All articles by Marcus Williams – Page 44
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FeatureA crystal ball for the supply chain
Disruption has become commonplace and there is no longer a ‘situation normal’ for the automotive supply chain, but there are digital tools to help evaluate supply chain risks and costs, as Marcus Williams finds out from recently coupled technology providers Llamasoft and Coupa Software
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NewsAutomotive sector welcomes EU-UK trade deal
The UK car industry has welcomed the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which was finally announced on December 24. The agreement avoids a no-deal Brexit that would have added tariff charges to the import and export of parts and vehicles, but there are still hurdles to overcome in terms of new customs procedures.
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NewsDorothea von Boxberg to take over as CEO of Lufthansa Cargo
Dorothea von Boxberg will be taking over as CEO and chairwoman of Lufthansa Cargo on March 1 this year. She will move from her current role as chief commercial officer (COO) at the airfreight subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa and replace Peter Gerber, who is moving to become CEO of Brussels Airlines.
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NewsNissan denies cuts in Europe while Alliance continues with synergies
Nissan has refuted reports circulated this week that it is cutting direct distribution and sales of models for eastern regions of Europe and moving them to Alliance partner Renault’s network.
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NewsContinental develops autonomous AGV for parts handling
Parts supplier Continental is developing its own automated guided vehicle (AGV) for the movement of heavy parts in its production facilities. Autonomous AGVs are currently being trialled at plants in Zvolen (Slovakia) and Frankfurt am Main (Germany), and moving material for brake production. They can carry loads of more than a ton.
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NewsGefco providing fleet pre-delivery and transport services for LEVC
The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), formerly the London Taxi Company, has signed a contract with the UK division of transport and logistics provider Gefco for pre-delivery services and delivery to fleet customers.
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NewsJLR looks for supply chain transparency with Circulor investment
The venture capital and mobility division of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) – InMotion Ventures – has invested an undisclosed sum in blockchain technology provider Circulor.
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NewsHyundai Motor buys controlling stake in Boston Dynamics
Hyundai Motor Group is buying an 80% stake in robotics provider Boston Dynamics, worth $880m to develop and commercialise robotics, with applications ranging from component manufacturing to smart logistics.
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NewsDaimler Kamaz Rus hits truck production milestone
Daimler’s joint venture with Russian truck maker Kamaz celebrated the production of its 25,000th Mercedes-Benz truck at the Daimler Kamaz Rus (DK Rus) plant in Naberezhnye Chelny last week – a white Mercedes-Benz Actros 1845 LS.
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NewsGM Middle East to import more vehicles from China
GM will be importing more vehicles from China to supply the Middle East following a re-evaluation of its sourcing strategy triggered by Covid-19, according to Sulaiman Pallak, head of purchasing and supply chain for GM Africa and Middle East.
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NewsBentley switches to renewable fuel for logistics at Crewe
Prestige carmaker Bentley is now using vegetable oil to run the trucks it uses to transfer inbound parts to its assembly UK plant in Crewe from its storage depot in Winsford. The carmaker has installed a 34,000-litre hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) tank at the Crewe site to fuel ten trucks with the recycled oil. It is also using the facility to fuel more than 20 smaller on-site security vehicles and delivery vans.
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NewsSustainable packaging a priority for the automotive sector
Carmakers and tier suppliers affiliated under the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) have published guidance on sustainable packaging aimed at reducing waste in the automotive sector and increasing the amount of packaging that can be recycled.
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NewsBMW to use AWS cloud computing software to improve supply chain visibility
BMW and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have agreed to jointly develop applications to use AWS’ cloud computing platform to increase efficiency, performance and sustainability across the lifecycle of its vehicles, from design to aftersales services.
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NewsChristian Friedl takes over as director of Seat Martorell
Christian Friedl is moving from Porsche to become director of Seat’s Martorell plant in Spain, starting from January 1. He replaces Rainer Fessel, who is moving to take over the management of the VW factory in Wolfsburg.
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NewsMercedes-Benz demands carbon neutrality from supply base
Mercedes-Benz is tasking its supply base with the supply of carbon-neutral battery cells and other parts as it strives toward a carbon-neutral vehicle fleet within the next 20 years, part of its Ambition 2039 environmental initiative.
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NewsAmports takes over Horizon Terminal Services
North American finished-vehicle processor Amports has bought the port operations formerly run by Horizon Terminal Services (HTS). In doing so, Amports adds vehicle processing operations at the ports of Jacksonville, Port Everglades and Freeport in the US.
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NewsGPA starts moving container freight through Mason Mega Rail Terminal
Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) in the US has started moving container freight by rail on newly installed track at the port of Savannah following a $128m investment into the Mason Mega Rail terminal project.
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NewsAudi using augmented reality for logistics and production planning
Audi is using 3D holograms to better plan production logistics processes at its vehicle assembly plants. The use of augmented reality technology removes the need to produce prototypes of equipment or containers, making planning more cost and time efficient, according to the carmaker.
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NewsVW boosts green credentials of lithium battery supply to Zwickau
Volkswagen is using a combination of rail and automated unloading to move batteries to its plant in Zwickau, Germany, its first plant dedicated to electric vehicle production, which is currently making the ID.3 and ID.4. The move further reduces the carbon footprint of the plant and is another step closer to its zero-emission sustainability strategy – goTOzero.
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NewsMarco Prueglmeier leaves BMW to found innovation consultancy
BMW’s project leader for logistics innovations and industry 4.0, Marco Prueglmeier, has left the carmaker to found an innovation consultancy called i2Market. The aim of the company is to provide industry with software development, robotics, automated warehousing, artificial intelligence and simulation.