Browse Topic: Suppliers
Chinese battery manufacturer CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd.) completed the launch of its TECTRANS battery system for the commercial transport sector at IAA Transportation, which took place in September in Hanover, Germany. CATL added its heavy-duty truck and bus/coach battery ranges to the light-truck range that the company launched in China in July 2024. For heavy-duty trucks, CATL offers two alternatives: the TECTRANS - T Superfast Charging Edition and the TECTRANS - T Long Life Edition. As the name suggests, the Superfast Charging Edition is designed to offer rapid charging capability for operators needing to recharge during a duty cycle. CATL quotes a 4C peak charging rate, which would permit a charge to 70% in 15 minutes
A new aviation supply chain integrity coalition has offered 13 recommended actions to prevent the circulation of non-serialized aircraft parts throughout the global aviation industry. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL In the summer of 2023, a receiving clerk in the procurement department of TAP Air Portugal, a Lisbon-based airline, made a curious discovery: A $65 engine part that should have appeared brand-new showed signs of significant wear. The clerk checked the documentation from the London-based parts supplier and noticed that the submitted documentation was also suspicious. Using his safety training, the employee immediately reported the anomaly to TAP Air Portugal management, which raised the issue with the jet engine's manufacturer. Little did the procurement clerk know at the time, but this escalation led to one of the biggest investigations in the history of the aviation supply chain, as reported by Reuters and the British Broadcasting Corporation in
R-1234yf is used in almost every new car sold in the U.S., but the EU is discussing a ban and the industry is investigating alternatives like CO2 and propane. According to its manufacturer, Chemours, use of R-1234yf has grown so much since the refrigerant replaced the long-established R-134a that it's now used in 95% of new cars sold in the U.S. An estimated 220 million cars on global roads are also using it. The problem with R-134a, which came in cars and trucks in the 1990s, is that it's a gas with “a global warming potential (GWP) that is 1,430 times that of CO2,” according to the EPA. Since 2017, EU legislation has banned the use of any refrigerant in new vehicles with a GWP higher than 150. That rule doomed R-134a but opened the door for R-1234yf, which has a GWP of only four. The EU is currently revisiting R-1234yf emissions rules and may ban the substance in a few years. In the U.S., the EPA stands by its use
Automotive electrical and electronics manufacturer MTA attended IAA Transportation for the first time, demonstrating its new range of wireless communication technologies for the truck industry. Earlier this year, the company acquired Calearo Antenne S.p.A, a company with a long history of producing antennas, amplifiers and cables. MTA global sales director Davide Bonelli explained to Truck & Off-Highway Engineering how that acquisition complements its business. “From a more strategic point of view, we see the world of antennas as complementary to what MTA does,” he said. “Often MTA products have an antenna as an interface, so this is one reason why we have done the deal. There are also a lot of synergies from an engineering standpoint. Historically, MTA is a company that uses many mechanical parts - plastics, metals - which we are very strong with so we can share them. And there are also some competences from Calearo Antenne that can be transferred to us
As I write this version of the Supplier Eye column, 2024 has been a critical year for our industry. No matter if you are a supplier, OEM or some other position in the ecosystem, this year has set us up for feast or famine through this decade. Let's explore why this year will go down in the record books as a pivotal one. Editorial timing dictates that this is submitted just before the U.S. elections. While you will read this with the election in the rearview mirror, all indications are for an extremely close political outcome, though the ensuing weeks will be the final arbiter. The outcome nonetheless will impact our industry for years
Sometimes, I cringe; sometimes, I just listen and wonder. These past few months have given us all a lot to think about in the automotive space, and it's clear now that the coming years will keep the foot down on the accelerator when it comes to the dramatic changes we've experienced this past decade. One thing that stood out to me in various recent conversations is that there's a widening gulf opening between Chinese automakers and the rest of the world. This isn't exactly news, and this column isn't meant to monger any fears. It's just a bit of off-the-cuff reporting that sheds a bit of light on the level of the challenges we face. As you can read in Chris Clonts' excellent report further in this issue about the warning that Voltaiq's CEO gave at The Battery Show this October, the U.S. is in serious danger of falling well behind Chinese competitors in the EV battery race (Michael Robinette tackles similar ground through a tariff lens in this month's Supplier Eye). But that message was
At the Reuters Automotive USA 2024 conference in Detroit, SAE Media spoke with Stuart Taylor, chief product officer of Envorso, a consultancy with a mission to help OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers write better software. Companies have been plagued with issues around software written both in-house and via outside contractors
This specification covers metric aircraft quality spacers for use as positioners for tubes, flat washers for use as load spreaders, galling protection of adjacent surfaces and or material compatibility, and key or tab washers for use as locks for bolts, nuts, and screws
