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The Automotive Body Manufacturing Systems and Processes The Automotive Body Manufacturing Systems and Processes A comprehensive and dedicated guide to automotive production lines, The Automotive Body Manufacturing Systems and Processes addresses automotive body processes from the stamping operations through to the final assembly activities. To begin, it discusses current metal forming practices, including stamping engineering, die development, and dimensional validation, and new innovations in metal forming, such as folding based forming, super-plastic, and hydro forming technologies. The first section also explains details of automotive spot welding (welding lobes), arc welding, and adhesive bonding, in addition to flexible fixturing systems and welding robotic cells. Guiding readers through each stage in the process of automotive painting, including the calculations needed to compute the number of applicators and paint consumption based on vehicle dimensions and demand, along with the final assembly and automotive mechanical fastening strategies, the book's systematic coverage is unique. The second module of the book focuses on the layout strategies of the automotive production line. A discussion of automotive aggregate planning and master production scheduling ensures that the reader is familiar with operational aspects. The book also reviews the energy emissions and expenditures of automotive production processes and proposes new technical solutions to reduce environmental impact. Provides extensive technical coverage of automotive production processes, discussing flexible stamping, welding, and painting lines Gives complete information on automotive production costing as well as the supplier selection process Covers systems from the operational perspective, describing the aggregate and master production planning Details technical aspects of flexible automotive manufacturing lines Methodically discusses the layout and location strategies of automotive manufacturing systems to encompass the structural elements Features topic-related questions with answers on a companion website

Lightness, efficiency, durability and economic as well as ecological viability are key attributes required from materials today. In the transport industry, the performance needs are felt exceptionally strongly. This handbook and ready reference covers the use of structural materials throughout this industry, particularly for the road, air and rail sectors. A strong focus is placed on the latest developments in materials engineering. The authors present new insights and trends, providing firsthand information from the perspective of universities, Fraunhofer and independent research institutes, aerospace and automotive companies and suppliers. Arranged into parts to aid the readers in finding the information relevant to their needs: * Metals * Polymers * Composites * Cellular Materials * Modeling and Simulation * Higher Level Trends

A comprehensive, practical introduction to one of the most important new trends in manufacturing, globally The delivery of a service component as an added value when providing products, servitization is all the rage in the manufacturing sector around the world. Yet, despite the clear competitive advantage of servitization, most manufacturers remain reluctant to venture into, what for them, is a strange new world. Written by a team of internationally respected servitization experts and innovators, this book provides you with a detailed road map for successfully navigating the servitization terrain. Unlike most authors on the subject who merely sing the praises of servitization, Baines and Lightfoot provide you with a framework for accessing the feasibility of adopting a services-led competitive strategy in your company, along with strategies for designing and implementing the kinds of service offerings customers increasingly are coming to expect. Grounded in real-world practice and supported by a wealth of up-to-the minute research, this book helps ease the way for manufacturers considering adopting a servitization model Shows how to exploit your company's manufacturing competencies to build a strong servitization element without becoming "just another services company" Provides numerous illustrations and examples of services-led competitive strategies, with an emphasis on the advanced services most widely associated with servitization worldwide Packed with fascinating and instructive case studies from leading manufacturing firms across industry sectors, including Caterpillar, Rolls-Royce, Alstom, MAN, Xerox and others

Information Technology (IT) is an important element of plant floor operations and Dennis Brandl's monthly column on Manufacturing IT in Control Engineering magazine covers IT aspects that are critical to modern manufacturing. This book expands on the magazine's explanations of the concepts and tools needed to achieve higher manufacturing productivity and efficiencies. Written for manufacturing professionals, the book overviews the wide range of IT elements underlying the manufacturing IT environment. It provides you with the information to be conversant in IT elements and to effectively manage and participate in manufacturing IT projects. Each chapter of the book discusses an IT issue that is important to a manufacturing company, including practical programming, real-world design considerations, databases and master data management, knowledge management, tools and programming languages, cyber security, managing resource information and regulations. And because software engineering is a foundation for all IT elements, this book also provides important points about software engineering and software project management for non-software engineers who must manage or participate in IT projects. Familiarity with all these topics will help you facilitate cooperation between manufacturing and IT professionals to achieve more effective implementations of plant floor operations IT- resulting in increased production productivity and product quality.

Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS) are the fastest growing material in today's automotive industry and are designed to leverage steel as the optimum automotive material. This book provides a comprehensive account of the structure-property relationship in AHSS. It examines the types, microstructures and attributes of AHSS. It also reviews the current and future applications, the benefits, trends, and environmental and sustainability issues. A compelling feature of the book is its extensive use of property charts and microstructures to simplify visualisation of the resulting attributes of AHSS. This book is intended to be a textbook/reference.

