Latest News & Features – Page 217
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ArticleUV cure at Fehst
Ralf Wassermann, responsible for technical sales at Sprimag, discusses the company’s all-new UV coating systemThree-axis coating machineConveying & positioningAlthough UV coating processes have been around for some time, there are still manufacturing companies that have reservations about the technique. However, there has been a recent exception to this trend. Component ...
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ArticleCNC 40 Rotary tube cold bending machine
Schwarze-Robitec has developed a fully electric tube cold bending machine designed to produce complex curve contours in a single operation.CNC 40 Rotary can process materials such as aluminium, titanium, copper, steel and stainless steel with a diameter of 6-40mm. Even tubes with pre-formed contours on the straight tube can be ...
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ArticleSunderland gears up for Infiniti production
UK: Nissan has begun construction of the first Infiniti production facilities in Europe, following approval by Sunderland City Council’s Development Control Committee.The 25,000 sq. m extension to Nissan’s production facility, which is part of a previously announced £250m investment, will house specialist equipment for Q3 body assembly and fi nal ...
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ArticlePunchBend fabrication tool for quality and accuracy
A fully automatic fabrication solution for cut-to-size materials called PunchBend has been developed by Prima Power. The servo-electric technology processes pre-cut material automatically into readybent components, with the quality and accuracy which Prima Power says are required by design products.The punching stroke is NC-controlled and the high repeatability facilitates forming, ...
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ArticleSmyrna setting standards
A look inside Nissan’s Smyrna paintshop, opened earlier this year with the aim of setting new standards for quality, efficiency and environmental ‘footprint’Setting new benchmarksBASF’s three-wet processAutomated sealingThe Nissan Green Program 2016Paint 4 is one of threeAn energy-efficient futureNissan’s Smyrna plant in Tennessee is one of three operations in the ...
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ArticlePredictive software for cutting energy use
Control system supplier Rockwell Automation is currently bringing to market a software system called Paint Shop Model Predictive Control (MPC), which is designed to predict and therefore accurately schedule and operate paintshop equipment in a way that can minimise their energy consumptionPaint Shop Model Predictive Control Todd Montpas, automotive and ...
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ArticleMazda takes top Japanese accolade
Japan: Mazda has received the Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award from the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) at the fifth such bi-annual ceremony in Japan.The award, presented by the prime minister, recognises the contribution of Mazda’s Monotsukuri Innovation programme to manufacturing ideas and processes in the ...
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ArticleFocus II Light Curtains and Light Grids
ABB Jokab Safety’s Focus II Light Curtains and Light Grids offer an updated means of protecting personnel from hazardous machinery, robots and automated systems via an infrared field, the company saysThe Focus II equipment consists of a transmitter and receiver which detect any objects breaking the optical barrier formed by ...
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ArticleNew rapid-release lock for RobiFix connectors
Multi-Contact is now offering a quick-release locking unit for heavy-duty connectors for the robotic arms used in spot welding and other high-power applications. RobiFix-Lock is designed for the RobiFix electrical connectors used in robot dresspacks, the company says.According to Multi-Contact, the locking unit is suitable for fixed welding robots, manual ...
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ArticleFree Process Safebook for engineers
Rockwell Automation has compiled a free guide to functional safety for process applications, to assist with the IEC61511 standard, available athttp:// www.emea.rockwellautomation.com/ process/en/free-safety-guide.aspx.Process Safebook contains real-life examples and explains how to manage safety in electrical, electronic and programmable electronic systems, providing guidance for engineers on how to integrate safety into ...
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GM's ‘largest rooftop’ solar project in Ohio
USA: Generating nearly 3% of the facility’s electricity, the new 1.8-megawatt solar array at GM’s Toledo Transmission plant is claimed to be the largest rooftop array in Ohio.“Having 21,000 solar panels on Toledo’s roof is a great visual representation of our commitment to renewable energy,” said Rob Threlkeld, GM ...
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ArticlePainting Jackals, Coyotes and other big beasts
AMS takes a look at paint processes employed by specialist vehicle manufacturer SupacatOne of the UK’s most interesting specialist vehicle manufacturers is to be found in a collection of low-lying buildings at the edge of an old airfield at Dunkeswell, Devon, in the rural South West of the country. Supacat ...
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ArticleKey painting trends
Developments from consumer expectations to new paint processes and current environmental considerationsWater-based solutionsMethods of reducing paint lossToday, paint finishes are playing an increasingly important role in determining customer choice, whereas automotive paint originally served simply to protect vehicle body elements from corrosion.The quality of the coating must meet strict requirements ...
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ArticleWelding galvanised steel – hot tips
Kevin Pagano, segment engineering manager at Miller Electric and Deryck Hart, director of automotive NA, Hobart Brothers Company, discuss welding equipment advancementsIn automotive applications, galvanised steel has become an increasingly viable option for manufacturers aiming to build lighter-weight vehicles capable of offering greater gas mileage without sacrificing quality or safety. ...
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ArticleEP coolant for cutting
Rhenus Lub has developed an EP coolant for cutting operations on titanium, aluminium, aluminium alloys (silumin) and most hard steel qualities and special materials.Rhenus FU 60 is mineral oil-free and water-miscible, formulated on the basis of synthetic greases and with no additional armines or boric acid. Rhenus says it combines ...
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Plants: VW-FAW, Ford, Renault, Henkel, BorgWarner
China – Volkswagen (VW) and the FAW-Volkswagen JV have opened a new vehicle production plant in Foshan, in the south of the country, following a two-year construction period. Initial capacity at the plant – VW’s 104th location worldwide – will be 300,000 units per annum and there are plans to ...
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ArticleXCal-View laser analysis
Renishaw has released a new laser data analysis solution for use with XL-80 and ML10 laser calibration systems, plus the XR20-W rotary axis calibrator. XCal-View, which gives users greater analytical control, covers the most common measurement types in CNC machine tool calibration, including: linear, angular, rotary, straightness, squareness and parallelism.New ...
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ArticleFabre takes Infiniti EMEA role
Switzerland – Hugues Fabre is to become general manager Western Europe for Infiniti EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). He will be based in Rolle and will report to Fintan Knight, Infiniti EMEA vice-president. Fabre most recently served the company as global marketing strategy director in Hong Kong.Fabre succeeds Guillaume ...
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ArticleTesting times for training
OEMs’ workers must help to deliver higher volume and quality in a globalised industryDemand for improved quality and higher production targets means that the training of workers and the constant refreshment of their skills is a crucial component of any vehicle-maker’s business strategy. It is not just the manufacturing processes ...
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ArticleCloser to the machines
As robotics companies push the boundaries of automation, human operators and robots are working in closer collaboration than ever before."Your new colleague is a robot.” This is a favourite line of Thomas Visti, chief commercial officer for Denmark-based Universal Robots, which is at the forefront of a revolution in automation ...