renault-Nissan alliance has quickly grown to encompass projects across the globe. There has been significant technology transfer ...
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ArticleChanging manufacturing geographies
Investment by Japanese vehicle-makers in the US and Europe has been predicated on the assumption that you need to produce where you sell; whether because of the trend toward globalisation or the strictness of government policy – especially tariffs on CBU vehicles to encourage local manufacture – developed-world OEMs have ...
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ArticleDaimler-Renault-Nissan – The alliance in action
normal">We conclude our review of Daimler’s partnership with Renault and Nissan with a look at platform and production sharing projectsThe preceding articles set out the background to and rationale behind the alliance between Daimler and Renault-Nissan. In this article, we look at each of the joint projects in turn, ...
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Volvo vira global
AMS relatórios sobre a forma como a Volvo está expandindo sua presença global de fabricação na China e nos EUAVolvo, uma das marcas suecas mais emblemáticas e conhecidas, é também o último carro da empresa sueca, após a saída de Saab. Agora propriedade da chinesa Geely, a Volvo é, em ...
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Volvo se globaliza
AMS informa sobre cómo Volvo está expandiendo su producción global en China y EEUU Volvo, es una de las marcas suecas más conocidas y representativas, también es la última marca de automóviles sueca, después de la caída de Saab. Ahora pertenece al fabricante chino Geely. Volvo es un fabricante pequeño ...
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Article走向国际的沃尔沃
AMS报道沃尔沃在中国和美国不断扩大的足迹，以及走向全球化制造的奋斗之路沃尔沃，这个享誉全球的瑞典汽车品牌，在萨博停产之后成为瑞典最后的工厂。在被中国原始设备制造商吉利（Geely）收购之后，成为像大众、丰田这样的小公司。但是现在，公司业务已经真正走向全球，因为除了瑞典和比利时的工厂，又在中国开设了两家汽车制造厂一家发动机制造厂，而且计划于2018年在美国开设汽车制造厂。在2015年伯明翰“汽车新闻大会”上，沃尔沃公司首席执行官Hakan Samuelson讲述，沃尔沃在2011年由吉利公司从福特公司手中收购之后，是如何开始新的生命的。自那之后，沃尔沃就致力于开创新的公司，重点实现汽车品牌的3个价值，即了解您（通过直观的车辆连接系统），保护您（通过先进的安全系统），让您舒适（通过环保前沿技术，双引擎XC90就是实例）。The bodyshop at Volvo Chengdu makes the S60L and XC60重新命名，重新启动沃尔沃被重头到脚重现改装，拥有全新的彻底现代化的工厂，以及全新的平台，21世纪车型生产线。其中最为核心的就是SPA（可扩展平台构架）平台，用于新款XC90和大型沃尔沃汽车生产。此外，沃尔沃现在还采用另一个平台，即CMA（紧凑型模块构架）平台，与吉利公用。CMA平台用于新一代V40和沃尔沃其他车型，以及吉利C-段和小型汽车的生产。2013年SPA平台面世时，沃尔沃研发部总监Peter Mertens说，这个平台能使沃尔沃成为“灵活、非同凡响、远非高产量的汽车公司”。SPA平台计划共享汽车上体四分之三的看不见的零部件装配；有了SPA平台，关键问题就是定位前轮中心与踏板的相对位置。此外，SPA采用更多铝和硼钢；在前端结构上，车门、底盘和驱动结构上都比过去使用更多的铝；XC90汽车的安全车厢笼架的40%使用了硼钢，而老式汽车使用硼钢的比率还不足10%。