Composites

The latest news and developments in regards to composites production and manufacturing.

Composites

SAMES - Prismatic Exploded view

Precise assembly processes for battery packs

2024-10-21T14:58:00+01:00By

Battery manufacturers face tough challenges. SAMES has the solutions. From precise application to high-volume production, their advanced systems are redefining the industry.

GM Scraps Ultium Brand

GM ditches Ultium in EV strategy revamp as ICE persists

2024-10-15T09:33:00+01:00By

General Motors will retire its Ultium brand in favour of a multi-chemistry EV battery approach, while reaffirming steady profits and rising EV sales amid strong ICE vehicle demand.

(L to R) Hee-Joong Im (Hyundai Steel), Junwon Suh (EcoPro BM), and Soonjoon Jung (Hyundai Motor & Kia) are key figures in the project

Korean consortium aims to revamp EV battery production

2024-09-30T15:16:00+01:00By

A groundbreaking project between Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Steel, and EcoPro BM seeks to advance EV battery production by directly synthesising LFP cathode material, promising reduced emissions, lower costs, and enhanced performance.

Roberto Rossetti, Total Vehicle Life Cycle Development, BMW

BMW: ‘Designing for Circularity’ to lead in sustainability

2024-09-29T13:12:00+01:00By

BMW leads the charge in sustainable automotive production. Their ’Design for Circularity’ approach focuses on recycled materials, reduced parts, and optimised disassembly. Join us as we explore how BMW is shaping a greener future. Ilkhan Ozsevim speaks to Head of Engineering, Roberto Rossetti. 

Mockup - The race towards sustainable tyre production

The race towards sustainable tyre production

2024-09-09T21:09:00+01:00By

This is how players in the tyre industry are pioneering sustainable production from recycled materials to innovative manufacturing, to reduce carbon footprint.

Samsung SDI CEO Yoon-ho Choi and GM VP Kurt Kelty pose during the EV battery JV signing in Seoul on August 27.

GM and Samsung SDI seal $3.5B deal for Indiana EV battery plant

2024-08-28T09:56:00+01:00By

GM and Samsung SDI have finalised a $3.5B partnership to build a high-capacity EV battery plant in Indiana, aiming to power future electric vehicles.

Prismatic Battery EV

Korea’s LG, SK On and Samsung lead Prismatic battery revival

2024-08-13T07:52:00+01:00By

South Korean battery powerhouses LG Energy Solution, SK On, and Samsung SDI are driving a resurgence in prismatic battery technology, challenging the dominance of other battery formats in the EV market.

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Unipart strengthens UK lightweighting production expertise

2024-08-12T14:55:00+01:00By

Unipart acquires Formaplex to bolster UK polymer production, driving innovation in automotive lightweighting for ICE and EVs.

Stryten Energy

Stryten and Dragonfly agree to electrify US automotive production

2024-08-05T16:13:00+01:00By

Stryten Energy teams up with Dragonfly Energy to expand reach of ‘Battle Born Batteries’ into new markets, offering complete lithium battery solutions.

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Top 5 EV battery chemistries and formats across the world

2024-07-24T08:23:00+01:00By

Battery technology is paramount to the electrification drive from cell chemistries such as Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) to architectures like prismatic or cylindrical cells. We look at cost, performance and more.

Marc Dugas Mockup

How Ford’s Marc Dugas supercharges battery pack assembly

2024-07-23T13:44:00+01:00By

Marc Dugas, Ford’s Battery Pack Assembly Specialist, is enhancing battery assembly using a cybernetic systems thinking heuristic known as POSIWID. 

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Sames solves for BMW & Mercedes: Adhesive tech in bodyshop & glazing

2024-06-16T23:01:00+01:00By

Sames innovates with custom adhesive solutions for BMW & Mercedes, enhancing carbon fiber body assembly and glazing applications with tailored systems and rigorous testing.

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Exclusive: BMW Group improves efficiency with additive manufacturing gripper

2024-05-22T15:10:00+01:00By

AMS visited BMW Group’s Additive Manufacturing Campus and plant in Munich to see it 3D-printed bionic robot grippers, which are saving costs and emissions and improving efficiency across its plants.

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Changing dynamics– developing the next generation of vehicle architectures

2024-03-14T19:16:00+00:00By

Building electric vehicles has demanded big changes in OEM production operations and increased support from tier suppliers

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The co-evolution of EVs, architectures and production processes

2024-01-30T17:04:00+00:00By

Electric vehicles are reshaping manufacturing norms, from platform flexibility to crash protection systems, challenging traditional designs and material choices amidst evolving battery technologies. ArcelorMittal and Gestamp dive into challenges and solutions.

