All Materials articles – Page 5
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Voice
The thermal print principle
Heat treatment specialist schwartz has enhanced its system for tailored tempering – one that is capable of ‘printing’ components
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Article
Suppliers will face squeeze as OEMs push to meet EU CO2 targets
As carmakers strive to reach the more stringent CO2 emissions targets being phased in across the EU next year, we predict that many are likely to put more pressure on their supply base to help reduce emissions
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Voice
Weight out, strength in
A strategic alliance between Henkel and RLE International is exploring the lightweighting innovations available when combining expertise in structural foam technology and engineering design. David Caro and Tobias Wigand describe the findings
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Article
Pressing matters
Our vehicles have all faced hazards at one time or another, from potholes in the road to rocks or broken glass. But what about protection when the hazards are ballistic threats to the safety of civil servants or service men and women? As a specialist for custom automobile protection solutions, ...
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Article
Tow 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
Tornando a produção sob medida
James Bakewell relata o uso crescente de peças produzidas aditivamente em aplicações de personalização para veículos e produção em série da BMW.Em 2006, quando Dominik Rietzel estava terminando sua tese de diploma na universidade, seu professor perguntou se ele gostaria de fazer um doutorado em moldagem por injeção. Rietzel ficou ...
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Article
Producción personalizada
James Bakewell informa sobre el uso creciente de piezas de producción aditiva en BMW tanto para la personalización de vehículos como para las aplicaciones de personalización y producción en serieEn 2006, cuando Dominik Rietzel finalizaba su tesis en la universidad su profesor le pregunto si quería realizar un doctorado en ...
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Article
VW sets out Wolfsburg upgrade
Germany - New bodyshop AGVs, more automated assembly stations and a series of ergonomic measures will feature in a major upgrade at Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg plant Announcing the new programme of improvements at this month’s site symposium, VW said that the changes will improve productivity at the Wolfsburg plant and will ...
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Article
Paneles de instrumentos guiados
aLa planta de IAC cerca de Liverpool sustituye la linea de grúas por una flota de vehículos autónomos guiados (AGV) para obtener una mayor flexibilidad a su proceso de ensamblado de paneles de instrumentos Más sobre vehículos autónomos Los vehículos automatizados se abren paso MAN SalzgitterIAC es ...
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Article
New foam for instrument panels
A new series of systems in its Elastoflex E product group now allows weight reductions and foam densities of around 120g/L without sacrificing any of the material characteristics, claims BASF. Up to 30% of the foam weight is saved, says the company, depending on the component geometry. This Thin-Light system ...
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Article
Pressed, radial ISO indexable inserts
Mapal says it now offers a milling programme with pressed, radial ISO indexable inserts. The new face, shoulder, slot and shell end face milling cutters are designed for roughing and for medium machining of cast iron, steel and stainless steel, says the company. It’s claimed the tool bodies are designed ...
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Article
- 能源管理智能化
