The evolution and execution of automotive manufacturing are explored in this fundamental manual. It is an excellent reference for entry level manufacturing engineers and also serves as a training guide for nonmanufacturing professionals. The book covers the major areas of vehicle assembly manufacturing and addresses common approaches and procedures of the development process. Having held positions as both a University Professor and as a Lead Engineering Specialist in industry, the author draws on his experience in both theory and application to fill the gap between academic research and industrial practices. This concisely written, comprehensive review discusses the sophisticated principles and concepts of automotive manufacturing from development to applications and includes: 250 illustrations and 90 tables. End-of-chapter review questions. Research topics for in-depth case studies, literature reviews, and/or course projects. Analytical problems for additional practice. Directly extracted and summarized from automotive manufacturing practices, this book serves as an essential manual. The subject is complemented by the author’s first book, Automotive Vehicle Assembly Processes and Operations Management, which provides even greater depth to the complex endeavor of modern automotive manufacturing.

Proven technologies and processes are explored in this examination of modern automotive manufacturing. Fundamentals and applications, as well as new advances are discussed as the author bridges the gap between academic research and industrial practice. Having held positions as both a University Professor and as a Lead Engineering Specialist in industry, the author presents a concise understanding that reflects both technical and managerial perspectives with the aim of providing improvement through practical methods. Each chapter includes review questions and research topics, and, in addition, analysis problems are often included that comprehensively address: • Automotive Industry and Competition • Manufacturing Operations • Joining and Paint Processes • Production Operations and Quality Management • Performance Improvement Directly extracted and summarized from automotive manufacturing practices, this book serves as a fundamental manual. The subject is complemented by the author’s second book, Manufacturing System and Process Development for Vehicle Assembly, which provides even greater depth to the subject of modern automotive manufacturing.

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 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

Proven technologies and processes are explored in this examination of modern automotive manufacturing. Fundamentals and applications, as well as new advances are discussed as the author bridges the gap between academic research and industrial practice. Each chapter includes review questions and research topics.

This book is intended for manufacturing and engineering professionals and academics.

This book has proved its worth over the years as a text for courses in Production Management at the Faculty of Automotive Engineering in Turin, Italy, but deserves a wider audience as it presents a compendium of basics on Industrial Management, since it covers all major topics required. It treats all subjects from product development and “make or buy”-decision strategies to the manufacturing systems setting and management through analysis of the main resources needed in production and finally exploring the supply chain management and the procurement techniques. The very last chapter recapitulates the previous ones by analysing key management indicators to pursue the value creation that is the real purpose of every industrial enterprise. As an appendix, a specific chapter is dedicated to the basics of production management where all main relevant definitions, techniques and criteria are treated, including some numerical examples, in order to provide an adequate foundation for understanding the other chapters. This book will be of use not only to Automotive Engineering students but a wide range of readers who wish to gain insight in the world of automotive engineering and the automotive industry in general.

Driven by rising environmental and geopolitical concerns, regulations have been put in place over the last decade to compel car makers to lower the CO2 emissions of their cars. Due to these increasingly stringent vehicle efficiency standards, considerable effort has been expended to reduce vehicle fuel consumption. Since the mass of the vehicle dominates all of these efforts, it can be argued that future emission requirements will be impossible to achieve with steel vehicle structures. A transition to lightweight, non-steel materials seems inevitable. However, non-steel materials in most cases require dedicated manufacturing systems due to specific manufacturing requirements. Thus, lightweight vehicle systems will require a distinct divergence between today's manufacturing environment and the potential future manufacturing system. While many studies have assessed greenfield production costs for conventional vehicles and the lightweight alternative, this research recognizes an important reality of the automobile marketplace: any future lightweight vehicle will be implemented out of a steel-based manufacturing environment. Carmakers will have to adapt existing plant infrastructure to the particular requirements of the non-ferrous material. This research develops a conceptual framework and a transition cost model to quantify change penalties of transition processes imposed on vehicle assembly systems. This transition model is applied to a case study provided by Ford Motor Company in order to better understand implications of different manufacturing strategies on the system's capability of switching materials. The research identifies three different manufacturing change penalties which have to be paid when switching the base material in vehicle assembly systems. Taking these penalties into account, case studies suggest when, to what extent, and how materials transitions can be realized most cost-effectively. Partial component-wise transitions are presented as an attractive alternative to full material transitions. Finally, strategies are proposed how to increase the material flexibility of automotive manufacturing systems.

Improve key metrics of manufacturing performance with this accessible guide Manufacturing throughput refers to the quantity of products that can be produced within a period and with available resources. Enhancing manufacturing throughput is crucial for a business’s success. However, managing and improving throughput can be challenging due to the complexity of manufacturing systems and their operations, which involve numerous variables. To effectively manage and improve system throughput, it is essential to adopt a scientifically guided methodology and practices. Manufacturing System Throughput Excellence is a unique book that provides a concise and practical overview of manufacturing throughput management. It includes best practices for achieving improved throughput on the production floor and explores the connections between production management and system design. The book emphasizes practical, executable approaches, drawing on the author’s 25+ years of industry and academic experience. It serves as an indispensable tool for businesses looking to boost manufacturing efficiency and drive improved outcomes. Manufacturing System Throughput Excellence readers will discover: The latest and effective approaches for achieving manufacturing operational excellence Key pillars of manufacturing excellence: production management, maintenance management, quality management, and system design Specific principles and methods on bottleneck identification and buffer analysis Insightful connections between academic research and industrial practice Summaries and end-of-chapter exercises to reinforce learning Manufacturing System Throughput Excellence is a unique and comprehensive guide for manufacturing practitioners and researchers, as well as mechanical and industrial engineering students in advanced manufacturing courses.

The global crisis the automotive industry has slipped into over the second half of 2008 has set a fierce spotlight not only on which cars are the right ones to bring to the market but also on how these cars are developed. Be it OEMs developing new models, suppliers integerating themselves deeper into the development processes of different OEMs, analysts estimating economical risks and opportunities of automotive investments, or even governments creating and evaluating scenarios for financial aid for suffering automotive companies: At the end of the day, it is absolutely indispensable to comprehensively understand the processes of auto- tive development – the core subject of this book. Let’s face it: More than a century after Carl Benz, Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler developed and produced their first motor vehicles, the overall concept of passenger cars has not changed much. Even though components have been considerably optimized since then, motor cars in the 21st century are still driven by combustion engines that transmit their propulsive power to the road s- face via gearboxes, transmission shafts and wheels, which together with spri- damper units allow driving stability and ride comfort. Vehicles are still navigated by means of a steering wheel that turns the front wheels, and the required control elements are still located on a dashboard in front of the driver who operates the car sitting in a seat.