Laser: The Disk Advantage
The optical arrangement inside a TRUMPF TruDisk laser. While it certainly looks technical, robust, and cool, more to the point, it can reliably perform tasks like welding. Related: Automotive Production Related Suppliers Trumpf Inc. Although TRUMPF Inc.’s (trumpf.com) laser division has a full array of industrial laser types—CO2, disk, fiber, diode, rod—and while David Havrilla, […]
Lasers for Improved Design & Engineering
What don’t you see in this picture of the Volkswagen Golf VII? Pieces of trim running along the roof of the vehicle where the body side is welded to the roof. Laser brazing is why. VW extensively uses lasers for joining in this vehicle. Note the various types of weld shapes on this door panel. […]
Looking at Some Robot Tech
Related Suppliers ABB Inc. Robtics FANUC Robotics America, Inc. Motoman Inc. If you were to see the actual version of this, the MotoEye LT laser seam-tracking device for tracking weld joints at high speed and in real time from the Motoman Robotics Div. of Yaskawa America (motoman.com), you wouldn’t see that red triangle emerging from […]
IR for ADAS.
Related: Automotive Electronics Although this may resemble some sort of high-tech snow globe, it is actually a new emitter developed by Osram Opto Semiconductors (osram-os.com) that, when used as part of a camera system from Advanced Visions Systems (advancedvisionsystems.com), results in the first infrared (IR) camera system that works in both the visible and IR […]
Intensifying Design at Infiniti
To help provide more focus on the character of the Infiniti brand’s design, it has opened another brand-dedicated studio, this one in San Diego. Alfonso Albaisa was named Infiniti’s first executive design director in 2013. He had his start with the company in 1988, at Nissan Design America in San Diego. Previous Next Related: Automotive […]
Honda Accord: The Ninth Generation
Although the 2013 Honda Accord looks long and sleek, at 191.4-in. long, it is down 3.5 in. from the previous generation Accord, and the 109.3-in. wheelbase is 0.9 in. reduced. Dave Marek, division director, Automobile Styling, Honda R&D, in the California office, says that this is the “most-sculpted Accord ever made.†While most vehicle manufacturers […]
Honda Improves Its CAE Capability
This is what the Honda crash-test CAE results look like before they worked with 3DXCITE . . . . . . and this is what they look like after. Previous Next Related: Digital Domain Although the people at Honda R&D Americas, by and large, work on vehicle development, they recently went to work on developing […]
Honda’s Third Hybrid: The Accord
If you look closely, you can see that there are slight modifications to the ‘05 Accord Hybrid. It is being positioned as a top-of-the-line trim level. Although the engine is fairly similar to the one used in the standard Accord V6, there are some differences here, because the engine is attached to an electric motor. […]
How EGA Makes Better Dies
EGA uses formability siimulations like this one of the Acura TL front fender to catch possible deforms early in the die design process. Through extensive use of simulations, EGA was able to give the Acura TL’s stylists the deep-draw panels they needed for the car’s low and wide stance. Previous Next Related: Automotive Design Automotive […]
GM Detroit-Hamtramck: Slow Start but Gaining Speed
The Buick LeSabre is the newest vehicle in the GM Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center build mix, as they began building the 2000 model at the facility in 1999. Presently, it accounts for 39% of the production output, with the Cadillac DeVille accounting for 48% of the build and the Seville the remainder. As the Seville is […]