几十年来,能源管理一直是汽车生产的一个重要方面,但事实证明,能够相互关联的创新新解决方案非常有效 据估计,道路运输约占全球温室气体(GHG)排放量的17%。欧盟委员会的数据显示,欧洲大陆21%的温室气体排放来自乘用车和重型汽车。因此,汽车制造商不断受到政府的推动,以使他们的汽车更加环保。 但是对环境造成破坏的不仅仅是开车造成的。汽车生产也具有重大影响,因此,目前正在世界各地的制造设施中实施许多减少这种影响的方法。能源管理技术的使用就是一个例子,近年来取得了一些令人印象深刻的成果。 选择总监数字化正日益成为世界各地生产设施的组成部分。尽管许多人仍严重依赖手工流程,但在数字工具的帮助下,工人们的效率正在提高,机器人也是如此。来自这些工具的数据可以证明对能源管理有用。 西门子最近安装了Simatic B。位于瑞士圣加仑的GF铸造解决方案工厂的数据能量管理系统,该公司在那里为汽车行业生产铝和镁合金压铸件。该系统允许GF跟踪在每台机器上使用的电力、水、气体或压缩空气的数量,以及使用时间。 例如,发现两台压铸机在周末消耗了4,500立方米的压缩空气,尽管没有使用。GF的能源经理伯恩哈德塞勒(Bernhard Thaler)解释称:“这么大的数字很难察觉。”然而,在一年的时间里,它很快就积累起来了。因此,公司能够通过突出和消除两台机器的浪费来实现显著的节能。 梅赛德斯-奔驰(Mercedes-Benz)在汉巴赫(Hambach)的智能汽车工厂中和二氧化碳 该小组还能够确定当他们的8个熔炉从燃烧石油转为使用丙烷气体时所节省的能源。仅在一个铝熔炼炉中,每吨能源消耗就减少了630千瓦时,二氧化碳排放量减少了16%,氮氧化物减少了40%。 GF表示,在实现了显著的节能减排目标后,该公司迫切希望研究在其其它设施引入该系统的可能性。塞勒强调:“其中一个有趣的好处是,这种能源管理解决方案不仅具有可扩展性,而且支持跨厂利用。”简而言之,GF可以将不同工厂的每个系统连接起来,让该公司能够精确地找出哪些表现良好,哪些可以改进。 GF的EDP和通信技术项目经理迈克尔内鲍尔(Michael Nebauer)表示,圣加伦工厂的安装过程非常简单,其他设备应该也很容易安装。每个压铸机和熔炉上都有控制箱和接口。它们收集有关流程和所使用的能量的数据,然后将这些数据发送到服务器并由标准web浏览器访问。他补充说:“由于在虚拟伺服器上安装及透过虚拟网络环境设定能源数据传送,我们得以为能源管理系统建立一个成本低廉的基础设施。” “由于安装在虚拟服务器上,并通过虚拟网络环境设置了能源数据传输,我们得以为能源管理系统实现一个成本低廉的基础设施” - Michael Nebauer, GF 描绘图片罗克韦尔自动化公司(Rockwell Automation)全球汽车高级顾问比尔萨维尔(Bill Sarver)表示,在汽车生产厂的所有不同区域中,油漆车间消耗的能源最多。 他认为,几乎所有的汽车制造商都在研究提高油漆车间效率的方法。大多数汽车制造商都在转向福特的车型,在这种车型上,你要涂好几层油漆,然后才会固化。 在AMS的11月到12月的一期中,许多专家概述了改进油漆店的创新方法,例如PPG的技术总监William Brunat和Geico Taikisha的执行总监Luigi Lazzari。解决方案包括低温固化的涂料和新的热泵技术。 罗克韦尔与汽车制造商合作开发了一种模块化的油漆整流器,这种整流器可以减少油漆的使用,同时还能最大限度地降低能耗。Sarver解释说:“它的工作原理是为每辆车创建一个配置文件,这样就不用静态算法在每辆车上应用相同数量的油漆,而是允许对每辆车的油漆应用程序进行调整。”“当没有车辆在上漆时,系统可以关闭整流器,这样它们就不会消耗任何能量。”你可以把这个概念应用到整个过程中。它的工作原理是探测车辆的位置并关闭电力系统,或者将其置于控制状态,在这种状态下,车辆消耗的能源更少,而系统表示,鉴于车辆的位置,它们不会被使用。 该公司还拥有一个软件工具,可以用来提高空气流量,温度和湿度。它以前被用于食品和饮料行业,但萨弗说,现在已经证明它可以减少油漆车间的能源使用量。喷漆整流器和控制软件都可以连接到Rockwell的FactoryTalk VantagePoint系统,这是一个基于web的系统,可以进行深入的数据分析。 时机决定一切为了减少生产过程中的能源消耗,几家oem厂商发布了报告,总结了它们的目标,并描述了它们最近面临的一些挑战。例如,在2018年4月,PSA集团发布了2017年企业社会责任报告(CSR),其中包含了关于其制造业务的碳足迹的详细章节。该公司发现,2015年至2017年间,其欧洲工厂的能源消耗增长了1.5%,与此同时,汽车产量增长了6.6%。 报告说,主要的担忧是焦炭的使用急剧增加。焦炭是一种在没有空气的情况下加热煤炭而产生的高碳燃料。PSA位于法国中部Sept Fons铸造工厂使用改材料开发铁。 尽管能源消耗的增加,OEM设法节省大约200万欧元(约合227万美元),在2017年实现能源消耗控制措施。公司称,“主要行动是在Vigo实施的。” ...
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Article
Dashboard meeting
Switching from gantry line to a fleet of AGVs, an IAC facility near Liverpool has brought swift and smart adaptability to its instrument panel assembly process Specialists in interior components, IAC operates in all automotive manufacturing markets around the globe. But it was its production lines at Halewood ...
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Article
Paintshop 4.0
Nick Holt visits Eisenmann’s technology centre in Holzgerlingen, near Stuttgart, for a preview of the latest skidless paintshop technology prior to its installation at the Daimler plant at Kecskemét The skids used to convey vehicle bodies through the various coating and drying stages in the paintshop are seen as a ...
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Article
Casting a duo
Two innovative metal forming techniques could have a significant impact on the press shop of the future
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Article
Show and tell
Cost savings and reduced installation time are the result of Profil’s self-piercing stud, as visitors discovered at the NEAA Expo 2018A new earthing stud is allowing automotive global OEMs to achieve the triple benefits of reduced installation time and cost, guaranteed electrical earthing and a substantial reduction in parts count: ...
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Article
A clean winner
Coherent-ROFIN’s Frank Gäbler explains a new approach to laser welding problematic materials Fig 1. Hairpin welded with CleanWeld technology: excellent weld quality, low spatter and low porosity Although fibre lasers are widely utilised in the automotive industry, there are still some applications that ...
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Article
Pressing matters
ABB robots are helping IndiKar make advanced high-tech steel for special protection vehiclesOur vehicles have all faced hazards at one time or another, from potholes in the road to rocks or broken glass. But what about protection when the hazards are ballistic threats to the safety of civil servants or ...
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Article
Smartly pressed
OEMs and suppliers are teaming up to design and construct a state-of-art press shops, duly networked for an industry 4.0 approach More on Stamping Ford Saarlouis Gestamp Constellium, Georgia Skoda Mlade BoleslavArguably the main technological factor most commonly associated with metal pressing and forming equipment is ...
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Article
New chapter, different story?
International expansion continues but, as Ian Henry reports, Audi’s long-term role within the VW Group is now under scrutiny Audi is expanding globally, notably in China, as it seeks to escape from its recent controversial past. Having been complicit in the diesel scandal affecting Volkswagen Group, it has been hit ...