All manufacturing articles
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Ford trials body tracking tech for workers at Valencia plant
Image: Ford Assembly line workers at Ford’s production facility in Valencia, Spain, are testing bodysuits incorporating tracking technology, with a view to improving workstation ergonomics. The technology, often used by sports stars to analyse their games (or for replication of their style in video games) records how a ...
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McKinsey survey: Manufacturers struggle with digitalization efforts
Image: McKinsey Few companies have realized the full potential of digitization of manufacturing at a large scale, a survey by the McKinsey & Company management consultancy has found. Its fourth annual Digital Manufacturing Global Expert study claims that while 92% of the respondents from firms around the world ...
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Poll: Companies slow to implement predictive plant maintenance
Manufacturing companies cite IT security and costs as main barriers to implementing predictive maintenance. (Photo: Fraunhofer IGD)Most industrial companies believe in a major role for predictive maintenance, but very few have already commissioned projects, according to a new study by BearingPoint.The consultants found that 84 pc of companies had ...
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Audi's Mexico plant: virtually designed and fully connected
Audi officially inaugurated its Mexico plant Sept. 30 (Photo: Audi)Audi said the control center at its newly opened plant in Mexico, known as P-Control, lets the premium car brand make further improvements to its manufacturing processes."The centralized P-control station is the most advanced in the Audi production network," Audi ...
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For networked plants, IT security is key
Industry 4.0 holds out the promise of smarter manufacturing, but with increased connectivity between plants and machinery, the risk of cyber attacks rises. That’s a major problem for companies trying to transform their manufacturing operations to take advantage of the new technologies. Germany’s Deutsche Telekom polled IT and business decision ...
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Opel appoints Kienle to head manufacturing
Kienle brings to Opel more than 30 years of global manufacturing experience (Photo: GM)Opel said General Motors veteran Phil Kienle will succeed Peter Thom as head of manufacturing at the German GM brand March 1.Kienle currently serves as head of manufacturing for GM International and GM China. Thom, the ...
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BMW on track with efforts to reduce energy consumption in plants
At BMW's Spartanburg plant, more than 80 production units and robots have smart meters (Photo: BMW)BMW is on track with efforts to lower the amount of energy it needs to build cars, with energy consumption per vehicle dropping 31 percent between 2006 and 2013. By 2020, the Munich-based premium ...
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Study: Industry 4.0 mobile apps not meeting requirements
Mobile applications are key for Industry 4.0 and users are particularly keen on solutions for tablets (Photo: Fraunhofer IGD)Mobile computing is becoming ever more important in manufacturing, but many so-called "Industry 4.0" apps aren't meeting the needs of their users. That's one of the conclusions from a study conducted ...
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Fiat manufacturing likely to benefit from Chrysler's 3d modeling
DETROIT - It”˜s too early for specifics, but Chrysler”˜s use of 3d modeling for its powertrain manufacturing is likely to be used in Fait plant as well.For the past two years, the US-based carmaker, which is majorityowned by Italy”˜s Fiat, has been deploying 3d manufacturing software to improve and speed ...
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At Chrysler, 3D technology improves factory planning
3D lets engineers see how parts are delivered to an operator in the "Golden Zone” (Photo: Chrysler)Chrysler is using new 3D technology to plan for the launch of two new transmissions at its Kokomo, Indiana, factory.The US carmaker, which is majority-owned by Italy's Fiat, said it is using a three-dimensional ...
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Ford steps up quality drive, using laser robots for inspection
Laser robots inspect the quality of a new Ford Focus built at the company’s Michigan Assembly plant (Photo: Ford)Ford hopes to boost quality through a major investment in robots that can check for problems using laser technology.The U.S. based carmaker said it is investing $100 million globally to install laser ...
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Software helps prevent injuries in car manufacturing
LifeModeler’s biomechanical simulation software helps identify and reduce injury risks in manufacturingAn Ohio State University institute is implementing MSC and Lifemodeler software to assess and prevent injuries in car manufacturing.MSC Software, a provider of multidisciplinary simulation solutions, said Ohio State's Center for Occupational Health in Automotive Manufacturing (COHAM) has fully ...