The automotive industry is still one of the world's largest manufacturing sectors, but it suffers from being very technology-focused as well as being relatively short-term focused. There is little emphasis within the industry and its consultancy and analyst supply network on the broader social and economic impacts of automobility and of the sector that provides it. The Global Automotive Industry addresses this need and is a first port of call for any academic, official or consultant wanting an overview of the state of the industry. An international team of specialist researchers, both from academia and business, review and analyse the key issues that make vehicle manufacturing still the world's premier manufacturing sector, closely tied in with the fortunes of both established and newly emerging economies. In doing so, it covers issues related to manufacturing, both established practices as well as new developments; issues relating to distribution, marketing and retail, vehicle technologies and regulatory trends; and, crucially, labour practices and the people who build cars. In all this it explains both how the current situation arose and also likely future trajectories both in terms of social and regulatory trends, as the technological, marketing and labour practice responses to those, leading in many cases to the development of new business models. Key features Provides a global overview of the automotive industry, covering its current state and considering future challenges Contains contributions from international specialists in the automotive sector Presents current research and sets this in an historical and broader industry context Covers threats to the industry, including globalization, economic and environmental sustainability The Global Automotive Industry is a must-have reference for researchers and practitioners in the automotive industry and is an excellent source of information for business schools, governments, and graduate and undergraduate students in automotive engineering.

The automotive industry is one of the largest and most important industries in the world.  Cars, buses, and other engine-based vehicles abound in every country on the planet, and it is continually evolving, with electric cars, hybrids, self-driving vehicles, and so on. Technologies that were once thought to be decades away are now on our roads right now.  Engineers, technicians, and managers are constantly needed in the industry, and, often, they come from other areas of engineering, such as electrical engineering, process engineering, or chemical engineering.  Introductory books like this one are very useful for engineers who are new to the industry and need a tutorial.  Also valuable as a textbook for students, this introductory volume not only covers the basics of automotive engineering, but also the latest trends, such as self-driving vehicles, hybrids, and electric cars.  Not only useful as an introduction to the science or a textbook, it can also serve as a valuable reference for technicians and engineers alike.  The volume also goes into other subjects, such as maintenance and performance.  Data has always been used in every company irrespective of its domain to improve the operational efficiency and performance of engines.  This work deals with details of various automotive systems with focus on designing various components of these system to suit the working conditions on roads. Whether a textbook for the student, an introduction to the industry for the newly hired engineer, or a reference for the technician or veteran engineer, this volume is the perfect introduction to the science of automotive engineering. 

The purpose of this book is to present an introduction to the multidisciplinary field of automation and robotics for industrial applications. The companion files include numerous video tutorial projects and a chapter on the history and modern applications of robotics. The book initially covers the important concepts of hydraulics and pneumatics and how they are used for automation in an industrial setting. It then moves to a discussion of circuits and using them in hydraulic, pneumatic, and fluidic design. The latter part of the book deals with electric and electronic controls in automation and final chapters are devoted to robotics, robotic programming, and applications of robotics in industry. eBook Customers:Companion files are available for downloading with order number/proof of purchase by writing to the publisher at info@merclearning.com. Features: * Begins with introductory concepts on automation, hydraulics, and pneumatics * Covers sensors, PLC's, microprocessors, transfer devices and feeders, robotic sensors, robotic grippers, and robot programming

This book provides an insight on the current state of the art in industrial robotics, with a critical analysis of the state of the market and an overview of the emerging robotic trends. It is composed of twelve chapters, each one addressing one topic of the current research arena. The first part of each chapter is devoted to the fundamentals and the second part discusses an interesting application. The significant topics considered include robot design, control and robotics in non-conventional applications. The book also addresses the design, modelling and optimisation of parallel kinematic structures exploiting also the advantages of screw theory.

Full coverage of manufacturing and management in mechanical engineering Mechanical Engineers' Handbook, Fourth Edition provides a quick guide to specialized areas that engineers may encounter in their work, providing access to the basics of each and pointing toward trusted resources for further reading, if needed. The book's accessible information offers discussions, examples, and analyses of the topics covered, rather than the straight data, formulas, and calculations found in other handbooks. No single engineer can be a specialist in all areas that they are called upon to work in. It's a discipline that covers a broad range of topics that are used as the building blocks for specialized areas, including aerospace, chemical, materials, nuclear, electrical, and general engineering. This third volume of Mechanical Engineers' Handbook covers Manufacturing & Management, and provides accessible and in-depth access to the topics encountered regularly in the discipline: environmentally benign manufacturing, production planning, production processes and equipment, manufacturing systems evaluation, coatings and surface engineering, physical vapor deposition, mechanical fasteners, seal technology, statistical quality control, nondestructive inspection, intelligent control of material handling systems, and much more. Presents the most comprehensive coverage of the entire discipline of Mechanical Engineering Focuses on the explanation and analysis of the concepts presented as opposed to a straight listing of formulas and data found in other handbooks Offers the option of being purchased as a four-book set or as single books Comes in a subscription format through the Wiley Online Library and in electronic and other custom formats Engineers at all levels of industry, government, or private consulting practice will find Mechanical Engineers' Handbook, Volume 3 an "off-the-shelf" reference they'll turn to again and again.