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Volvo Group to establish battery production plant in Sweden

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The Volvo Group has initiated the process to establish a large-scale production plant for battery cells in Sweden.

The company says the initiative is designed to meet “the growing demand for battery electric heavy-duty vehicles and machines”.

Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of the Volvo Group, says: “We aim to lead the transition to a decarbonized transport system and have the long-term ambition to offer our customers solutions that are 100 percent fossil free. [Read more…] about Volvo Group to establish battery production plant in Sweden

AGCO’s Massey Ferguson plant produces one-millionth tractor

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AGCO, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery, is celebrating the production of the one-millionth tractor at its Massey Ferguson Beauvais plant.

The company says this “significant milestone” coincides with the company’s 175th anniversary. Massey Ferguson has been manufacturing tractors in Beauvais, France since November 20, 1960.

Darren Parker, vice president of Massey Ferguson, North America, says: “2022 is a year of milestone celebrations for Massey Ferguson. We applaud the hard work and dedication of our colleagues in Beauvais to produce our one-millionth tractor. [Read more…] about AGCO’s Massey Ferguson plant produces one-millionth tractor

DMG MORI building Africa’s first machine tool factory

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DMG MORI, a manufacturing technology company with 12,000 employees in 87 countries and $2 billion in annual sales revenues, is building what it says is “Africa’s first machine tool factory” in Cairo, Egypt.

The decision was formally made at a meeting with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. In the presence of Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly, the company’s chairman, Christian Thönes, and AOI President Lt Gen Abdel Moneam Al Tarras signed the “pioneering cooperation agreement”.

Christian Thönes, chairman of DMG MORI Aktiengesellschaft, says:“Egypt is the door to Africa – a continent full of potential and high demand for future technologies. [Read more…] about DMG MORI building Africa’s first machine tool factory

Honda begins construction of new electric vehicle production plant

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Honda has started the construction of its new electric vehicle production plant in China. Honda, originally a Japanese company, was wholly acquired by Guangzhou Automobile Group in 2017.

Honda Motor (China) Investment, a wholly-owned Honda subsidiary in China, announced that GAC Honda Automobile, (GAC Honda), a Honda automobile production and sales joint venture in China, began construction of its new EV plant, taking a forward step in establishing a suitable EV production system and capability in preparation for an increase in the number of EV models in its product lineup.

GAC Honda’s dedicated EV production plant will be newly constructed on a lot with the size of 400,000 sq m within the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. The plant is targeted to begin operation in 2024 with an annual production capacity of 120,000 units. [Read more…] about Honda begins construction of new electric vehicle production plant

BMW expands battery production in its Leipzig factory

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BMW has expanded its electric vehicle battery manufacturing operations.

The German automotive giant has added a second battery module production line at BMW Group Plant Leipzig.

Further expanding e-component production in the German state of Saxony, the new system manufactures modules for the fully electric BMW i4, made in Munich. Plant Leipzig’s first such production line went on stream in May 2021 and supplies the battery modules for the BMW iX. [Read more…] about BMW expands battery production in its Leipzig factory

Volvo Trucks opens its first battery plant in Belgium

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Volvo Trucks is opening its very first battery assembly plant. Located in Ghent, Belgium, the plant will supply ready-to-install batteries for Volvo Trucks’ full electric heavy-duty trucks.

Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks, says: “This investment shows our strong commitment to electrifying truck transportation. By 2030, at least 50 percent of all trucks we sell globally will be electric and by 2040, we will be a carbon-neutral company.”

In the new battery plant, cells and modules from Samsung SDI will be assembled into battery packs that are tailor-made for Volvo Trucks´ heavy-duty electric range: Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX. Series production starts in the third quarter of this year. [Read more…] about Volvo Trucks opens its first battery plant in Belgium

Yaskawa completes new plant for manufacturing mounting boards and electronic units in China

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Yaskawa Electric, parent company of Yaskawa Mechatronics, one of the world’s largest industrial robot makers, has completed a new plant in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, in China.

The facility has already begun the mass production of mounting boards for servo amplifiers and AC drives as well as electronic units for robot control panels used in its production bases in China.

Yaskawa says that, in China, economic activities are currently “stagnant” because of Covid-19 but demand for factory automation at production sites is increasing due to labor shortages caused by the low birth rate and ageing population, rising labor costs, and the risk of coronavirus spreading. [Read more…] about Yaskawa completes new plant for manufacturing mounting boards and electronic units in China

Commercial vehicle maker MAN selects Magazino robot for warehouse work

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The robotics company Magazino wins commercial vehicle maker MAN as a customer for a pilot project with the SOTO robot.

The mobile robot SOTO automates the material supply between the warehouse and the assembly line, by handling and transporting small load carriers (KLT) completely autonomously.

The pilot operation started at the Nuremberg site in the engine production for trucks and offers both sides the opportunity to gain experience with the robot for a future live operation. [Read more…] about Commercial vehicle maker MAN selects Magazino robot for warehouse work

Plant Prefab selected to build luxury residences in Olympic Valley, California

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Plant Prefab, the first Certified B Corporation building technology company dedicated to sustainable design, materials and operations, has won a bid to prefabricate the final phase of custom homes in The Palisades at Olympic Valley, a luxury home community near Lake Tahoe designed by The Brown Studio.

Initially sourced to build one of the development’s first-phase duplex homes, Plant Prefab has since been retained to prefabricate all 33 of the development’s single-family homes.

The agreement to produce the Summit residences, the development’s premier offering of three 4,627-square-foot custom homes, is Plant Prefab’s third contract with the San Diego-based developer. [Read more…] about Plant Prefab selected to build luxury residences in Olympic Valley, California

6 Trends in Process Automation Changing How Cars are Made

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Process automation has had a significant impact on how cars are made. From the early days of Henry Ford’s simple conveyor belt production lines to modern advances in AI and robotics.

Moreover, with EVs and self-driving vehicles, you can expect new applications for process automation. Additionally, the intricacies of modern EVs require new automated tech that needs to evolve. As a result, manufacturing and automation are constantly changing. [Read more…] about 6 Trends in Process Automation Changing How Cars are Made