All Plant Logistics articles – Page 14
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FeatureDisaster recovery: Prepared for the worst?
As the scale of the destruction wrought by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan’s north-eastern coastline in March 2011 became apparent, managers within BMW’s purchasing function were asked if it would affect the company. Their answer? No – because BMW had no suppliers in Japan.But that wasn’t quite ...
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FeatureVolkswagen appoints Thomas Ulbrich as head of new e-mobility division
Thomas Ulbrich (pictured), currently management board member for production and logistics at Volkswagen, is to take charge of e-mobility at the German carmaker.From February 1st , Ulbrich will head a newly created division covering the e-mobility series and production of vehicles on the group’s new modular electric drive kit (MEB) ...
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FeatureVauxhall to cut a further 250 jobs as it moves to a single shift at Ellesmere Port
Vauxhall Motors has announced it is making a further 250 redundancies at its Ellesmere Port plant in the UK, following a meeting it held on January 4th with union Unite.The latest announcement comes on top of the 400 redundancies announced in October last year, at which point the carmaker also ...
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FeatureAudi’s logistics part 2: Pursuing practical progression
There is little question that finished vehicle logistics has been among the least automated segments of the overall automotive production and supply chain process. From loading and unloading vehicles to and from trucks, ships and rail wagons to inspection and parking, as well as scanning vehicles into inventory and tracking systems, outbound logistics has remained, by and large, a manual, labour-intensive operation
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FeatureAudi’s logistics part 1: Prepared for a new reality
The recent history of the Audi brand is written deeply into the company’s supply chain and logistics, and can be read across the carmaker’s expanding geography, plant and parts handling operations
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FeatureSiemens Financial Services calls for careful investment in digitalisation
The automotive sector needs to invest carefully to reap the benefits of a potentially more efficient manufacturing and distribution model as the fourth industrial revolution – also referred to as industry 4.0 – takes hold, Siemens Financial Services (SFS) has warned.Advising the sector to get ready for “extended disruption” in ...
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FeatureSeat builds tallest warehouse in Spain to support Martorell assembly
Spanish carmaker Seat has revealed it is building an automated logistics centre at its Martorell factory outside Barcelona that will include the tallest warehouse in Spain. The facility is expected to be completed by the last quarter of next year.The logistics centre will cover a total area of 5,700 sq.m ...
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FeatureVolkswagen earmarks €22.8 billion for modular and electric vehicle future
Volkswagen has announced a major €22.8 billion ($26.7 billion) investment programme in its plants around the world to prepare them for modular production and for an electric vehicle offensive in the coming years.The main focus will be on Germany, which will account for investments totalling €14 billion. A big part ...
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FeatureNew awards celebrate excellence and innovation in automotive supply chains
The Automotive Logistics Group, which publishes the highly respected Automotive Logistics magazine as well as organising a series of global logistics conferences, has today announced the launch of an exciting new awards scheme for the automotive supply chain management sector.The Automotive Logistics Awards – Europe 2018 will recognise and reward ...
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FeatureSeat looks to digital supply chain and connected cars with Telefónica deal
Spanish telecommunications provider Telefónica is to become an IT supplier to carmaker Seat, following an agreement signed in the first week of November designed to develop connected car technology, as well as digitalise the supply chain and manufacturing process.Among the aims of the agreement is the application of 5G connectivity ...
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FeatureIT implementation: Touching the cutting edge
Twenty years ago, parts of today’s automotive supply chain would have seemed like science fiction – plants keeping just a few hours’ worth of highly traceable inventory, unmanned drones being used to monitor site activity, glasses with computer chips in them, self-driving vehicles, and management systems that predict the future, ...
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FeatureBMW tracking: Prevention is better than a cure
Few manufacturing operations have expanded as much over the past two decades as BMW’s Plant Spartanburg in Greer, South Carolina. After producing 411,000 X-series SUV models in 2016, it is now the carmaker’s largest global facility by assembly volume, and is headed towards its maximum capacity of 450,000 units per year, including the launch this year of the new X3.
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FeatureMines of information
Having invested over the past 20 years in data acquisition technology, the automotive industry is now casting around for ways to make sense of that data.
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FeatureSubaru admits to inappropriate practices in its Japanese inspection process
Subaru has confirmed that an internal investigation at its Japan-based production facilities has revealed inappropriate practices in connection with the final vehicle inspection process.The OEM said that among other things, its investigation had discovered cases where individuals were conducting final vehicle inspections prior to their formal promotion as final vehicle ...
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FeaturePlugged in for progress
Evolution of CCS charging technology for e-cars towards 350 kW" width="500" height="500">The last two decades have seen the emergence of the alternative propulsion vehicle market from almost nothing. According to PwC Autofacts data, sales in 1997 across all hybrid and electric vehicles numbered about 6,000 vehicles. This year, the ...
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FeatureGetrag scores a hat-trick at Magna Logistics awards
Transmission system supplier Getrag has received three World Class Logistics awards for innovative supply chain projects. The awards were made by Magna Logistics Europe, a division of Getrag’s parent company Magna International, and were announced at the annual Magna Logistics Days in the second week of October.Getrag’s Supply Chain Management ...
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FeatureLatest Ford reshuffle puts Drake at helm of global purchasing
Lisa Drake (pictured) will replace Birgit Behrendt from January 1st as head of global powertrain purchasing and global purchasing operations at Ford, as part of a number of executive changes announced by the carmaker this week.Drake will be responsible for all powertrain purchasing operations worldwide, as well as global operational ...
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FeatureProduction & logistics part 4: Logistics organisations and skills
How has your company’s supply chain and logistics management organisation changed over the past 20 years?
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FeatureProduction & logistics part 3: Operations, packaging and IT
How have supply chain operations for logistics changed over the past 20 years?
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FeatureProduction & logistics part 2: Questioning the future
This article is one of a series of pieces celebrating Automotive Logistics’ 20th anniversary issue that together take an extended look at the way top executives feel automotive production and logistics have changed in the last two decades – and where they see them heading in the future.