ABSTRACT The DoD Digital Engineering Strategy [1] released in June 2018 outlined the DoD’s strategic goals which “promote the use of digital artifacts as a technical means of communication across a diverse set of stakeholders” In addition to build, test, field and sustainment of defense systems, emphasis was placed on the acquisition and procurement of systems and the importance of digital engineering. This was further reinforced in the Feb 2022 release of the Engineering of Defense Systems Guidebook [2] which contains Digital Engineering sections in each chapter. The norm for Systems Engineering has become Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) in which models are used at all phases of development. To complete the digital thread from concept to disposal, models will be required for the acquisition phase. This paper will describe Model-Based Acquisition (MBAcq), and how it can be used to increase clarity compliance and understanding in Capability Systems and Software Acquisition for
ABSTRACT An increasing pace of technology advancements and recent heavy investment by potential adversaries has eroded the Army’s overmatch and spurred significant changes to the modernization enterprise. Commercial ground vehicle industry solutions are not directly applicable to Army acquisitions because of volume, usage and life cycle requirement differences. In order to meet increasingly aggressive schedule goals while ensuring high quality materiel, the Army acquisition and test and evaluation communities need to retain flexibility and continue to pursue novel analytic methods. Fully utilizing test and field data and incorporating advanced techniques, such as, big data analytics and machine learning can lead to smarter, more rapid acquisition and a better overall product for the Soldier. Logistics data collections during operationally relevant events that were originally intended for the development of condition based maintenance procedures in particular have been shown to provide
ABSTRACT Given the system complexity of the Mission Enabling Technologies Demonstrator (MET-D) it is necessary to consider a robust communications management solution capable of consolidating network management onto a “unified interface” while providing distributed, hierarchical, and efficient management of network attached nodes on multiple platforms regardless of the vendor or implemented technology. Citation: D. Jedynak, C. Kawasaki, D. Gregory, “Managing Next Generation Open Standard Vehicle Electronics Architectures”, In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 13-15, 2019
ABSTRACT Supporting Open Architecture is a key to most major automation and control suppliers. In every industry, there is a desire to make a unified control system architecture that can easily integrate control system equipment from multiple suppliers. Whether it is a Navy military application or an industrial application, the needs are almost identical. Some of the keys to providing this transparency among control systems are utilizing an open standard that can pull together communications from multiple suppliers. In this paper, SIEMENS will demonstrate the capabilities of utilizing an open standard, which is PROFINET. By adhering to the PROFINET standards, Open Architecture is achieved at many levels in a naval application. Open Architecture is intended to yield modular, interoperable systems that adhere to open standards with published interfaces. As will be demonstrated by this paper, PROFINET provides these capabilities and more. By implementing PROFINET as the infrastructure for
ABSTRACT Given the complexity of existing and anticipated ground vehicle networks it is necessary to consider a robust communications management software solution - that consolidates the management plane of networks onto a “single pane of glass” regardless of the type of technology or vendor – that is capable of providing distributed, hierarchical, and efficient management of network attached nodes on multiple platforms and at multiple tiers
ABSTRACT Digital Engineering (DE) has been a prevalent topic across the Department of Defense (DoD) since the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Engineering – now the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering [OUSD(R&E)] - re-leased the DoD Digital Engineering strategy1 in 2018. Since then, there has been a major push to incorporate DE into the DoD acquisition process and for programs to use DE, including Mod-el-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), in system development. This paper focuses on where the DoD stands today with adoption of digital acquisition, the challenges of implementing DE on major programs, and the approach used by the Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program to define a realistic pathway to effectively implement a DE strategy from Re-quest for Proposal (RFP) to prototype acquisition. Citation: S. Scheithauer, D. Chudy, G. Byrd, B. Juelson, D. Clark, C. Arndt, “Translating the Digital Engineering
ABSTRACT As a continuation of previous collaborative efforts between several US Army organizations and industry leaders which led to the procurement of a National Stock Number (NSN) for a near commercial-off-the-shelf winter tire/wheel assembly for the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), this study investigates a low-cost, postproduction modification known as ‘siping’ which may incrementally improve standard tires deployed on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) in cold regions. Data from engineering tests will quantify performance differences as well as driver feedback from the 11th Airborne Division Soldiers in Alaska show moderate improvement from cutting razor-thin grooves known as ‘sipes’ on conventional winter tire sets. However, Army winter performance specifications developed in 2021 from HMMWV testing quantify greater available improvement to traction available, necessitating further development for winter traction in the JLTV family of tire sets as well as
ABSTRACT This paper reviews the UK Defence Standard 23-009 for Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA), describes how the standard is being applied to the UK vehicle procurement programme, and the benefits expected from adopting the approach and standard. The expansion of the use of GVA to other countries will be discussed including the adoption of the fundamental approach by NATO/ 5 eyes countries
