Manufacturing - Tech Blog
Ford to invest $733 million in southeastern Michigan plants
Ford's recently announced plan to invest $733 million in southeastern Michigan plants is part of a larger plan to invest $6.2 billion in U.S. plants by 2015. The single largest investment for southeastern Michigan will be $305 million for facility modernization, new press lines, a scrap conveyor system, and other machinery and equipment at the Dearborn Stamping Plant. Other area facilities slated for upgrades include Michigan Assembly Plant ($54.9 million), Flat Rock Assembly Plant ($161 million), Sterling Axle Plant ($86 million), Van Dyke Transmission Plant ($87.7 million), and Livonia Transmission Plant ($74.7 million). The planned investments in southeastern Michigan were announced by Ford Dec. 27.
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Ford will invest $87.7 million in its Van Dyke Transmission Plant for machinery and equipment to meet capacity expansions for its 6F35 and 6F50 transmissions.
Nissan charges up its new EV battery plant in Tennesee
Nissan recently began operations of its new advanced-battery plant in Tennessee that will supply the energy-storage devices for the Nissan Leafs to be produced at an adjoining vehicle-assembly plant. Regular North American production of the Leaf is to start at the automaker's Smyrna plant early in 2013. To date, the Leaf and its lithium-ion battery pack currently are made in Japan only. The first batteries produced in Smyrna for the 2013 Leaf have completed the required aging process and are ready to receive their first charge, the company said in a recent announcement. The plant is fully integrated, with raw battery cell materials coming in one end and finished battery packs going out the other (see accompanying image). Nissan has not yet released specifications for the 2013 Leaf and its battery pack. The Leaf will be assembled alongside the Nissan Altima and Maxima.
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The production process at Nissan's new U.S. battery plant begins with formation of electrode sheets.
Detailed FEV study shows the way to major vehicle mass savings
Significant vehicle mass reduction—up to 20%—is achievable if weight reduction is pursued as part of a "full-vehicle approach," according to a study by FEV Inc. released Dec. 13. The company used a 2010 Toyota Venza for its research because that model was used in an earlier, related study. The comprehensive phase-two study by FEV was conducted for the U.S. EPA. The previous study, by Lotus Engineering (go to www.sae.org/mags/aei/8512 to read more), was conducted for the International Council on Clean Transportation. That study did not address mass savings from the powertrain to the extent the new one does, nor did it use advanced CAE tools to judge the impact of mass-savings measures on safety, according to FEV. In both cases, the mass savings were to be achieved with no degradation in safety or other parameters. The new study shows that the body-in-white and closures offered the most mass reduction at 68.32 kg (150.62 lb), followed closely by suspension. Total mass savings of 18.3% (312 kg/688 lb) was achieved, and at a cost savings of $148 from manufacturing efficiencies.
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Advanced CAE tools were used as part of the comprehensive study that resulted in a report of 890 pages.
BMW and Boeing to collaborate on carbon-fiber materials
Two heavyweights in the automotive and aerospace industries are joining minds on lighter materials. BMW and Boeing on Dec. 12 announced they would do joint research on carbon-fiber recycling and share knowledge about the material and its manufacture. As part of the collaboration agreement, the two companies will also share carbon-fiber manufacturing process simulations and ideas for manufacturing automation. BMW in 2013 plans to introduce two models from its new i brand (i3 battery-electric and i8 plug-in hybrid) featuring bodies made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner aircraft is made up of 50% carbon fiber. The collaboration is the first ever between the two companies.
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The bodies of BMW's i brand models will use carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. (Patrick Ponticel)
Parker Aerospace, GE Aviation launch joint venture
Parker Aerospace and GE Aviation reached an agreement to form a joint venture, Advanced Atomization Technologies LLC, to enhance the development and manufacture of commercial aircraft engine fuel nozzles. This represents a critical addition to the comprehensive GE fuel management team. The 50:50 joint venture—created specifically to produce fuel nozzles for current and future GE Aviation commercial engine platforms (including aerospace and aero-derivative engines)—will be located in the Parker Gas Turbine Fuel Systems Division facility in Clyde, NY. The joint venture will employ approximately 300 skilled assemblers, technicians, engineers, and other professionals in the production of advanced fuel nozzles and related products for GE Aviation.
