Modern Global Automobile Industry
Today, the modern global automotive industry encompasses the principal manufacturers, General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, and DaimlerChrylser, all of which operate in a global competitive marketplace. It is suggested that the globalization of the automotive industry, has greatly accelerated during the last half of the 1990′s due to the construction of important overseas facilities and establishment of mergers between giant multinational automakers.
Industry specialists indicate that the origins in the expansion of foreign commerce in the automobile industry, date back to the technology transfer of Ford Motor Company’s mass-production model from the U.S. to Western Europe and Japan following both World Wars I and II.2 The advancements in industrialization led to significant increases in the growth and production of the Japanese and German markets, in particular. The second important trend in industrial globalization was the export of fuel efficient cars from Japan to the U.S. as a result of the oil embargo from 1973 to 1974.
Increasing global trade has enabled the growth in world commercial distribution systems, which has also expanded global competition amongst the automobile manufacturers. Japanese automakers in particular, have instituted innovative production methods by modifying the U.S. manufacturing model, as well as adapting and utilizing technology to enhance production and increase product competition.
There are a number of trends that can be identified by examining the global automotive market, which can be divided into the following factors:3
Global Market Dynamics – The world’s largest automobile manufacturers continue to invest into production facilities in emerging markets in order to reduce production costs. These emerging markets include Latin America, China, Malaysia and other markets in Southeast Asia.
Establishment of Global Alliances – U.S. automakers, “The Big Three” (GM, Ford and Chrysler) have merged with, and in some cases established commercial strategic partnerships with other European and Japanese automobile manufacturers. Some mergers, such as the Chrysler Daimler-Benz merger, was initiated by the European automaker in a strategy to strengthen its position in the U.S. market. Overall, there has been a trend by the world automakers to expand in overseas markets.
Industry Consolidation – Increasing global competition amongst the global manufacturers and positioning within foreign markets has divided the world’s automakers into three tiers, the first tier being GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen, and the two remaining tier manufacturers attempting to consolidate or merge with other lower tier automakers to compete with the first tier companies.
1st Tier Company Mergers – Volkswagen-Lamborgini; BMW-Rolls Royce
2nd Tier Company Mergers – Chrysler-Mercedes Benz; Renault-Nissan-Fiat
3rd Tier Company Mergers - Mazda-Mitsubishi; Kia-Volvo
This section presents literature that examines three major automotive markets in North America, Europe and East Asia. This material is intended to provide a thorough examination of industry trends, structure, and the effects of global market dynamics of the automotive industry within each region, as well as their interrelationships, followed by literature researching the East Asian automotive market.
Future of Automation – Trends, Predictions
The Future of Industrial Automation – Because of the relatively small production volumes and huge varieties of applications, industrial automation typically utilizes new technologies developed in other markets. Automation companies tend to customize products for specific applications and requirements. So the innovation comes from targeted applications, rather than any hot, new technology.
The Future of Automation – Advances in computer and automated systems technology have impacted the entire manufacturing enterprise. CASA/SME developed and uses the Manufacturing Enterprise Wheel as a framework for understanding the different elements and relationships of the manufacturing enterprise. Examples of automation technology can easily be found that impact each area of the wheel, including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Workflow Management, and Knowledge-Based Design, to name a few.
Avoid Disasters for Automation’s Future: Could this Happen to You? – Past analysis has attributed so many aircraft accidents to human error. Yet at a closer look, we could trace quite a few back to design issues. The Airbus philosophy was to give the computer final authority when there was a discrepancy with the pilot. Although there could be a good reason for this, we aren’t at the point where we can build software to account for every possible condition. Trusting software above human intelligence and flexibility may be a mistake. At least three other Airbus accidents resulted in hundreds of deaths due to similar computer-versus-pilot control issues.
Are all operating parameters documented and accounted for in your design? Might the safety requirements differ during different plant operating phases, such as start-up, operation, maintenance, and shutdown? Have you considered and reviewed factors like these during your hazard analyses? Make sure you account for the impact of spurious sensor signals in the rest of the system design and operations
Future Automation Flat Screen Lifts – The Future Automation Inverted Plasma lift allows a plasma screen to be stored in a ceiling. Press the remote control and the plasma will drop in to view. The mechanism also opens a trap door in the ceiling before lowering the plasma. A matching piece of ceiling above the plasma then fills the opening in the top of the cabinet when the plasma is down
A Model for Types and Levels of Human Interaction with Automation – Here you find the outline of a model for types and levels of automation that provides a framework and an objective basis for deciding which system functions should be automated and to what extent. Appropriate selection is important because automation does not merely supplant but changes human activity and can impose new coordination demands on the human operator. We propose that automation can be applied to four broad classes of functions: 1) information acquisition; 2) information analysis; 3) decision and action selection; and 4) action implementation
The Hottest Trends in Automation & Technology – Automation and technology systems are exerting more influence on the way businesses run. And as automated systems and technologies get more ubiquitous and powerful, they are also becoming more invisible, with many imbedded intelligent devices undetectable to passersby.CAD/CAM software is improving its process planning capabilities, which “involves finding the right tool to do the right job
Modern Trends in Industrial Automation, Process Control and Robotics – Globalization, growing Technology and their development increasingly influence Automation in industry. And, it plays an important role in the global economy and in our daily lives. The most effective and visible part of modern Industrial automation is the industrial robotics. Fully automated process control Robots have contributed greatly to improve the productivity of virtually all manufacturing industries throughout the world. And, almost all the process monitoring systems installed as a part of plant or production process are basically Digital Control Systems DCS connected by digital networks.
Future Trends in Process Automation – The importance of automation in the process industries has increased dramatically in recent years. In the highly industrialized countries, process automation serves to enhance product quality, master the whole range of products, improve process safety and plant availability, and efficiently utilize resources and lower emissions. In the rapidly developing countries, mass production is the main motivation for applying process automation. The greatest demand for process automation is in the chemical industry, power generating industry, and petrochemical industry; the fastest growing demand for hardware, standard software and services of process automation is in the pharmaceutical industry. The importance of automation technology continues to increase in the process industries.
