Digital technology – Page 58
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FeatureDifferent digital paces
The headline above might well have read ‘industry and logistics 4.0’, ‘the industrial internet of things’, ‘factories of the future’, ‘smart supply chains’ or ‘manufacturing 2025’.Or we might have turned to one of a growing number of acronyms used to outline the car industry’s future, like Mercedes-Benz Car’s CASE or ...
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FeatureSmart packaging: The quest for greater precision
Packaging is one area in the automotive supply chain in which greater connectivity and ‘internet of things’ (IoT) devices have the potential to make significant improvements. Many of the chronic issues that accompany the management and flow of equipment, including missing or incorrect containers, damage to parts, as well as ...
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FeatureSuzuki gets its delivery priorities in order
A prolonged period of strong sales growth in the UK means Suzuki now imports more than double the number of vehicles it did five years ago into the country. This expansion has put pressure on the company’s finished vehicle supply chain. It has also come at a time when customer ...
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FeatureVW launches virtual reality hub for production and logistics applications
The Volkswagen Group says it has bundled all of its virtual reality (VR) applications for production and logistics into a ‘Digital Reality Hub’.The OEM claims to be the first car manufacturer to roll out VR technology with the HTC VIVE-VR system.The move, which bundles all of VW’s existing VR applications, ...
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FeatureNissan using Kinaxis software to improve supply chain planning
Nissan has begun using a software system from Kinaxis to improve the accuracy and speed of planning in its supply chain.Kinaxis said the RapidResponse supply chain management (SCM) application would enable Nissan to concurrently plan across different parts of its global supply chain and give it end-to-end visibility.Given that Nissan ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz S-Class drives itself from assembly line to loading area
The potential for self-driving cars in finished vehicle logistics has been highlighted by the recent start of Mercedes-Benz S-Class production in Sendelfingen, Germany, where a newly built car drove itself off the assembly line to a loading area about 1.5km away.Cameras, together with radar and ultrasonic sensors, worked in conjunction ...
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FeatureHirotec introduces self-driving robot for parts dipping
Hirotec America, a supplier of weld assembly equipment to major OEMs, has introduced an automated machine in its production operation in Michigan.A Yaskawa Motoman dual-arm manipulator has been integrated into an OTTO 1500 self-driving vehicle from OTTO Motors to pick up and dip parts in black oxide for corrosion protection.The ...
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FeatureDaimler tests blockchain technology in loan issue
Daimler and German bank Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) have teamed up on a project using blockchain technology for a €100m loan transaction.The entire deal for the one-year corporate Schuldschein (a loan agreement unique to the German market) was digitally carried out using the distributed digital ledger technology. This includes the origination, ...
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FeatureBMW Group: Thinking big about outbound
Alongside pictures of her family, Anita Pieper’s office is full of visual charts and signposts: value-stream maps, PDA circles for scheduling and a 3PS board outlining various projects and targets her teams are working on, from quality statistics to network studies or a plant launch years ahead.In the middle of ...
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FeatureMaersk resumes online orders as port operations recover after cyber-attack
AP Moller-Maersk has resumed taking online bookings and said operations at all of the ports it has terminals at were now running “close to normal” after Tuesday’s cyber-attack.Earlier this week, Maersk, one of the world’s biggest ocean carriers with 600 vessels, said the ransomware attack had brought down IT systems ...
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FeatureVolkswagen Group Logistics: Come together, right now
All carmakers are [sta_anchor id=”1”]grappling with how to plan and respond to the technological, social and economic changes that are expected to affect their products and businesses. Manufacturers must simultaneously manage rising demand for both traditional and alternative fuels, while exploring new models for mobility that might, in future, change ...
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FeatureMassive cyber-attack hits global shipping companies
AP Moller-Maersk and TNT Express are among a rapidly growing number of companies so far affected by this week’s global cyber-attack, which has also hit Ukraine’s power network, transport services and banks, as well as the Rosneft oil company in Russia.Security experts said a malicious software called Petya and a ...
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FeatureNavya chooses Michigan for its first US plant
French autonomous vehicle maker, Navya, has chosen the Ann Arbor area in southeast Michigan as the location of its first US assembly plant.Production is expected to begin in the final quarter of 2017 at the as yet unidentified location.The company says the decision on the Ann Arbor area builds on ...
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FeatureAmazon ‘spending large sums’ on European car sales unit – report
Amazon is said to be ‘spending large sums’ on a European unit to sell cars, according to an Automobilwoche article citing unnamed sources.The UK is said to be the first location where the online shopping giant will begin selling cars directly to customers.David Jinks, head of consumer research at ParcelHero, ...
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FeatureEurope conference: No easy way to the digital supply chain
The 2017 Automotive Logistics Europe conference reminded delegates that, despite a better economy, the industry is under pressure. However, new technology looks set to offer the supply chain as much opportunity as disruption, if companies are able to keep up. Marcus Williams, Christopher Ludwig and Gareth Tredway report from Bonn, ...
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FeatureEurope conference: Carmakers already saving costs with 3D printing
You may not be able to print money with it (at least legally) but there are some significant cost savings to be made by automotive companies in the adoption of 3D printing, otherwise known as additive manufacturing.The automotive industry currently accounts for almost 15% of the total 3D printing market ...
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FeatureEurope conference: Using logistics to compete across a digitalised aftermarket
Consolidation among parts retailers and changing consumer habits are transforming Europe’s aftermarket, with logistics services both at risk and able to provide a competitive edge, writes Marcus WilliamsThe European automotive aftermarket and service parts business is in the midst of tremendous change, prompted by consolidation among major suppliers and distributors, ...
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FeatureTransition to automated trucks must be managed, warn trade bodies
The potentially devastating effect of autonomous vehicles on truck drivers’ jobs means the transition to the technology will need to be carefully managed, according to a new report.There are, however, obvious benefits to automated road freight, including cost savings and safer roads, according to the new report from the International ...
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FeatureAudi to hold second Smart Factory hackathon at Ingolstadt facility
Audi’s production division will be holding its second Smart Factory hackathon at its Ingolstadt facility in October.The goal for the students and young professionals that participate is to work out practical solutions for future production processes during the 25-hour event. Specialised knowledge will include IT, mathematics, business administration and communication ...
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FeatureGartner rankings highlight trend towards digitalisation
This year’s supply chain rankings from research and advisory firm Gartner have shown little change as far as the automotive sector is concerned but highlight digitalisation as one of the key trends accelerating companies’ capabilities.BMW remains at 22nd in the list of the top 25 companies, which seeks to identify ...