A. Benevenuta & C. S.p.a. ordered a 2,500-ton mechanical forging press from Farina, a Schuler affiliate. The company produces hot-forged steel components for the automotive industry near Turin, Italy. The parts are used in suspension systems, transmissions, engines and brakes in passenger cars, tractors, trucks and earth-moving machinery. The press force of the Benevenuta production lines ranges from 1,200 to 2,500 metric tons.

Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd. has been awarded two contracts from a producer of high-volume specialty automotive fasteners. Can-Eng will supply two mesh-belt heat-treatment systems, which will include: computerized vibratory loading system, rotary phosphate removal washer, mesh-belt hardening furnace, oil-quench system, post-quench wash system, mesh-belt temper furnace and part containerization system. The fully integrated systems feature Can-Eng’s PET (process enhancement technology) system, which provides the client with complete product traceability through the thermal process, process data collection, historical event archiving, process variable trend monitoring and scheduling optimization.

General Motors announced plans to invest $40 million at its Pontiac Stamping Plant in Pontiac, Mich. The investment will be used to renovate the existing facility and install new, highly flexible fabrication machinery and presses to support future electric-vehicle production. GM anticipates the investment will create 20 new positions. The “Flex Fab” sheet-metal fabricating technology will enable repeatable, custom and precise stamping, reducing costs for low-volume applications.

In January 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it is working on new rules to decrease NOx and other pollutants present in vehicle emissions.

This article takes a look at a few common automotive parts and sees how heat treatment is used to make them better.

Vacuum thermal processing is vital for automotive and aerospace component manufacturers due to industry demands for the highest possible quality. Brazing and surface treatment are two process areas where vacuum technology is used.

In a business known for quality management, automotive component suppliers have few clear guidelines when it comes to nondestructive testing (NDT).

Fortune magazine creates several lists each year, including (of course) the Fortune 500. In their list of the world’s largest companies ranked by revenue, at least 10 automakers show up in the first 84 slots. Volkswagen and Toyota are in the top-10. In their list of the top-50 most-admired companies, Toyota and BMW are in the top-50.

GKN Driveline Bruneck AG in Italy is modernizing its hardening shop with two low-pressure carburizing (LPC) plants from ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH. GKN will utilize the equipment to develop and produce E-powertrains. ALD delivered a ModulTherm plant consisting of a mobile quenching module and five treatment chambers, as well as fully integrated peripheral tempering and preheating furnaces. The plant can be expanded up to 10 treatment chambers depending on demand. ALD also delivered a SyncroTherm plant that will be used for parts that are especially susceptible to distortion. According to GKN, the process combination of LPC and subsequent high-pressure gas quenching (HPGQ) allows the company to optimally adjust the parts’ properties.

Toyota will invest $803 million and add 1,400 new jobs at its Princeton, Ind., automotive manufacturing plant. The investment will allow the company to produce two all-new, three-row SUVs, one of which will be the first Lexus made at the plant.