All Press and stamping articles – Page 19
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Article
UHSS brings electric light
Crash courseBattery changeMore steel = less weightUHSS offers the scope to save weight on electric vehicles. A report on ArcelorMittal’s updated S-in motion project with an electric car BIW exercise.Electric vehicles (EV) present automotive designers with a whole new set of challenges. The powertrain – including the batteries – is ...
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ArticleManufacturing with UHSS
Definition and familiesProduction methodsUsage – where and when?Joining and fasteningHigher strengthCorrosive influenceElectric lightThe pressure on reduce weight, while maintaining strength and improving safety, continues to drive the development and usage of advanced materials. Along with engineering plastics, engineered metals are enjoying a raised profile and being employed in more areas ...
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ArticleAutomation stamps out inefficiency
The automation of stamping lines, presses and conveyor systems presents a three-fold challenge. According to Siemens, key issues include funding a sizeable investment; maintaining a longterm technology commitment; and utilising customised applications in lieu of off-the-shelf designs. Ensuring efficient production means providing the right foundation for automated systems. After all, ...
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ArticleNew stamping ground with the latest technologies
Revolutionising toolmakingStamping is a process where every second counts. A time lag of 0.1 second may sound tiny, but multiplied over thousands of parts a week, over many years, the cost can be considerable. The range of solutions in this technology area has evolved tremendously and today comprises everything from ...
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ArticleGoing from local to global in Brazil
Model behaviourFreeing up tradeSheet metal solutionsThe global experienceLocal challengesGM expansionSomething for the future?Moving forwardVarious factors allowed the Brazilian economy to maintain a steady course of growth through the otherwise global economic downturn of 2008 and 2009. For its part, the national government of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ...
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ArticleFiat heading for a cleaner horizon
Sharing best practice in Group manufacturingEnvironmental management system certificationVolatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)Addressing water scarcityWater withdrawal and rainwater harvestingWaste managementEquipment containing PCB and PCTWith multiple production plants in Europe and the Americas, and with joint venture facilities in Russia and China due to come on line later this year, Fiat Group’s ...
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ArticleThe quest for quality in Turkey
Power of threeCrisis and recoveryFlexible purchasingConquering complexityMoving with the timesUltimate customer serviceFord Motor Company has long had a presence in Turkey. In 1928, the first dealership was established in Istanbul, selling imported models. In 1959 the carmaker’s first production plant was established in what was then an Istanbul suburb. Operated ...
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ArticleStill waiting for the green light
Saved from the floodNew engines, new line?Changing tacticsFuture plansA series of global events have left Honda’s second manufacturing facility in India producing a limited number of body and engine parts. Julian Buckley travelled to the site to ask when it will get the go-ahead to start full production.Honda Siel Cars ...
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ArticleMade in the South
Pleased to meet youWeld typesPlanning for C-ClassTail light preparationA tour of the bodyshop at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which review the technologies that have been added for production of the new M-Class SUV.In 1997, the M-Class SUV was the first model to enter production at the $400m Mercedes-Benz ...
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ArticleBattle royale between steel and aluminium
Material selectionOptimum multi-material solutionsLightweight materials impact NVHHigh-strength applicationsMulti-material futureBody closures offer future potentialStrength is rarely the deciding factorNew forces for changeAlternative vehicle architectures and electric powerSustainability of manufacturing operationsOver recent years, the on-going contest between lobbyists working on behalf of the steel and aluminium industries has become increasingly raucous as ...
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ArticleThe power of nature
Glenn Brooks examines developments in alternative power generation at vehicle and powertrain production plants in Europe, the US and Brazil, as well as a particularly innovative facility currently under construction in North AfricaToyota's UK 'eco-friendly'The world's largest solar roofSolar power for Chevrolet Volt plantVolkswagen's hydropower initiativeZero-emissions car plantZero discharge, zero ...
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Article
Geared up for flexible growth
Steel and stamping successShift systemFrom construction to productionBody-in-white - expertise on two levelsSuppliers onsite and onside for efficient assemblyTransmission productionHyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC) in Nošovice is described by the carmaker as being the most modern manufacturing facility in Europe. While that claim might provoke some debate, the plant can ...
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ArticleHow to make it in America
Executives at three transplant OEM production sites in the United States discuss how their respective operations are developing and what challenges had to be overcome in order to achieve success in manufacturingClose relationshipsBenchmarking worksPeople powerProcess leadershipDecoupled shiftsDifferent future pathsNo restIn 1966, Nissan was the first transplant carmaker to set up ...
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ArticleAluminium gets tough
Research into steel substitutionRecycling aluminium for automotive usageStadco predicts increased aluminium usageTesting to continueAMC takes shapeBreakthrough weight savingsThe advantages to be gained from using aluminium to build cars – whether as body panels, chassis solutions or powertrains – are now widely recognised. The material is significantly lighter than sheet steel, ...
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ArticleMINI maximises quality and productivity
When demand for the brand grew at an extraordinary pace Mini could have been a victim of its own success, but intelligent production management and an enthusiastic workforce have managed to maintan qualityFlexible thinkingClosing the doorsStores and doors - final assemblyInterview: Dr Jürgen HedrichApprenticeships and meistersShift patterns for shifting demandNew ...
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ArticleVive l’Alliance!
In an exclusive interview with AMS, Bruno Ancelin, General Manager of Renault Russia, describes about how the French carmaker, together with Nissan and AvtoVAZ, is putting in place additional production capacity with the goal of cornering 40% of the Russian passenger car marketLike most of his colleagues at the Renault ...
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ArticleHard pressed benefits
Speed is keyWorking with exoticsFlexibility in production and processPress shop productivity is typically controlled by upstream design decisions, from both a product and process perspective. Therefore, close co-operation between car stylists, bodyin-white engineers and press shop engineers is critical. Here, a number of measures dictate success. Designers must minimize the ...
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ArticleThe manufacturing environment; manikin to man-machine
Virtual task modelling is helping experts to factor in the limitations of the human body in order to reduce the chance of repetitive strain injuries, while also improving production efficiencies across manufacturing plantsHappy seat, happy employeesThe virtues of the virtual workstationHuman Task SimulationHuman Activity AnalysisHuman Posture AnalysisAutomated replenishmentTracked, prioritized - ...
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ArticleThe evolution of steel
Aluminium and other exotic materials are being championed as the future of automotive BIW, but Ford and the World AutoSteel organisation believe steel will remain the material of choice, albeit in non-traditional forms.Looking to the futureDesign optimisationAt a recent model launch, a sheet was pulled back to reveal a new ...
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ArticleThe Chinese market starts to mature
Rationalising the manufacturing baseElectric DreamsMercedes-Benz plans rapid -ramp-upIn preparation for the second AMS China conference, to be held June 28 – 30 at the Intercontinental Shanghai Pudong hotel, AMS recently visited several carmakers and suppliers in China. Some interesting themes emerged from the meetings and plant visits, both in manufacturing ...