Manufacturing
Forgeline Motorsports: Doubling down on race wheels
Surging demand for one-piece racecar wheels led Forgeline Motorsports to boost capacity and adopt new technology with Haas vertical machining centers.
Category: Cover Story
Manufacturing
Trends in assembly packaging
Packaging experts R. Andrew Hurley and Bianca Hurley discuss trends in the packaging world impacting automotive production.
Engineering
Ram & Jeep: Lightweight designs go mainstream
Two of FCA’s most popular vehicles feature advanced lightweight materials strategies, mixing aluminum and steel components to boost efficiency and performance.
Manufacturing
Simplifying AGV Production
Standardizing components and systems on automated guided vehicles (AGVs) allows RedViking to increase production, expand automation capacity.
Industry
From the racetrack to public streets
Automakers test components, systems, materials, and technologies on the track to hone performance before adding new options to passenger vehicles.
Vehicle Tech
Automotive companies look to the skies for clues on autonomous designs
Airline business models and equipment are influencing seating, vehicle software, and the entire approach to self-driving cars.
Manufacturing
Exoskeletons support BMW line workers in South Carolina
Plastic bushings from igus enable a lightweight assembly system that reduces fatigue and allows crew members to work longer shifts.
Fleets
2018 Outlook: Rapid commercial truck growth, lower sales with better profitability in autos
Following three years of more than 17 million light cars and trucks sold, 2018 may miss that target, but production will stay near record levels, and industry profits and investments are projected to climb.
Engineering
Digital design, PLM data support Renault Racing
Elysium software corrects translation errors as engineers move data between various CAD, CAM, FEA packages.
Manufacturing
Metrology probe systems allow supplier to race through turnaround
Tridan Engineering supplied Ricardo Performance Products with rear-axle assemblies in record time by using Renishaw probes to ensure part placement.
Industry
Polycarbonate windows for vehicle lightweighting
Already used in a handful of niche applications, automakers continue experimenting with lightweight plastics to replace glass in vehicles.
Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing technologies in high-volume automotive production
Direct 3D printing of mass-produced car parts is unlikely in the near future because the technology is too slow, but experts at Ford and Stratasys say additive techniques can lower production, assembly, and design costs.