Mexican Media Brands
Honda Laser System Cuts Steel Blanks at Production Line Speed
Honda Motor Co. is implementing a high-speed laser system that can cut sheet steel into blanks quickly enough to keep up with assembly line production speeds, The Nikkei reports.
Share
Honda Motor Co. is implementing a high-speed laser system that can cut sheet steel into blanks quickly enough to keep up with assembly line production speeds, The Nikkei reports.
The Honda system can cut blanks 10 times faster than existing laser cutters, according to the partners. Its ability to easily change patterns helps cut the cost of producing vehicles at low production volumes.
Blanks traditionally are stamped out of sheet metal using a separate set of cookie-cutter-like dies for each desired shape. The blanks are then fed into presses to form body panels. Honda’s laser system, which was developed with manufacturing systems supplier Hitachi Zosen Fukui, eliminates the need to design and build an expensive die set for each shape. Instead, a quick software update enables the system to cut a new shape.
Honda has installed the first of the new laser systems at its Yorii factory in Japan to make Fit minicars and Venzel compact crossover vehicles. The company says it may extend the technology to other facilities, including those in the U.S., according to The Nikkei.
RELATED CONTENT
-
On Zeekr, the Price of EVs, and Lighting Design
About Zeekr, failure, the price of EVs, lighting design, and the exceedingly attractive Karma
-
GM Seeks to Avert U.S. Plant Shutdowns Linked to Supplier Bankruptcy
General Motors Co. says it hopes to claim equipment and inventory from a bankrupt interior trim supplier to avoid being forced to idle all 19 of its U.S. assembly plants.
-
On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air
A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable
