When the average person opens up a refrigerator and grabs a too-warm soda can or bottle, his initial reaction is one of disappointment. But, if that person is an assembler of harnesses for this type of appliance, his initial thought is: Check the evaporator fan wiring harness.
When I was a lad, the family car only had an AM radio, which was just fine with my father. All he wanted was to listen to the ballgame. FM radio? Tape player? Man, those were luxuries!
Most people associate additive manufacturing with plastics. However, a slew of new materials and processes are now available that enable engineers to print a variety of metal components.
Among the most innovative features on a new car is the keyless antenna, which emits a radio frequency signal to identify the owner’s key and open the car.
SPARTANBURG, SC—BMW plans to invest $600 million to expand production at its assembly plant here, adding 1,000 jobs to the workforce. The investment is part of a push to produce 450,000 vehicles annually at the plant.
LOUISVILLE, KY—Ford Motor Co. is investing $900 million to upgrade its Kentucky Truck Plant to build all-new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. This investment is in addition to a $1.3 billion investment the auto maker announced in late 2015.
TOKYO--Shattered by recall costs and lawsuits, Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. filed Monday for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and the U.S., saying it was the only way it could keep on supplying replacements for faulty air bag inflators linked to the deaths of at least 16 people.
SPARKS, NV--Three years ago, Tesla began construction of its Gigafactory here. This past weekend, the facility began battery production. By the end of 2018, it is expected to produce enough batteries for 500,000 cars, primarily the company's Model 3.
The main objective for manufacturers of commercial transportation equipment is to profitability build high-quality products. One way to meet this objective is to assemble trailers and truck bodies with advanced structural adhesives and seam sealers.