How can manufacturers make the critical transition from data to action? How do they effectively navigate the overabundance of data to pick out what’s meaningful? How do they use these insights to drive overall productivity and efficiency in an automotive context?

The answer to these questions involves deploying a three-tiered IIoT approach that provides automotive OEMs and suppliers with a comprehensive digital roadmap for their operations.

COLOGNE, Germany—Ford Motor Co. flagship European factory here is testing AI-powered automated driving technology designed to enable electric vehicles to drive themselves off the assembly line.

DETROIT—As electric vehicles continue to enter the mass market, aluminum demand will grow through the end of the decade, claims a new study conducted by Ducker Carlisle Worldwide LLC.

Roller bearings are a critical component of modern machinery. When the bearing is in operation, the cage must be able to withstand centrifugal force, shock and vibration, especially with complex loads rotating at high speeds. 

Inside a former auto parts factory in Buffalo, NY, Jon M. Williams is making plans to create a renewable energy trailblazer.

Renault Group’s Douai factory in northern France has assembled more than 10 million gas-powered vehicles over the last five decades.

STUTTGART, Germany—German-Canadian start-up Rock Tech Lithium Inc. has begun construction of a new lithium processing plant in Guben, Germany, that will provide Mercedes-Benz with the raw materials needed to produce EV batteries.

HIROSHIMA, Japan— Mazda Motor Corp. has joined the Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels. 

TOKYO—One of the many ways to reduce the energy required for transportation is to make vehicles lighter. High-strength (HS) steels are perfect materials for this purpose, as their higher weight-to-strength ratio allows for the use of less metal to achieve a similar structural integrity. Many automobile companies believe HS steels will be essential for building cars in the future. 

In today’s manufacturing environment, which is characterized by change and unpredictable demand, the traditional assembly line is no longer convenient. New, flexible assembly systems are needed to deal with high production variety.