All articles by Nick Holt – Page 46
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ArticleGE launches Spotchecker weld flaw detector
The new Spotchecker from GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies is a hand-held spot weld fl aw detector. Complete with application-specifi c software, it is a portable solution for spot weld testing, especially useful in the automotive sector.Spotchecker allows inspection to be carried out at the place of welding, rather than ...
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ArticleLight fantastic
Fraunhofer ILTiieFraunhofer ILTTrumpfAmtronConclusionThe next Laser World of Photonics event will be held at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre from 15-18 June. While covering a broad spectrum of laser usage across a variety of industries, the exposition will also offer carmakers the opportunity to view some of the latest laser ...
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ArticleFiat Brazil and Carl Zeiss
Premium measuring technologyEagleEye navigator in South AmericaFiat strives for growthAs the company with the largest local market share in Brazil’s passenger car and light commercial vehicle sectors, Fiat do Brasil plays a key role in the Fiat Group. Fiat has manufactured cars in Betim, Minas Gerais, since 1976 and is ...
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ArticleSpeeding up during global slowdown
Theoretical analysisHandling a bonnet on a stamping lineStep 1Step 2Conclusions after Step 1 and Step 2Step 3Conclusions after Step 3Friction cups - crucial components in high-speed sheet metal fabricationChoose the correct friction cupIn many cases, metal fabrication involves a process of station-to-station handling of oily or slippery blanks. The most ...
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ArticleKorea’s flexible carmakers
These are hard times for carmakers, no matter where they are located. South Korean producers are facing market downturns, but hope to manufacture their way out of trouble by playing a series of flexible production equipment trump cards.Lighting solutionsPutting it togetherEight is the magic numberSomething new – something newFlexibility is ...
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ArticleEditor's Note: The three-part plan
Carmakers need to fulfil three basic criteria to have a chance at financial success in the current economic climate. The first is to have a manufacturing system that offers the maximum amount of production flexibility possible in order to successfully respond to customer demand for a particular model.Many OEMs have ...
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ArticleUser-defined torque – without a wrench
Turck has introduced the new M12Nm connector, billed as the first plug-in connector that can easily be assembled with a pre-defined torque without the aid of a torque wrench. Developed by the Turck group’s cable and connector specialist, Escha, the integrated torque control guarantees an IP67 connection.The connector works on ...
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ArticleQuality-assurance sensors from Kistler
Kistler Instruments has launched a range of fi ve new force sensors. The new equipment is designed specifi cally for use in quality assurance monitoring in assembly applications and offers virtually maintenance-free working operation.The piezoelectric sensors cover measuring ranges from 5kN to 120kN and are supplied as standard with 1%, ...
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ArticleFronius orbital welding system
For improved process reliability in an automated welding, Fronius has released the FPA 2030 AC/DC automated orbital welding system. Featuring an integrated knowledge base and control technology, the system reportedly returns high-quality welds with reduced production times, resulting in lower costs to the end user. The equipment may also be ...
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Article
GE Fanuc introduces new Gigabit Ethernet switches
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has launched the NETernity RM980RC and RM982RC 6U VMEbus Gigabit Ethernet switches. Both units are RoHScompliant, and are capable of Layer-2 switching and routing at wire speed. Transition modules of 12-, 22-, and 24-ports are available, the latter two requiring two chassis slots, while all are ...
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ArticleNew ultrasonic sensors from Pepperl+Fuchs
Pepperl+Fuchs has introduced a new range of F12 Series ultrasonic sensors. Fitted with automatic synchronization capability, up to 10 sensors can operate in close proximity without any potential for interfering cross talk.Programmed via a push-button system that offers user-selectable beam widths, the new sensors provide reliable detection over a wide ...
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ArticleNew ESAB MIG welding machines
For efficient welding of high-alloy materials, ESAB has launched the Origo Mig 3001i range of welding machines. Depending on the control panel used, these compact machines are suitable for MIG, MAG, pulse MIG, MMA and TIG welding, plus carbon arc gouging.Typically the 300A Origo Mig 3001i machines will be used ...
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ArticlePlastic laser sintering by EOS
EOS has introduced the EOSINT P 800, said to be the first laser sintering machine in the world capable of producing plastic components from high-performance polymer powders at temperatures up to 385C.Exact physical replicas of a CAD model are built up layer by layer in the P 800’s sealed, nitrogen-fi ...
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Dual-Phase steels from Corus
Corus has announced the availability of production-ready coils of Dual- Phase 600 Hot Rolled Steel (DP600HR). This latest dual-phase steel product has been designed to help carmakers meet emissions targets by reducing vehicle weight. Crucially, the new hot-rolled product will allow customers to benefi t from the material’s enhanced properties ...
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ArticleStaying on top at Maruti
Maruti Suzuki has topped India’s JD Power customer satisfaction survey for the ninth year in a row. AMS visits the company’s Gurgaon plant to talk with the company’s manufacturing guru, M.M. Singh, about this, the largest Suzuki manufacturing facility outside Japan.The importance of defining rolesHarmonizing labour and automationFactory layoutIn-house production ...
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ArticleEditor's Note: Surviving in weak markets
The knock-on effect of the downturn in carmaking has started to take its toll on major suppliers to the auto industry. With an estimated 33% drop in orders over the last 12 months, Corus Steel has announced it plans to layoff 3,200 employees. Bought in 2007 by Tata Steel, the ...
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ArticleSize matters
Sony Europe’s Image Sensing Solutions Division has announced a compact, lightweight addition to its range of high-resolution industry-standard Camera-Link-equipped camera modules. The XCL-U100 features a selectable Power on Camera Link (PoCL) and measures just 29x29x30mm, shrinking the footprint to just one-third of Sony’s XCL-5005 and the overall volume to one ...
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ArticlePriming the pump
Capable of producing pressures in excess of 90,000psi, Jet Edge’s 100hp X-Stream xP90-100 waterjet intensifi er pump achieves much faster cutting speeds and drastically lowers operating costs compared to traditional 60,000psi pumps, enabling users to increase productivity and reduce part costs.The X-Stream produces 50 per cent more pressure than a ...
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ArticleImproved technology for spraying small parts
Manufacturers can improve their paint production process with the introduction of the ABB IRB 52 painting robot, designed for spraying small- and medium-sized parts in a wide range of industries. The lightweight robot can help users achieve a 20 per cent reduction in energy consumption, while its compact size occupies ...
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ArticleA cooling solution
Trelleborg Automotive, a leading provider of comfort solutions to the automotive industry, has announced the availability of its fibre-based, Creatube engine cooling hose, which offers a number of advantages over traditional, multi-layered hoses that incorporate a textile/knitted construction.Thanks to a single-layer design that integrates fibre compound with rubber, the problem ...