AIKEN, SC—Diesel engine manufacturer MTU America hosts an annual Girls Day event at its assembly plant here. The goal of the event is to educate young girls on careers in manufacturing and to encourage their interest in a typically male-dominated field.

SUNDERLAND, UK—Nissan has installed a 4.75-megawatt solar farm at its assembly plant here. Together with other renewable energy sources, the farm will generate enough power to build more than 31,000 cars every year.

Washers are a vital component of many fastened joints. Washers are critical to the operation of virtually every device with moving parts. They perform a variety of functions beyond just securing bolts, nuts, screws and rivets. They can insulate, seal, lock, provide spacing, improve appearance, supply spring force, align parts, and distribute loads.

When an assembly process proves to be even a tad too costly—even a penny or less per cycle—a cheaper alternative must be found. This is why many manufacturers have replaced die-cut or molded solid gaskets with form-inplace (FIP) and cure-in-place (CIP) liquid gaskets.

Today’s automobiles contain dozens of electric motors. They adjust the mirrors, position the seats, aim the headlights, provide heating and cooling, and raise and lower the windows. In fact, a luxury car might have as many as 120 electric motors of various sizes.

Automotive assembly lines have operated the same way for a century. Each worker takes charge of a single process and installs parts in vehicles as they move on a chain-driven or skillet conveyor.

In May, a police raid discovered a massive cache of counterfeit Toyota car parts in Guangzhou City in southeast China.

SPARTANBURG, SC—Workers at BMW’s automotive assembly plant here are testing an electromechanical exoskeletal vest designed to reduce muscular strain related to performing overhead work.

BOWLING GREEN, KY—General Motors Corp. will invest $290 million in its Corvette assembly plant here to fund a series of upgrades at the facility.