Automotive Assembly

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DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. is developing an affordable battery-powered truck that features extended range capabilities.

DETROIT—Thieves stole nearly a dozen new Ram pickup trucks, Jeep SUVs and Dodge Durangos from a temporary storage lot near Stellantis’s Detroit Assembly Complex–Jefferson in the early morning hours of Feb. 11.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Dürr is rolling out a new high-resolution paint application system that lets automakers print complex graphics, patterns and lettering directly onto vehicle bodies, replacing the manual step of gluing on films and decals.

COBHAM, England — When Formula 1 rewrites its rulebook, it doesn’t just change what happens on the track, it forces a full reset in the factory.

AUSTIN, TX—John Deere and Mercedes-Benz are among several companies that are investing more than $500 million in Apptronik, a startup that has developed a humanoid robot called Apollo.

RALEIGH, NC—Engineers at North Carolina State University have developed a self-healing composite that is tougher than materials currently used to assemble aircraft, automobiles and other products.

In January, Samsung Electronics forecast a worsening chip shortage this year, thanks to burgeoning demand for AI data centers. The race to build AI infrastructure has prompted chipmakers to divert manufacturing capacity toward high-bandwidth memory for AI servers, squeezing the supply ‍of conventional memory chips.

To error-proof assembly, engineers wanted to implement a system to guide workers through each fastening step while ensuring complete traceability. The Nexonar real-time location system from Desoutter fit the bill.

The placement of the battery introduces new challenges for engineers, such as packaging, structural reinforcement and crash management. Also, heavy battery packs must be offset with lighter and stronger structural components to improve cornering and suspension load.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Volkswagen and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative labor agreement late Wednesday for about 3,200 employees at the automaker’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, assembly plant, marking a milestone for the union’s Southern organizing push and delivering the first UAW contract at a Southern auto plant outside the Detroit Three.