XCOR announces ATK as Lynx Mark I Wing detailed design/build contractor
XCOR Aerospace has issued the initial phase of a two-phase contract to ATK's Aerospace Structures Division for the detailed design and manufacture of the Lynx Mark I suborbital reusable launch vehicle (RLV) wings and control surfaces. The initial wing and control surface design has been developed by XCOR to rigorous design standards to enable the craft to perform tens of thousands of flights to and from suborbital altitudes exceeding 100 km. ATK will create a detailed design ready for manufacture, working with structural and flutter analysis experts from Quartus Engineering in San Diego, CA. The wings will be installed on the Lynx Mark I, which is the prototype of the Lynx family of suborbital RLVs from XCOR; the production models are called Lynx Mark II.
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Proposed detailed wing design for XCOR Lynx Mark I to be designed by ATK.
GE Aviation acquires pair of precision manufacturing companies
GE Aviation has acquired the assets of Morris Technologies and its sister company, Rapid Quality Manufacturing, precision manufacturing companies operating in suburban Cincinnati, OH. The companies, with about 130 employees, specialize in additive manufacturing, an automated process for creating rapid prototypes and end-use production components. With this acquisition, GE Aviation expands its engineering and manufacturing capabilities to meet its growing jet engine production rates over the next five years. Morris Technologies (Sharonville, OH) and Rapid Quality Manufacturing (West Chester, OH) have supplied parts to GE Aviation for several years, as well as to GE Power Systems and GE Global Research Center. The Sharonville and West Chester facilities will become part of GE Aviation's global network of manufacturing operations. Both companies focus on the aerospace, energy, oil & gas, and medical industries.
General Motors and partners open new plant in China
General Motors, SAIC, and Wuling Motors opened a new car plant Nov. 18 in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China. The three companies are partners in SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW). It was on the JV's 10th anniversary that the first car (a Baojun 630 midsize sedan) rolled out of the new $1.28 billion, 2-million-ft2 (200,000-m2) plant. Baojun is a passenger-car brand of SGMW. The joint venture also produces Wuling-brand minivans and minitrucks at other plants. SAIC holds a 50.1% stake in SGMW, GM 44.0%, and Wuling 5.9%. Annual capacity at the new plant is 400,000 units.
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A Baojun 630 midsize sedan was the first vehicle to roll out of the new SGMW plant Nov. 18.
Volvo ramps up production of world's first diesel plug-in hybrid
Volvo Car Corp. says it has successfully integrated production of what it claims is the world's first diesel plug-in hybrid into the assembly line with conventional models at its Torsland Plant in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company claims it is the first to accomplish such an integration. "The integration in the standard production flow gives the plug-in hybrid buyer the possibility to choose, in principle, all options available for the standard V60," said Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo Car Corp. The assembly line was rebuilt to accommodate production of the plug-in, which features 300 more parts than the conventional car models. After the first batch of 1000 MY2013 V60 Plug-ins are built, the plant will ramp up to as many as 6000 MY2014 units, according to the company.
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Sofia Nordgren and Apichat Khongkamnoed install the high-voltage cables (orange) and the cooling system for the V60 Plug-in's battery pack at Volvo's Torsland Plant in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mazda to build subcompact for Toyota in Mexico
Mazda will build a Toyota-branded subcompact vehicle based on the Mazda2 in Mexico beginning in summer 2015, the two companies announced on Nov. 9. To be built at a pace of about 50,000 units annually, the vehicle will be sold mainly in North America. Production will take place at a new plant Mazda being built in Salamanca, state of Guanajuato, where the Mazda2 and Mazda3 will also be built. Plant capacity was originally planned at 140,000 units annually for the Mazda products only. but will be increased to accommodate the Toyota model. The companies did not release financial terms of the deal.
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