Austin Weber

Traditionally, electric traction motors use permanent magnets made with rare-earth metals. However, materials such as dysprosium and neodymium are a limited resource.

Fully and semiautomatic wire processing machines can greatly increase quality and productivity—if they are set up and run properly. But, as the great Scottish poet Robert Burns reminds us, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

Once upon a time, many of the fuel gauges, speedometers and other mechanical instruments used in automobiles and other vehicles were made ion the North Side of Chicago by Stewart-Warner Corp.

Up until a few decades ago, instrument panels in most vehicles consisted of a smattering of simple analog buttons, dials, gauges, knobs and needles. Today, mechanical speedometers and tachometers have gone the way of bench seats, hood ornaments, hub caps and running boards.

To make electric motors without rare-earth metals more sustainable, engineers at the University of Pittsburgh are working with Ames Laboratory and Powdermet Inc. to explore alternatives.

Most manufacturers agree that digital transformation is necessary to remain competitive today and thrive tomorrow. Many large companies have already begun initiatives. But, when asked to quantify the impact of those initiatives on the bottom line, they often come up short.

On an assembly line, a fastening tool is typically set up to install specific fasteners at a specific workstation. While an assembler might be tempted to use that tool to help a colleague down the line, such good intentions could actually lead to fastening errors. To keep that from happening, several companies have developed a variety of ways to ensure that fastening tools stay put.

Valeo is a Tier One automotive supplier that specializes in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), interior, lighting, power train and thermal management systems. The $17 billion French company operates 184 plants in 31 countries around the world that support both traditional automakers and startups.

If you're trying to lose weight, some types of sandwiches are good. In particular, structural sandwiches are popular with engineers engaged in vehicle lightweighting efforts, because they can produce subassemblies that are both light and stiff.