Assembly - February 2009 - (Page 38) Automotive Assembly Hybrids require more electric and electronic components than traditional vehicles, such as power control units (left) and compressors (right). Photo courtesy Denso Corp. enterprises under way are all considering the manufacturing ramifications of their products,” says McGillis. “This cross-functional development approach is making the task of assembly more straightforward.” The holy grail of green car technology is lithium-ion battery production. Suppliers around the world are scrambling to boost production volumes and reduce manufacturing costs. “As a result of new technological innovations, automakers believe they have found the right batteries to power the electric vehicles—lithium-ion,” says Frost & Sullivan’s Kumar. “Venture capital investments in batteries have grown more than six times in the last five years, which is phenomenal. The challenge is to reduce both manufacturing and packaging costs.” Several mass-production efforts are currently under way in Europe and Southeast Asia. For example, Robert Electric motors play a key role in green cars. Photo courtesy Robert Bosch GmbH 38 ASSEMBLY / February 2009 www.assemblymag.com http://www.spirol.com http://www.spirol.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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