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Mitsubishi and Shin Nihonkai Ferry to develop unmanned ship navigation system

June 15, 2020 by Mai Tao Leave a Comment

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group, is collaborating with Shin Nihonkai Ferry to jointly develop autonomous ships.

The two companies have successfully applied for grant aid under the Joint Technological Development Programme for the Demonstration of Unmanned Ships, sponsored by The Nippon Foundation.

With this support, the two companies say they will commence co-development of underlying technologies and systems to enable unmanned ship navigation in the future. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi and Shin Nihonkai Ferry to develop unmanned ship navigation system

Mercedes-Benz car plants worldwide restart production

June 12, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

Mercedes-Benz car plants worldwide are restarting production this month after a production suspension period caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, Mercedes-Benz says its car plants have “successfully restarted production step by step”.

On April 20th, the engine and component plants in Germany gradually resumed production first, followed by the Mercedes-Benz car assembly plants. [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz car plants worldwide restart production

Vitesco Technologies celebrates 25 years and its new ‘high degree of automation’

June 12, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

In the scenic setting of Frenštát pod Radhoštěm at the foot of the Beskid Mountains, the Vitesco Technologies site is celebrating its 25th anniversary as well as its “high degree of automation” which is enabling the company to produce advanced technologies more efficiently than ever before.

In May 1995, the site started producing electronic components for the automotive industry, initially with 100 employees.

Today, the Czech site with its workforce of approximately 3,000 is one of the largest employers in the region and is also one of the largest electronics plants owned by Vitesco Technologies, the Powertrain Technologies group sector of Continental. [Read more…] about Vitesco Technologies celebrates 25 years and its new ‘high degree of automation’

BMW applies AI dust particle analysis to ‘increase paint shop quality’

June 9, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

BMW says it uses an “ongoing algorithm-based analysis” of dust content in vehicle paint booths and compares them to a database to predict the quality of coating it applies to cars

Artificial intelligence can bring even greater precision to controlling highly sensitive systems in automotive production, as a pilot project in the paint shop of the BMW’s Munich plant has demonstrated.

Despite state-of-the-art filtration technology, the content of finest dust particles in paint lines varies depending on the ambient air drawn in. If the dust content exceeded the threshold, the still wet paint could trap particles, thus visually impairing the painted surface.

AI specialists from what BMW calls its “central planning” and the Munich plant have now found a way to avoid this situation altogether: every freshly painted car body must undergo an automatic surface inspection in the paint shop. [Read more…] about BMW applies AI dust particle analysis to ‘increase paint shop quality’

Hyundai Robotics receives order for 370 industrial robots

May 21, 2020 by Mai Tao Leave a Comment

Hyundai Robotics has won what it describes as “a giant deal” from the Hyundai Motors Indonesian automotive plant for industrial robots.

Hyundai Robotics, which was officially launched as a new company on May 1st, 2020, says the order is for 370 industrial robotic arms for the new facility.

Located in the Deltamas Industrial Complex near Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, Hyundai Motors’ first manufacturing plant in southeast Asia will be completed in 2022. [Read more…] about Hyundai Robotics receives order for 370 industrial robots

BMW tests ‘fully connected logistics’ system in one of its German factories

April 23, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

BMW is testing a range of “autonomous, connected and intelligent” technologies at its German facilities.

In fact, BMW and three partner companies from Bavaria are exploring the possibilities for making BMW Group Plant Dingolfing a smart factory for logistics.

It’s part of a three-year research project supported by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy. [Read more…] about BMW tests ‘fully connected logistics’ system in one of its German factories

GM investing $40 million in Spring Hill plant

February 14, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

General Motors is to invest $40 million in its Spring Hill Global Propulsion Systems plant to increase capacity of the 5.3L V8 engines for GM’s full-size truck and SUV programs.

The 5.3 V8 engine with Dynamic Fuel Management is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

This engine variant is available for select full-size trucks and SUVs, including Chevrolet’s Silverado, Tahoe and Suburban as well as the GMC Sierra. [Read more…] about GM investing $40 million in Spring Hill plant

Continental builds new US plant to make advanced driver assistance systems

February 6, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

Continental is to build a new plant to make advanced driver assistance systems.

The new plant will be located in New Braunfels in the US state of Texas.

The purpose of the new building is to expand its capacity for the production of radar sensors, says Continental. [Read more…] about Continental builds new US plant to make advanced driver assistance systems

General Motors to invest $2.2 billion in Detroit-Hamtramck plant to make it ‘100 percent devoted to electric vehicles’

January 30, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

General Motors is making a $2.2 billion investment into its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to produce a variety of all-electric trucks and SUVs.

The company says the plant will be “100 percent devoted to electric vehicles”.

GM’s first all-electric truck will be a pickup with production scheduled to begin in late 2021. This will be followed soon after by the Cruise Origin, a shared, electric, self-driving vehicle unveiled by Cruise in San Francisco last week. [Read more…] about General Motors to invest $2.2 billion in Detroit-Hamtramck plant to make it ‘100 percent devoted to electric vehicles’

What is a ‘digital twin’ and why it matters

December 20, 2019 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

Seeing double? That’s a good thing when it comes to improving efficiency and anticipating problems in refineries.

A refinery is a high stakes environment with no room for error.

Operators must learn how to run production facilities, but training on the real asset would be risky. A minor error could put workers in harm or cause downtime, costing hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. [Read more…] about What is a ‘digital twin’ and why it matters