在哥德堡老家的工厂已经转换成SPS平台生产，在今后几年内，所有车型都将使用该平台。比利时根特工厂到2018年为止将全部采用CMA平台。在中国，SPA车型将在成都和大庆生产。SPA车型也将在美国的新厂里生产，但是还没有确定具体生产什么车型。沃尔沃工厂的进一步细节在下面详述：欧洲哥德堡是沃尔沃的主要工厂，目前生产S60, V60, V70, XC70, S80和全新XC90车型。S60目前也在比利时生产。哥德堡工厂自五月份起采用3班，每周5天工作制，来满足市场对新款XC90的需求，这甚至比一些老车型都要紧俏。Torslanda has been working on a three-shift, five-day a week basis to meet demand for the new XC90哥德堡工厂拥有1个冲压车间，里面有4条冲压生产线，共30台冲压机，机器是由Mecfond或Muller-Weingarten制造提供。在哥德堡南部的奥洛夫斯特罗姆（Olofstrom）工厂还拥有更大的冲压车间，共19条生产线。奥洛夫斯特罗姆和哥德堡的冲压线为沃尔沃根特工厂服务，因为那里没有冲压车间。哥德堡的汽车车体修理厂几乎完全实现自动化，2条焊接生产线上共拥有大约650台机器人，一条生产线用于XC90车型，另一个为其他成型服务。相比之下，最后的装饰和装配区几乎完全是手工作业，这里的自动化仅限于上釉操作，其中包括专为XC90上釉的工作间。尽管沃尔沃并不在哥德堡（或根特）生产组件，但是装配车轴和动力传动系统，随后就送到装配线上。哥德堡工厂刚刚开始厂内装配车盖和隧道控制台（JCI）。沃尔沃发动机厂在哥德堡以东的舍夫得（Skovde）。工厂每年制造450,000台发动机，具有完整的制造与装配能力，但是要从德国购买所有的铸件，比如气缸体、气缸盖、车轴、凸轮轴和连杆。目前工厂为福特公司供应发动机，这要追溯到过去与福特之间的交叉供应协议，那时福特还为沃尔沃提供一些发动机。交叉供应在近些年有些下降，可能在两年内就会结束。直到最近对哥德堡投资，生产力才有所提高，沃尔沃根特工厂过去比瑞典工厂的产量高；根特每年的产量是270,000upa，而哥德堡的年产量现在达到300,000upa。2014年，沃尔沃根特装配了264,000辆汽车，包括V40, S60和XC60。沃尔沃根特所需主要冲压件和所有的发动机都来自瑞典，而根特成为一个名副其实的装配厂，厂内有焊接车间、喷漆厂、最后的装饰和装配生产线。这里的材料是由方圆100公里内的40家供应商以准时化顺序供应，其中包括Plastal公司的缓冲器、Tenneco公司的排气系统、Kautex公司提供的油箱，以及Faurecia公司提供的车门。由于根特工厂从2017-2018年左后开始往后，都将在新的CMA平台上制造汽车，因此S60和XC60车型就得转移到其他地方了，或者是在瑞典、中国，或者是美国。根特将会生产V40,加上轿车版和SUV版，有可能会分别叫做S40和XC40；还有V40CC版本，预计会在比利时制造。根特将是沃尔沃车型唯一使用CMA平台的工厂，因此会向全球供应，包括美国和中国。即使如此，V40/S40/XC40车型的销量能否充分利用工厂生产力，还有待观察。过去，沃尔沃需要制造大型车，以前是V70,现在是S60和XC60，这才能充分利用根特的生产力。值得注意的是，沃尔沃公司不止一次说过不再生产C-段汽车，也就是说不生产小于V40的汽车及其变体。此外，尽管吉利也会使用CMA平台，但是Hakan Samuelson最近澄清，吉利和沃尔沃还是会保持独立实体；据此，我们认为吉利汽车很有可能会在根特生产。因此，V40替代车型和变体汽车需要在全球都取得成功，才能使工厂拥有长久的未来。 中国 在中国，沃尔沃与福特合作，在重庆进行生产很多年了。重庆的工厂曾经装配S40（现在已经下线）和S80；这种大型汽车虽然还在中国装配，但是产量很低，每年不足5,000辆，因此S80的生产也即将停止。沃尔沃在中国大庆成立了两个全新的生产厂，将于2016或2017年开始生产S90，替代S80。在被吉利汽车收购以后，沃尔沃已经开始在中国得到大力发展，已经拥有两家汽车制造厂和一架发动机制造厂。The S60L was initially made at Chengdu for the Chinese market but now is ...
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ArticleVolvo goes global
Now in the hands of Geely, the Swedish OEM is expanding its manufacturing footprint in China and the USVolvo, one of the most iconic and best-known Swedish brands, is also the last Swedish car company, following the demise of Saab. Now owned by Chinese OEM Geely, Volvo is a small ...
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ArticleJLR gears up for an international future
I had the pleasure of touring the new XE bodyshop and assembly line at JLR’s Solihull complex the other week. Although it’s not running at full tilt yet, it soon will be, and I suspect that it will – like the existing assembly line for Range Rover – soon be ...