Reliability Trumps Speed for Automotive Machine Tools
Makers of high-volume machining centers find ways to improve production time without sacrificing uptime.
Michael Anderson
Senior Technical Editor, Automotive Design & Production
Coating & Machining for Better Bores
Heller is working on productionizing what it calls “CBC”—Cylinder Bore Coating.
Powertrain Machining Approaches—Then & Now
Although production volumes are going up, the need for flexibility in powertrain machin-ing has grown more important. Here’s a look at how things have changed.
Cylinder Coating for Improved Performance
Generally, when OEMs produce aluminum engine blocks (aluminum rather than cast iron because cast iron weighs like cast iron), they insert sleeves into the piston bores—cast iron sleeves.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
Coda Delays EV Launch
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Coda Automotive Inc., which had planned to launch an all-electric sedan in December, now says the car won't arrive until the second half of 2011.
EV Start-Up Seeks Seasoned Auto Execs for Long-Term Relationship
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Coda Automotive Inc. says it aims to build a new management team with deep manufacturing, marketing and sales experience after a management shakeup on the eve of launching its first model.
New Process Developed for Gear Machining
Heller Machine Tools and Voith, a Germany-based transmission manufacturer, have developed a process that permits the pre-milling and milling operations to produce bevel gears and gear components on a five-axis machining center rather than on a dedicated gear-making machine.To produce gears, they start with the drawing of the part.
Flexible, Capable, Production Machining
If you’re looking at running medium to high-volumes of powertrain components and don’t want to be stuck with an expensive monument when part requirements change, you might consider this new approach to flexible systems engineered by Heller.
Dudder: No Imagination = No Innovation
If there is one problem facing the auto industry these days it’s this: Transitioning from a rigid, high-volume production mindset to one that profitably can produce small lots while supporting a full vehicle lineup.
Taking A Look at Some New Chipmaking Tech (as in metal chips, that is)
Here are some new developments that you may find to be important for your machining operations.
Retrofit or Replace?
Retrofitting by design can maximize machining center value.
Ray Chalmers
Contributing Editor
Improving Crank Output
Heller Machine Tools (www.heller-machines.com; Troy, MI) is offering a new lineup of machines for heavy-duty crankshaft milling, the RFK series, which are available in two types: for external or internal cutting.
Cutting It: An array of equipment that can help undertake even your most-demanding machining tasks
What: Name & Source: Features & Functions.
A Sampling of Speed: Some Fast Machining Centers
Although people often talk about the flexibility of machining centers, one aspect that shouldn't be overlooked is that some of them offer the ability to go fast. Here are some of them. None are particularly exotic, but they surely can be productive.
Removing Metal
Although there is an increased use of non-metallic materials in cars and components, there are still plenty of steel, cast iron, alloys, aluminum, magnesium, and other metals being transformed into parts on the one hand and chips on the other. Here's an array of equipment that can help make metal removal fast, accurate andefficient.
IMTS 2016 Preview
About the Event The 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) marks the 31st edition of the event which will take place September 12-17, 2016, at McCormick Place in Chicago.