ABSTRACT In monolithic protection materials, a threat increase correlates to an increased material thickness. This is evident in V50 armor material specifications, such as Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA) MIL-DTL-12560K. This relationship translates to combat system level weight; the higher the performance, the higher the material weight, the higher the system weight. For ground combat systems, the total platform weight indicates relative protection. Hence, the M1 Abrams weight and protection level is greater than the Bradley Family of Vehicles, and the Bradley weight and protection level is greater than the M113. The weight procurement dollarization impacts are known during developmental efforts, but weight relationships also impact training and sustainment costs. Thus armor based weight changes have at least three cost relationships: procurement, training, and sustainment. These cost relationships are useful to understand in the context of the Army’s annual budget cycle. Citation: RA
ABSTRACT The SAIC Battery Thermal Solver is a tool that allows for the evaluation of the thermal response under a variety of cell types, loading conditions and packaging alternatives for the battery designer, manufacturer, or system integrator. Developed with a user-friendly interface, the Battery Thermal Solver allows for a number of simulations to be performed. This paper discusses the capabilities of the Battery Thermal Solver Tool through a thorough discussion of the battery thermal problem—from cell heat generation, heat transfer mechanisms, to the effects of alternative packaging strategies
ABSTRACT U.S. Government procurement spending exceeds $500B annually. A request for proposal is one of the more common forms of solicitation, and source selection (SS) is the process for evaluating proposals submitted by contractors. The U.S. Department of Defense and the Army promulgate manuals and supplements that direct the SS process within those organizations. Those publications identify “trade-offs” as a preferred method for conducting a SS, and encourage the use of this process “when it may be in the best interest of the Government to consider award to other than the lowest-price offeror.” Under this process, cost and non-cost factors are evaluated and the contract is awarded to the offeror proposing the combination of factors that represents the best value based on the evaluation criteria. This case study will describe how a trade-off, or structured decision, process was used to support a U.S. Army SS by thoroughly evaluating multiple vendors and their proposals of a major
Industrial automation has traditionally been characterized by proprietary technologies and vendor-specific solutions. However, recent trends are shifting toward greater openness in both hardware and software, reflecting the evolving needs of end users, systems integrators (SIs), and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs
The impact of the upcoming U.S. federal election, global trade turmoil, a mediocre U.S. economy and the slumping ICE-to-EV (internal combustion engine to electric vehicle) transition must be considered. In my last column, we explored the growing use of scenarios to provide guardrails for future strategy. Suppliers can no longer rely upon a single forecast to drive future planning. The main culprits clouding the planning environment are program delays, rescopes and EV strategy shifts accompanied by the extension of ICE/hybrid models. The trajectory of EV launches and new offerings is decidedly ahead of the skis of consumer acceptance. This supply-and-demand mismatch is an ongoing challenge. It is important to understand the severity of program changes amid this slowing EV growth environment
High productivity, low manufacturing costs, and high workpiece quality: these are the key factors that deliver sustainability, profitability, and competitive edge for industrial manufacturers. Reliable machine monitoring yields valuable real-time insights into ongoing processes; it is the basis for dependable, productive, and reproducible manufacturing and it helps machine operators to reach well-founded decisions on both short- and long-term improvements. This technology can even capture anomalies in highly dynamic machining processes, so users can respond instantly to ensure high productivity, decrease scrap rates, and prolong tool lifetimes. Thanks to all these advantages, continuous machine and process monitoring based on suitable sensor technology is a critical success factor in today’s manufacturing industry
Aerospace engine components like discs, blisks and rings are engineered to perform in extreme operating environments. They need to withstand intense heat and stress and be as lightweight as possible to meet exacting specifications. These parts are also notoriously difficult to machine, and manufacturers who work with them must meet serious challenges of their own. Holding tight tolerances, maintaining predictable tool life and accounting for internal material stress relief from material removal can be especially difficult when profiling complicated features such as thin-walled flanges, undercut pockets and seal fins
A method for 3D printing called vapor-induced phase-separation 3D printing, or VIPS-3D, can create single-material as well as multi-material objects. The printing process allows manufacturers to create custom-made objects economically and sustainably
During a recent Bosch tech showcase, we spoke with Joe Dear, engineering manager for electric propulsion systems at Linamar. The Guelph, Ontario-based parts manufacturer is no stranger to building unsung components for the auto industry, including gears, camshafts, connecting rods, and cylinder heads. The Linamar team was demonstrating a modified Ram 2500, a collaboration between Bosch and Linamar, that was outfitted with a prototype electric powertrain and new e-axles: a rigid axle on the rear (with a Bosch motor and inverter) and a steering axle up front