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Is sodium-ion the future of battery tech? - Stellantis Ventures all-in on Tiamat

2024-01-18T00:41:00+00:00By

France’s Tiamat has taken the spotlight with its advanced sodium-ion battery cell chemistry, awarded by Stellantis for its potential to offer a lower cost per kWh and an eco-friendly alternative to lithium-ion. Stellantis Ventures, the corporate venture fund of automotive giant Stellantis N.V., has recently announced strategic investment in Tiamat, signaling a strong belief in the sodium-ion technology’s potential.

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The state and stipulation of automotive production: Retrospect 2023 to prospect 2024

2024-01-03T16:59:00+00:00By

In 2023, the automotive industry underwent a transformative journey, adapting to trends such as sustainable materials, electric vehicle dominance and digitalisation. But what clues does 2023 provide about the vehicle manufacturing landscape in 2024?

The Punch Torino team

Additive manufacturing and simulation technologies: an agile and resilient powerhouse in engine development

2023-12-19T11:44:00+00:00By

Punch Torino elevates automotive engine production through collaboration with Markforged, a leader in additive manufacturing. This partnership fuels the creation of 3D-printed tools, including camshaft locking tools and simulation technology. By tackling crucial challenges and streamlining design iterations, the partnership achieves enhanced efficiency, cuts costs and contributes to the promotion of sustainable mobility within the automotive industry. Here’s how…

e-motor expl view

New materials drive electric motor development

2023-12-04T19:20:00+00:00By

Original equipment manufacturers need electric motors that are more energy-efficient and power-dense than those currently available

To overcome challenges, automakers are turning to advanced automation and robotics, which play a central role in streamlining these evolving production processes to ensure an efficient and sustainable future

Battery production and design need to be optimised together, says Volvo Trucks and ABB

2023-10-09T17:57:00+01:00By

Experts from the truckmaker and automation specialist pointed to the benefits of aligning battery engineering and production processes in an AMS livestream.

We’re excited for the opportunity for our first-ever investment in Québec with a new facility that will help shape the EV ecosystem there.”

Ford partners with EcoPro BM and SK On to build cathode plant in North America bolstering EV SC in region

2023-09-01T12:00:00+01:00By

The new plant marks Ford’s first investment in the region and is part of the OEMs wider objective of localising key battery raw materials processing operations in closer proximity to its EV production hubs.

This strategic investment will further help reinforce GM’s efforts in EV batteries, accelerate our work on affordable battery chemistries like LMFP and support our efforts to build a US-focused battery supply chain

GM announces $60m Series B investment in AI-powered battery materials trailblazer Mitra Chem

2023-08-22T13:07:00+01:00By

GM and Mitra Chem will work together to develop “advanced iron-based cathode active materials (CAM), like lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP), to power affordable and accessible EV batteries compatible with GM’s EV propulsion architecture, the Ultium Platform.”

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Shaping the future – Developing electric vehicle architectures

2023-05-02T17:36:00+01:00By

In our AMS Evolution Livestream experts from ArcelorMittal and Gestamp tackle EV production challenges and explain how digital tools, new technologies, processes and materials innovations could help solve some key issues

Gestamp BIW

Form and function: Developing production processes and structures for electric vehicle architectures

2023-04-25T10:18:00+01:00By and

The new electric vehicle architectures are also continuing to evolve as vehicle makers strive to find the optimum balance between platform flexibility, while also being viable for high-volume production. To get some insights in to this ongoing process AMS spoke with Paul Belanger, Gestamp’s R&D Director for North America

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Re-evaluating recycled materials

2023-04-05T17:10:00+01:00By

Carmakers are increasingly looking into ways of reducing the environmental impact of their vehicle manufacture – and one way to do this is by using more recycled materials in their cars. But how can they go about this?

Rendering of Magna Structures Heart Lake facility in Brampton

Magna to build new battery enclosures facility in Canada to support Ford F-150 Lightning production

2023-02-16T11:56:00+00:00By

The company will also manufacture battery enclosures for GM’s Silverado EV in St. Clair, Michigan, adding to existing battery enclosure production for the Hummer EV  

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Mercedes looks to chemical recycling to further develop circular manufacturing operations

2022-08-25T18:23:00+01:00By

The carmaker says it is working to increase the proportion of recycled materials in its car fleet to an average of 40% by 2030

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3D printing: a step closer to mainstream production

2022-06-07T10:29:00+01:00By

New technologies and materials create more opportunities for additive manufacturing in automotive applications

Steel coil, Tata Port Talbot

After tailpipes, auto industry ponders CO2 purge from its materials

2022-05-27T12:57:00+01:00By

Volvo, Polestar and SSAB ponder how to wring out CO2 from materials now that the internal combustion engine’s fate is virtually sealed.

HOT-STAMPING

Watch: New magic in the dark art of lightweighting

2022-05-23T10:10:00+01:00By

Ignacio, Jérôme and Prof. Volk explain the magic behind the art of lighweighting all whilst factoring in cost, performance, safety concerns and the impact on manufacturing process.