Warlock 2019

How to Keep a Last-gen Truck Current

When Ram Truck launched the 2019 Ram 1500 pickup truck, the company didn’t want to simply stop building the last-generation vehicle at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant. In order to keep the Classic of interest, the company has gone back to 1976, the year they launched the Dodge Warlock, a “factory-personalized” pickup, and have created the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic Warlock.

Key areas addressed in EV battery assembly.

Bonding Batteries

One of the growing demands in electric vehicle manufacturer is producing the cells and the battery packs into which the cells are assembled.

Plates of strong but light AA 7075, arc-welded using nanoparticle-infused weld rods as filler material.

Nanoparticles Advance Aluminum Alloy Welding

Aluminum alloy AA 7075 is almost as strong as steel but weighs only a third as much—a dream material to use for lightweighting, you might think.

The vehicle is 37.4 inches high. Were it not for that air duct at the midway position, think of how low it would be.

Looking at the Renault R.S.19

As the Formula 1 season is now underway, it is worth a moment to consider the technology of the type of vehicle that is exotic yet, in the words of Jérôme Stoll, president of Renault Sport Racing, “a laboratory for our future road-going technology.” If you have to test the tech out somewhere, the premier motorsports stage certainly isn’t a bad venue.

The latest release of NX from Siemens PLM Software features an adaptive user interface built on artificial intelligence and machine learning, which dynamically update the NX user interface based on a prediction of the next steps in a workflow. This level of personalization can improve overall NX usage and ultimately lead to higher productivity and more efficient product development.

Artificial Intelligence Advances into Production

Adopting new technology in design and manufacturing is usually a series of baby steps. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are no different.

The Creaform MetraSCAN 750 3D scanner checks the dimensions of a wheel assembly on a 24 Hours of Le Mans entry.

Scanning at la Sarthe

3D scanning system keeps competitors honest.

BEVs and the Risk of Ignoring Them

Making it easier and more accessible for consumers to purchase BEVs means making the batteries both less expensive to produce, as well as more effective for their cost.

An early stage of the Brankamp X7 learning the force signature of a correct stamping operation. As it learns, the envelope of acceptable, worrisome and unacceptable parameters tightens around the line of the force curve.

Machine Learning in Manufacturing

Production equipment is beginning to autonomously learn from experience.

Sandia National Laboratories researchers, from left, Steve Verzi, William Severa, Brad Aimone and Craig Vineyard hold different versions of emerging neuromorphic hardware platforms. Sandia’s new software, Whetstone, is designed to make artificial intelligence algorithms more efficient, enabling them on smaller, less power-hungry hardware. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

Sandia’s Power Play on Neural Networking; Cool Tech, Cooling Substrates; Smart Wipers; Controlling a Big Dash

Sandia’s Power Play on Neural Networking; Cool Tech, Cooling Substrates; Smart Wipers; Controlling a Big Dash

Carmakers Team with SAE on Test Rules for Autonomous Cars

Ford, General Motors, Toyota and SAE International have formed a consortium to establish safety and testing guidelines for self-driving vehicles.