All Materials handling articles – Page 14
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FeatureVolkswagen joins global battery alliance aiming to clean up supply chain
Volkswagen has been named amongst a group of corporations and NGOs aiming to end child labour, hazardous working conditions, pollution and environmental damage in the global battery supply chain.The Global Battery Alliance was launched this week at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Sustainable Development Impact Summit and aims to create ...
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FeatureSurgere completes ROBi inventory pilot at Mahle Behr facility in Dayton
Automotive parts maker Mahle Behr has recently completed a pilot project into inventory management with digital supply chain and packaging expert Surgere. The success of the pilot could see the full deployment of a robotised RFID system at Mahle Behr’s facility in Dayton, Ohio.The pilot project marked the launch of ...
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FeatureŠkoda opens automated warehouse at Czech plant
Škoda Auto has opened an automated small parts warehouse at its Kvasiny plant in the Czech Republic.The company said the €8m ($9.3m) investment was one of the biggest logistics projects in its modern history, adding that it would improve efficiency and make its on-site logistics processes more flexible.“With the new ...
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FeatureHirotec introduces self-driving robot for parts dipping
Hirotec America, a supplier of weld assembly equipment to major OEMs, has introduced an automated machine in its production operation in Michigan.A Yaskawa Motoman dual-arm manipulator has been integrated into an OTTO 1500 self-driving vehicle from OTTO Motors to pick up and dip parts in black oxide for corrosion protection.The ...
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FeatureVolkswagen OTC: Sea king of the Kassel
[sta_anchor id="1"]In many ways, the heart of Volkswagen Group After Sales – the OEM’s service parts and aftermarket division – is its massive Original Teile (Parts) Centre (OTC) in Baunatal, near Kassel, central Germany. This impressive storage and shipping centre serves destinations across the world, including European dealerships as well ...
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FeatureVolkswagen Group Logistics: Come together, right now
All carmakers are [sta_anchor id=”1”]grappling with how to plan and respond to the technological, social and economic changes that are expected to affect their products and businesses. Manufacturers must simultaneously manage rising demand for both traditional and alternative fuels, while exploring new models for mobility that might, in future, change ...
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FeatureVolkswagen seals a series of deals with Gaz Group in Russia
Volkswagen and Russia’s Gaz Group have signed a series of deals covering an engine supply agreement, a possible strategic partnership with VW Truck & Bus and an extension of the contract to manufacture Skoda models in Russia.Under the engine supply deal, VW will supply 200,000 engines to Gaz over a ...
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FeatureEurope conference: No easy way to the digital supply chain
The 2017 Automotive Logistics Europe conference reminded delegates that, despite a better economy, the industry is under pressure. However, new technology looks set to offer the supply chain as much opportunity as disruption, if companies are able to keep up. Marcus Williams, Christopher Ludwig and Gareth Tredway report from Bonn, ...
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FeatureEurope conference: Using logistics to compete across a digitalised aftermarket
Consolidation among parts retailers and changing consumer habits are transforming Europe’s aftermarket, with logistics services both at risk and able to provide a competitive edge, writes Marcus WilliamsThe European automotive aftermarket and service parts business is in the midst of tremendous change, prompted by consolidation among major suppliers and distributors, ...
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FeatureIFOY Awards announced at Transport Logistics
The winners of the the International Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) Awards were announced on the opening night of this year's Transport Logistics trade show in Munich, Germany, this week at a special event held at BMW Welt, the carmaker's customer centre.This year, 11 machines from seven manufacturers made ...
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FeatureMaterials handling: Machines on the move
[in_this_story align="right" border="yes"] Advances in automated technology and robotics have already transformed many aspects of automotive manufacturing, with the sector taking a lead in plant technology and automation investment, from stamping equipment to precision welding robots. In the context of increasing digitalisation, manufacturers are looking to go much further, ...
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FeatureThe end of the line?
As the vehicle industry and market moves towards higher levels of electrification and connectivity, production experts anticipate a change from the traditional assembly line layout that has dominated the industry for nearly a century. Instead, OEMs are expected to increasingly orientate their plants and supply chains around more flexible, digitally ...
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FeatureLooking for the human-machine touch
Digital technology is fast changing the way vehicles are built, with labour, data and engineering management set for new levels of automation, according to experts speaking at the recent automotiveIT Forum Production and Logistics.But while automotive plants and their supply chains adapt new concepts and equipment, including for logistics and ...
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FeatureDHL Supply Chain to handle in-plant logistics for JLR in Brazil
DHL Supply Chain has been awarded the contract to manage in-plant logistics at Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR’s) new manufacturing plant in Itatiaia, Brazil (pictured).JLR opened its 750m reais ($215m) manufacturing facility last June. It is the first wholly-owned manufacturing plant the carmaker has set up outside of the UK (its ...
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FeatureE-commerce automation: Ocado bags a revolution
Many in automotive logistics like to think they’re at the cutting edge of automation and information technology. But as grocery e-retailer Ocado demonstrates, those in the car sector could learn a lot from the way other products are being handled and distributedIn this story... Hatfield sets the standard Busy bees ...
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FeaturePSA group details €200m plan to modernise Sochaux
French carmaker PSA Group plans to modernise its Sochaux plant in the east of the country as part of a €200m ($213m) investment by 2022 that will include the installation of the first press line in France in two decades.A dedicated team has been on site for three years to ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz Trucks expands contract with Ceva in Brazil
Mercedes-Benz has extended its contract with Ceva Logistics in Brazil covering inbound and aftermarket services for its Juiz de Fora assembly facility in Minais Gerais. The deal means a three-year extension to its existing contract with Ceva, which covers materials handling, line feeding and external warehousing.However, the latest deal also ...
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FeatureAudi embraces wearable scanning technology at Ingolstadt
Audi has adopted a wearable scanner from ProGlove at its Ingolstadt plant in Germany in what it describes as the first step towards the widespread use of wearable technologies in its production process.Audi tested the handheld scanner replacement – which leaves both hands free for other handling operations unlike conventional ...
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FeatureIndia conference report: Looking for the next leap forward
India’s automotive industry is set to become the third biggest in the world but its growth is testing the infrastructure to the limit and bringing a high level of complexity to the supply chain. There are also big changes ahead related to tax policy and equipment legislation, which bring their ...
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FeatureJLR part 1: Ensuring logistics is not a victim of success
With so much expansion, change and inevitable risk still ahead of the carmaker, JLR’s director of global material planning and logistics, David Dyke, is pushing his department’s influence across the company and the supply chain to gain efficiency and further strength