Good news from Aurora, U.S.: Godfrey & Wing (G&W) has received a contract from an iconic American motorcycle and lifestyle company. Starting in 2020, the Continous Flow impregnation (CFi) system powered by G&W will seal die casting crankcases in the company’s Wisconsin facility.

The German based company Hüttenes-Albertus Chemische Werke GmbH and Garmi del Norte S.A. de C.V. announced a new joint venture to bundle all commercial activities in Mexico in the new corporation named HA Quimica de Mexico (HAMEX).

In order to remain successful in the future, companies must identify and maximize customer benefits. The basis for this is data - but also the willingness to break new ground.

Druckguss Westfalen relies on Kuka for the automation of 15 die casting systems as well as for the loading and unloading of six CNC machines. With these new processes the foundry is laying the foundation for production in the sense of Industry 4.0 and increased efficiency.

Established in 2017, Norican Digital develops digital technology solutions tailored to applications around the formation and enhancement of metallic parts. The company works with customers of DISA, Italpresse Gauss, StrikoWestofen and Wheelabrator, to help them leverage opportunities presented by the Industrial Internet of Things. At GIFA we talked to founders Rudi Riedel (President) and Dr. Dennis Janitza (VP Technology Development) about the impact of Industry 4.0 and its advantages for foundries.

The Robocell one from Fastems is designed to handle workpieces and automate the processes of up to two machine tools of the same type. This ensures optimum machine utilization even with frequently changing orders.

The Materials Testing Institute of the University of Stuttgart has developed a method based on friction stir welding which can be used to combine aluminum and steel sheets of different thicknesses.

The "NextGenAM" joint project has so far demonstrated great potential for spare parts and series production in terms of manufacturing costs. The aim is to develop a pilot plant for an automated additive manufacturing process. 3D printing is thus well on its way to further establishing itself as an additional production method in the automotive and aviation sectors.

The internationally operating Mapal Group recorded a growth of just under 5 % in 2018. And Asia is still the second most important market for the company.

Additive design and manufacturing processes are catalysts for technical innovations or even revolutions. The spread of additive manufacturing will have significant and disruptive effects on some industries. We have put together five cases that show where the journey might go.

What will vehicle production look like in the future? The management consultancy firm Boston Consulting Group investigated the future of vehicle production in a study and a simulation - based on real production data. Daniel Küpper and Christoph Sieben explain the effects in this interview.

Industry 4.0 - a term that has fallen more often in recent years than most other. At leading trade fairs such as the Hannover Messe, the topic has been playing a central role for a long time. But what does industry 4.0 actually mean? We explain the concept.