Additive manufacturing is no longer just for prototyping. More and more, the technology is being used to make production-ready parts. That's forcing engineers to begin thinking about joint designs and assembly processes.
Engineers at BMW are working with the Self-Assembly Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop printed inflatable materials that self-transform, adapt and morph from one state to another.
Engineers at Audi AG are using full-color, multimaterial additive manufacturing to produce plastic parts. The technology will help reduce prototyping lead times by up to 50 percent.
MONTGOMERY, AL—Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) recently announced that it will invest $388 million to construct a new plant to manufacture engine heads and support production of the Sonata and Elantra sedans. The investment, which will create 50 new jobs, will be spent on equipment for the engine head machining plant and updating technology in the company’s existing engine plant.
Numbers, like words, need context to be properly understood. Year-to-year production rates, for example, provide lots of insight into a facility"s past, but little about its future survival or success. A better indicator of that is how much money has been invested in the plant for new equipment and expansion.
WASHINGTON—Regulators have sent the White House a proposal seeking to scale back Obama-era rules to combat climate change through tougher fuel-economy standards for cars and trucks. The Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently delivered the proposals to the Office of Management and Budget for review, one of the required steps before a federal rule is adopted.
KARIYA, Japan—Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled to the media last week its historic plant here, which is where the company’s first prototype vehicle was developed in the early years of the Showa era (1926-1989). Called “The Prototype Plant at the Establishment of Toyota,” it has an atmosphere of the early days of the domestic auto industry. The plant will open to the public from July 18.
STOCKHOLM—Chinese auto investors are increasingly pouring money into Europe rather than the United States because of intense U.S. scrutiny of their deals under the Trump administration, according to Reuters news service.
SAVANNAH, GA—The burgeoning growth in U.S. auto exports may be coming in separate parts. The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. automakers are exporting more cars this year, even as proposed tariffs on imported vehicles, and key materials such as steel and aluminum, are raising concerns over global supply chains.