Market trends and business perspectives
General Motors is investing an additional $20 million at Arlington Assembly to upgrade plant conveyors in preparation for the launch of GM’s new SUVs.
GM has invested more than $1.4 billion in Arlington Assembly since 2015 to build a new paint shop and for body shop and general assembly area upgrades.
The new upgrades at Arlington are scheduled to be completed next year.
[Read more…] about GM to invest additional $20 million in Texas plant
FedEx Corp. and Dollar General announced today a strategic alliance that will offer new, convenient access to FedEx drop-off and pickup services at thousands of Dollar General stores across the USA.
The effort is designed to increase access for all customers, particularly those living in rural communities.
FedEx and Dollar General plan to begin rolling out the service in more than 1,500 Dollar General stores in late summer 2019, building to a total of more than 8,000 stores by the end of 2020.
[Read more…] about FedEx to use Dollar General stores for parcel drop-off and pick-up
General Motors has unveiled its all-new electronic platform for its next-generation of vehicles.
As the automotive industry and vehicles evolve in the next five to 10 years, more electrical bandwidth and connectivity will be needed to ensure that features such as electric propulsion systems, the Super Cruise driver assistance feature and advanced active safety systems can all run in conjunction with each other.
Debuting on the recently-unveiled 2020 Cadillac CT5 sedan, the electronic platform will go into production later this year and should be rolled out to most vehicles within GM’s global lineup by 2023.
[Read more…] about General Motors unveils its digital vehicle platform
Auto giant General Motors named industrial robotics and automation company Kuka its “Supplier of the Year” during its 27th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony held recently in Detroit.
This is the fourth time Kuka has received the award. In an interview with Robotics and Automation News, Joe Gemma, a senior executive at Kuka, provided some insights into the company. (See video below.)
During the event, GM recognized 133 of its best suppliers from 15 countries that have consistently exceeded GM’s expectations, created outstanding value or introduced innovations to the company. [Read more…] about General Motors names Kuka as ‘Supplier of the Year’
OnRobot, the Danish end-of-arm tooling specialist, is opening regional headquarters in Singapore.
OnRobot says it will closely focus on the growing demand of end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) in robotics automation in Southeast Asia.
OnRobot specializes in EOAT for collaborative applications, where machines and humans come together to automate, for faster and cost-effective production. [Read more…] about OnRobot opens Singapore office for its robot end-of-arm tools
By Thomas Knudsen, general manager Northern Europe, OnRobot
Within a diverse and innovative sector like the manufacturing industry, flexibility is key.
Robotics, a key enabler of this, has already taken this industry by storm, allowing factories worldwide to automate more and more tasks, cutting costs and increasing productivity.
However, simple automation is no longer enough. Manufacturers now require unique automation solutions for each specific production environment, to tackle the talent shortage they are facing, but can’t redesign facilities for every different process and application. [Read more…] about Opinion: Robotic end-of-arm tools are shaping the manufacturing industry
An online marketplace which offers custom-manufactured parts using 3D printing and machine learning to generate instant price quotes has raised $15 million in its latest funding round.
Relatively new startup company Xometry – which rhymes with geometry and is pronounced zometry – has raised a total of $38 million since it was established in 2013.
The company already generates approximately $20 million in annual revenue and has hundreds of providers and more than 5,000 customers. [Read more…] about BMW and General Electric invest in Xometry manufacturing marketplace
Kuka Systems recognized by General Motors as 2016 Supplier of the Year winner for powertrain and body shop equipment
Kuka Systems was named a “General Motors Supplier of the Year for Powertrain and Body Shop Equipment” by GM during its 25th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony held recently in Orlando, Florida.
GM recognized 118 of its best suppliers from 15 countries that have consistently exceeded GM’s expectations, created outstanding value or brought new innovations to the company.
The announcement represented the most suppliers GM has recognized since debuting the Supplier of the Year event in 1992. This is the second time Kuka Systems has received the award. [Read more…] about General Motors names Kuka Systems its supplier of the year
Boeing says it has completed prototype parts for the wing of its new 777X Dreamliner aircraft.
The company is using advanced manufacturing methods, including additive or 3D printing, in the construction of the passenger plane at its new $1 billion Everett, Washington facility.
When completed, the wing for the 777X will be the largest wing Boeing has ever built. [Read more…] about Boeing completes prototype parts for 777X wing at new billion-dollar advanced manufacturing facility
General Motors says it has the largest number of connected vehicles in the world, with almost 3 million currently on the road – far more than any other automaker.
General Motors claims it “started the connected car revolution 20 years ago” with the launch of OnStar and continues to deliver innovative solutions at a scale unmatched by anyone in the industry.
OnStar is the enabler for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Opel and Vauxhall to introduce new technology features across a broad range of drivers. Today, the blue button brand delivers services in four continents, 18 countries, 10 languages and 13 time zones, with more than a billion customer interactions.
While emergency and security services remain a staple of OnStar, the company has expanded to offer customer-driven mobility solutions that create a personalized experience for GM and Maven customers. [Read more…] about General Motors claims highest number of connected vehicles
