Hyundai Selects UNOVA Industrial Automation Systems as Primary Supplier for New North American Engine Plant
CHESTERFIELD, Mich.--July 29, 2003--| Industry's first flexible cylinder block machining system part of turnkey, flexible head and block installation bound for new Alabama facility |
UNOVA Industrial Automation Systems has received an order to supply a complete engine machining and assembly system to Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC. The order includes fully flexible machining and assembly lines from Lamb Technicon, as well as CNC grinders from the Landis Gardner operation in Waynesboro, PA. The automated manufacturing equipment will produce components for Hyundai's Lambda 3.3-liter V-6 engine for use in the company's next-generation designs of both the Sonata sedan and the Santa Fe sport utility vehicle for North America, to be introduced in 2005. At full capacity, the UNOVA lines will produce 200,000 engines per year.
The new engine manufacturing systems will be part of a two million square-foot facility to be built in Montgomery, Alabama, with production slated to begin in 2005.
In announcing the order, UNOVA Senior Vice President and Group Executive, Jim Herrman, noted that this is the first time that a new domestic automaker, in this case Hyundai Motor's transplant facility, has ordered practically all equipment to produce an automotive engine from a single North American supplier. "Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama is demonstrating a very strong commitment to the American market, consumers, and UNOVA in buying substantially all of the engine manufacturing equipment from an American supplier," said Herrman.
Herrman also noted that the Lamb cylinder block and head machining systems for Hyundai are representative of the automotive industry's trend towards manufacturing flexibility. "Hyundai's new Alabama engine plant will feature the first completely flexible cylinder block and head machining process in North America," Herrman said. "The dedicated special machines typically employed in high-volume engine manufacturing systems have been replaced entirely with flexible machine tools.
"The turn-key order from Hyundai Motor is the realization of our vision of bringing together a comprehensive offering of manufacturing systems technologies under a sole source of accountability," Herrman said. "We are extremely pleased that Hyundai Motor has selected UNOVA Industrial Automation Systems as the turn-key engine machining and assembly supplier to their first U.S. manufacturing facility," said Herrman.
The Lamb flexible machining system will incorporate machine tool models from the company's computer numerical control (CNC) product line. Other advanced features of the Lamb flexible machining system include the use of a standardized component-to-machine interface, or plate process, to improve process capability while increasing equipment availability through reduction of fixture complexity.
Lamb's Assembly & Test operation in Rockford, Illinois, will supply the in-process automation as well as the engine final assembly line in its entirety, including the assembly automation, storage and retrieval for engines and transmissions, and hot and cold testing equipment.
Five Landis CNC grinders will produce crankshafts for the V-6 engines. The agile cylindrical grinders provide the flexibility to accommodate future families of Hyundai crankshafts.
Simultaneous engineering activities for the new flex machining and assembly systems are currently underway at Lamb.
EDITOR NOTES:
About UNOVA Industrial Automation Systems:
UNOVA Industrial Automation Systems (IAS), headquartered in Chesterfield Township, Mich., combines the engineering, manufacturing and business systems infrastructure of two of the machine tool industry's most respected manufacturers--Cincinnati Machine and Lamb Technicon. In conjunction with the well-known Landis Grinding Systems operation, the company offers technology-driven solutions that add value and productivity to the global manufacturing market.
About Lamb Technicon: www.lambtech.com
About Cincinnati Machine: www.cinmach.com
About Landis Gardner: www.landisgardner.com
About UNOVA: www.unova.com
About Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama: www.hmmausa.com