Automotive Assembly

International Tractors Establishes Joint Venture to Open Plant in China

October 22, 2019

PUNJAB, India—International Tractors Ltd. anounced Monday that it has entered into a joint venture with Shandong Luyu Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. that will invest $10 million to set up an assembly plant in China for tractors and engines.

Shinwa Group Plans to Build First US Factory in Alabama

October 21, 2019

AUBURN, AL—Auto parts manufacturer Shinhwa Group recently announced plans to build its first U.S. factory in eastern Alabama to supply nearby auto plants.

Deal to End GM Strike May Come Soon: CEO Mary Barra Joins Talks With UAW

October 16, 2019

DETROIT—General Motors CEO Mary Barra joined negotiators at the bargaining table, an indication that a deal may be near to end a monthlong strike by members of the United Auto Workers union that has paralyzed the company’s factories.

Mack Truck Workers Begin Strike at Assembly Plants in Three States

October 16, 2019

MACUNGIE, PA—About 3,600 Mack Truck workers went on strike Oct. 13 at assembly plants in Florida, Pennsylvania and Maryland, the first such walkout in decades.

Prototyping Complex Harnesses

Designing, building and testing complex wire harnesses takes planning, attention to detail - and a good tester

Jon Quigley

October 10, 2019

Vehicles have become increasingly electrical over the years. This is not just power electronics, but also sensor data, communications and many other coordinated electrical signals. For aircraft or commercial vehicles, wire harnesses can be even more complex with hundreds of interconnection points.

Interesting and Unusual Applications of Cable Testing

From underwater vehicles to crash dummies, these case studies showcase the benefits of using a versatile and adaptable cable tester

Christopher E. Strangio

October 9, 2019

Over the last 26 years, since the founding of CAMI Research Inc., customers and friends have asked why the company would focus its efforts on such a mundane, low-tech, and uninteresting device as a cable tester, particularly since a variety of such devices already existed.

UAW Strike, Week Four: Auto Suppliers Lay Off Thousands of Workers

October 8, 2019

DETROIT—More than 100 automotive supplier companies have enacted some form of temporary layoffs affecting up to 12,000 salaried and hourly employees in the United States, as the United Auto Workers' strike against General Motors Co. enters its fourth week.

Linear Friction Welder LIFTs Materials Innovation in Motown

Jim Camillo

October 7, 2019

Lightweighting is one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today in the automotive, aerospace, maritime and rail industries. The push for new materials is forcing engineers in these industries to explore cost-effective alternatives and develop new assembly processes.

Automated Assembly System Roundup

Auto parts, plumbing products and medical devices are among the myriad items made on automated assembly systems

John Sprovieri

October 4, 2019

There's nothing quite like a multistation automated assembly system. Watching robots, actuators and indexers go about their carefully choreographed routines with little or no human intervention can seem nothing short of miraculous.

Toyoda Iron Works streamlines design with 3D software

Jim Camillo

October 3, 2019

For more than 70 years, Toyoda Iron Works Co. Ltd. (TIW) has supplied steel-plate body frame components, chassis elements and other auto parts to numerous automakers worldwide.