The supplier shall use the following process to respond to a customer request for corrective and preventive action
This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) establishes the requirements for heat-cured solid film lubricants. For other general or high-temperature applications, refer to AS1701. This document requires qualified products
The automotive industry faces unprecedented regulatory and societal pressure to adopt sustainable manufacturing practices. A recent survey by Accenture shows that more than 34 percent of today’s largest manufacturers have committed to zero-emission goals, yet 93 percent of them will miss their targets unless they double their emission reduction rates by 2030
The changing regulatory landscape and innovation of medical products is driving an interest in additional options for medical product sterilization. One nontraditional way manufacturers can sterilize medical products that is becoming increasingly popular is with sterilizers that use vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VH2O2). The publication of ISO 22441:2022 and its recognition by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), coupled with the FDA’s reclassification of VH2O2 sterilization as an Established Category A process in 2024, supports this modality of sterilization
Wysong USA has been manufacturing industrial press brakes, hydraulic shears, and mechanical shears for sheet metal and plastics for nearly 120 years. Like many companies, their motto was “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” so their product had remained essentially the same. But during a customer visit that motto clashed with another company saying, “the customer is always right.” This customer had replaced the dry clutch brake for an oil shear clutch brake that was more accurate. “The customer is always right” won, so Wysong updated their product line and increased accuracy while reducing costs, making it a win all around
Sustainability remains a dominant trend in packaging and processing, continuing to attract the attention of the life sciences industry and inspire its new initiatives. Although pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers must prioritize patient safety and product protection, concerns about climate change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, plastic waste, and pressure to move toward a circular economy are prompting a greater focus on improving the sustainability of their products and packaging
To round out this issue's cover story, we spoke with Clement Nouvel, Valeo's chief technical officer for lidar, about Valeo's background in ADAS and what's coming next. Nouvel leads over 300 lidar engineers and the company's third-generation Scala 3 lidar is used on production vehicles from European and Asian automakers. The Scala 3 sensor system scans the area around a vehicle 25 times per second, can detect objects more than 200 meters (656 ft) away with a wide field of vision and operates at speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph) on the highway. In 2023, Valeo secured two contracts for Scala 3, one with an Asian manufacturer and the other with a “leading American robotaxi company,” Valeo said in its most-recent annual report. Valeo has now received over 1 billion euros (just under $1.1 billion) in Scala 3 orders. Also in 2023, Valeo and Qualcomm agreed to jointly supply connected displays, clusters, driving assistance technologies and, importantly, sensor technology for to two- and three
Continental's Georg Fässler, executive chair of the 2024 SAE COMVEC, details efforts to future-proof forthcoming vehicles. Severe driver shortages, rising fuel and material costs, escalating demand for freight transport, higher sustainability requirements - there is no shortage of challenges facing the transport sector. Commercial vehicle manufacturers and industry suppliers are devoting significant resources to develop, test and bring to market the technological advances that will help alleviate these pressure points. “The digitalization of commercial vehicles and the whole logistics chain is a necessary response and one of the most important developments in the CV industry in my view,” said Continental Automotive's head of commercial and special vehicles, Georg Fässler, in a recent interview with SAE International
Across the industry, strategic planners from OEMs and suppliers alike are scratching their heads. The number of strategic directions they currently face is unprecedented. Combine global trade friction (China tariffs), high interest rates, a pausing EV transition, new OEM players and the U.S. political environment - one could build scenarios all day to cover the possibilities. Given this rocky environment, a new approach is required. Trusting one forecast as a basis for all strategic decisions may be inadequate in capturing the major vehicle market possibilities. A quick examination of the key variables underscores the challenge
Airplane manufacturers running noise tests on new aircraft now have a much cheaper option than traditional wired microphone arrays. And it’s sensitive enough to help farmers with pest problems. The wireless microphone array that one company recently created with help from NASA can locate crop-threatening insects by listening for sound they make in fields. And now, it’s making fast, affordable testing possible almost anywhere
This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) establishes requirements applicable to metal stock that is ordered and produced in accordance with an SAE Aerospace Material Specification (AMS). Topics include producer requirements, distributor requirements, size and grain orientation nomenclature, and purchaser ordering information to distributors. Requirements of this document have been developed to address titanium and titanium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, carbon and alloy steels, and corrosion- and heat-resistant alloys
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