introduction
Industry Continues to Make High-Tech Inroads
A
s you can tell from this year’s Motorized Vehicle Year- book cover, the motorized vehicle industry contin- ues to make high-tech inroads, despite some recent setbacks and labor union woes affecting some automakers. According to one recent article, “The worldwide automo- tive industry has been enjoying a period of relatively strong growth and profitability, and annual sales have reached prere- cession levels in some regions. Yet considerable uncertainty about the future remains” (Sept. 2015,
strategyand.pwc. com). At the moment, three powerful forces are affecting the industry: shifts in consumer demand, expanded regulatory requirements for safety and fuel economy, and the increased availability of data and information. While the industry continues to find ways to remain com- petitive, compliant and profitable, there are some bright spots that we’re excited to share in this year’s yearbook, particu- larly the Bloodhound Project, which recently revealed the world’s fastest and most advanced racing car: Bloodhound SSC. The project’s website indicates that this race car was eight years in the making, with research, design and manu- facturing involving over 350 companies and universities. At a Sept. 24, 2015, London Canary Wharf event, the Bloodhound SSC was the centerpiece of a free exhibition with over 8000 people in attendance to see the Land Speed Racer. Powered by a jet engine and rocket, this British group will use the race car to push the Land Speed Record to 1000 mph. Another exciting aspect of this program is a subject that’s near and dear to SME, which is getting kids and teenagers excited about science, technology, engineering and math- ematics (STEM). In that same article, Hexagon’s Hamish Eccles describes how important metrology is to the Land Speed Record effort and stresses how the entire team, through the Bloodhound Project, is working to engage young people with STEM.
With over 932,000 jobs available in the US automotive in- dustry (Aug. 2015,
bls.gov) and all of the added technologies, products and services now available, we need to remember,
Wayne Frost, CMfgE 2015 SME President
and consistently share with the younger generation, how important it is for them to consider an education and career in this growing field. Automotive engineers who pursue a degree in automotive engineering often take courses in automobile dynamics, automotive electronics, engine parts, diesel engine theory, alternative energy sources, fuel-cell systems and powertrain dynamics. They can also earn “in the neighborhood of $68K annually...overall cash allowance can occasionally include more than $10K from bonuses and, in some exceptional cases, $12K from profit sharing, caus- ing incomes to vary widely between $41K and $102K” (July 2015,
payscale.com). I think it’s also important to emphasize to everyone we talk to that there are still only three true ways of creating wealth: manufacturing, make it; mining, mine it; and agriculture, grow it. In my lifetime, I’ve had the good fortune of experienc- ing two of these firsthand—one by having been raised on a farm and actively engaged in agriculture, and two, having a 30-year career focused on manufacturing and producing agricultural products at John Deere. Although I’m now retired from John Deere, I know there
are still more groundbreaking technologies to come, which will advance the motorized vehicle industry even further. When I started at Deere we didn’t have CNC machines or coordinate measuring machines—now they’re the norm. The speed, efficiency and accuracy of our machine tools have changed dramatically along with our ability to check these parts. Many of these dramatic changes are showcased in our in-depth yearbook articles on lean and the Internet of Things (IoT), drag bikes, transmissions, the challenges in joining for auto manufacturing, lightweighting, workforce development efforts and more. Regardless of what industry you’re in, we hope you’ll find the information we’ve provided here useful, informative and worthwhile. You can also visit
advancedmanufacturing.org for up-to-date manufacturing news and information. Thank you for all you do for SME and manufacturing.
1 — Motorized Vehicle Manufacturing 2015
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208