Welcome to the global village: survival in a wired world

In today's interconnected world, any company with an Internet connection and the wherewithal to build a website is a potential player in the high-stakes world marketplace. It's a fact not lost on OEMs and their suppliers, who at every level face the challenges of decreasing production costs and cycle times while simultaneously increasing quality. And they must do so while attempting to anticipate trends and meeting growing customer expectations. For them, technology is the key. Automotive Engineering International talked to several North American suppliers to find out how technology is helping them cope with doing business in the digital age.

3M and the automotive industry have enjoyed a successful partnership since World War I, when the company's sandpaper line helped manufacturers finish mass quantities of vehicles for the war effort. Founded in Two Harbors, MN, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. moved to nearby Duluth to focus on sandpaper products after its initial foray into mining ore deposits for abrasive grinding wheels failed to pan out. New investors moved the company to St. Paul, MN, in 1910. The world's first waterproof sandpaper, which eased the health problem of sanding dust, was developed in the early 1920s. And another major milestone for the automotive industry occurred in 1925 when a 3M lab assistant invented masking tape, which drastically improved automobile painting.

Since then, 3M has broadened its involvement in nearly all aspects of the industry, providing both OEMs and tier-1 suppliers with a wide variety of products that 3M has adapted over the years to meet the industry's changing face. And the cornerstone of that adaptability, said Ron Weber, 3M Automotive Division Vice President, is communication made possible by the technological revolution.