Latest News & Features – Page 65
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ArticleFFC/FPC connectors
Two FFC/FPC connectors designed for the growing information market needs of automakers are now available from Molex. The Easy-On FFC/FPC connectors are offered in 0.5mm pitch and 1.0mm pitch forms and both feature a double-bottom contact terminal design that removes dust and contaminants from the connection, claims the company. Molex ...
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ArticleNew piston developments
MAHLE says it is developing a new generation of piston coatings that are intended to guide and reduce the heat entering the pistons. The company claims this initially reduces the demand for piston cooling, and the increased exhaust gas temperature allows a higher quantity of energy to be extracted by ...
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ArticleFord invests in EV and AV production
US - Ford has said it will spend US$900m on its facilities in Michigan in order to ready for the production of both electric and autonomous vehicles. This is the latest in a string of investments that the OEM has recently announced it will make in US plants. “We’ve taken ...
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ArticleVideoscope for machine inspection
Olympus says its IPLEX G Lite videoscope is designed to be taken anywhere to help inspectors during challenging inspections, such as inside engines and pipes. The company says this unit carries an IP65 rating and is resistant to rain, high humidity, salt fog, dust, freezing rain, and even electromagnetic ...
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ArticleCompact machining centres
The QT-PRIMOS 50 SG is a compact, CNC turning centre, designed for mass production environments, says Mazak. It features a rigid integral spindle motor and intelligent thermal shield that it’s claimed provides accuracy and high-speed cutting, with the main spindle capable of 5,000rpm. Other compact models include the QT-PRIMOS 150 ...
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ArticleTariffs: controversy reigns with Trump and Brexit adding to confusion
In President Trump somewhat simplistic analysis, trade wars fought through the medium of tariffs are easy to win. Angered, apparently, by seeing too many Mercedes and BMWs on Fifth Avenue, Trump has threatened to invoke section 232 of the 1962 US Trade Expansion Act, raising tariffs from ...
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ArticleLatest edition of measurement software
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence (HMI) division says it has launched PC-DMIS 2018 R2, the latest edition of its measurement software, and the second of two major releases scheduled for PC-DMIS in 2018. The company says this latest edition introduces a new reporting workflow, making it possible to create customised reports with ...
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ArticleTow tractor materials handling
Designed to support manufacturing operations in transporting material to and from production lines, the new T7.0HS3 three-wheel and T8.0HS4 four-wheel rider tow tractors are capable of towing up to 7000kg or 8000kg respectively, claims Hyster. Both models feature an anti-roll back on ramps device and external inching ...
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Article
Easy access parts cleaning container
Metallform says its MEFO-BOX system is designed with an open structure to ensure that whatever cleaning medium is used (ultrasonic waves and/or spray jet) it has good access to the parts and can take maximum effect. The company claims this can shorten cleaning process and with improved drainage, offer more ...
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ArticleCombination sensor for thickness measurement
A new sensor system that combines an eddy current sensor with a capacitive displacement sensor in a single housing has been launched by Micro-Epsilon. The company claims this sensor concept enables high precision one-sided thickness measurements of plastic film or coatings applied on metal objects, plates or sheets. Connected to ...
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ArticleVariable valve timing system
Variable valve timing that is adapted to the different engine operating conditions can be achieved with its Shifting Roller system, claims Mahle. It features an adjustable cam follower, that can be brought into contact with one of the two cam lobes, which have different profiles, says the company. Depending on ...
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ArticleSealant dispensing system
The preeflow eco-DUO600 is a volumetric metering, mixing and dispensing unit which uses a progressive cavity pump principle to deliver precise amounts of the mixed sealant, says Intertronics. The company claims these systems provide precision control of the material output (which can be dynamically changed). This means that the FIP ...
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ArticleAssembly line automation
Nextsense says its Calipri systems can be used to monitor the process of car assembly from body-in-white to end-of-line final assembly. The company claims its fully automatic C12 cobot systems allows human workers and robots to work side by side in a continuous production line – without separation, mechanical barriers ...
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ArticleDongfeng Maxion to build wheel plant
China - Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group has formed a new joint venture company with Maxion Wheels - a division of the Brazilian wheel and structural component manufacturer Iochpe Maxion. The new company is called Dongfeng Maxion Wheels, and will look to serve the global market. ...
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ArticleWorking from home
Ian Henry looks at how Japan’s OEMs are faring in their native land as they intensify supply to their own domestic market The domestic manufacturing networks of the major Japanese car companies have been stable in comparison to the extensive reorganisation, expansion and product re-allocations that have taken place ...
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ArticleMuscovite foresight
Preparing assembly operations for a new SUV, Renault Moscow plant director Jean-Louis Theron tells Nick Gibbs about investments in automation and a renewed focus on quality Russia’s boom-and-bust car market makes operating a plant in the country incredibly difficult. Running one in Moscow, where staff turnover is ...
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ArticleThe imitation game
Working with a local robotics start-up in Germany, Volkswagen is exploring a new programming technique that allows assembly workers to teach a cobot all the right moves Volkswagen’s Transparent Factory in the eastern German city of Dresden is arguably one of the more unusual automotive manufacturing sites in the ...
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ArticlePSA's Poissy plant to add model
France - Groupe PSA has revealed that it will start making the new Opel/Vauxhall B-SUV at its Poissy plant, which is located about an hour north west of the French capital Paris. As a result, the facility will become the first to assemble a vehicle based on the company’s common ...
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ArticleShift of power
Emobility may be flourishing but the internal combustion engine still has a long way to run. Gareth Price speaks to leading powertrain component suppliers endeavouring to make a smooth transition
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ArticleOn a twinning streak
Creating a digital twin of manufacturing operations can deliver development and efficiency benefits. Mike Farish reports