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JUNE 2018 | WWW.PLANT.CA JAPAN’S OEMS Bucking the trend and growing in Canada

FCA Windsor checks its PULSE Prepare to manage decriminalized pot IIoT is changing auto production Noise: how loud is your plant? GM-Autodesk and designing light DAILY MANUFACTURING NEWS www.plant.ca

SUPPLEMENT TO PLANT, THE ANNEX BUSINESS MEDIA MAGAZINE FOR CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS

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every industry. When you’re looking for the competitive advantage that comes © with innovative technologies, take a closer look at Italian-made industrial equipment. We connect you to partners who offer problem-solving, flexible design, expanded functionality, and creative, cost-effective solutions. Our goal is to help you achieve your goals. When you’re ready, look to Machines Italia.

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June 2018 CONTENTS Supplement

FEATURES

21 INSTRUMENTATION Global growth of monitoring technology is growing, driven by wireless advances and IIoT.

23 CCOHS SAFETY TIPS How loud is your plant? Conduct an assessment and turn down the volume. 8 INDUSTRY Japanese automakers are expanding their investments in Canada amid changing trade conditions. 24 CLEAN TECH A FleetCarma study C shows Canadians are buying more

M electric vehicles.

CM 25 SUPPLIERS Magna International

MY innovates and expands its global reach: a round-up of some its latest CY developments.

13 ASSEMBLY FCA’s PULSE body shop 17 SUSTAINABILITY General Motors adds to transfer system improves production at its its green credentials with a co-generation Windsor, Ont. plant. project that will help power its St. Catharines, Ont. engine plant. DEPARTMENTS

4 Editorial 5 News Events 7 Economy IT’S TIME TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT PLANT Pulse 12 Rearview ITALIAN MACHINERY 26 Backseat Driver 19 LAW How decriminalizing marijuana will 21 INDUSTRY 4.0 The Industrial Internet of We are your link to over 10,000 Italian manufacturing solutions providers from impact the workplace and management Things is changing automotive production © every industry. When you’re looking for the competitive advantage that comes strategies. as it delivers quality in real time. with innovative technologies, take a closer look at Italian-made industrial equipment. We COVER: TOYOTA CANADA connect you to partners who offer problem-solving, flexible design, expanded functionality, PLANT—established 1941, is published 8 times per year by Annex Business Media. Publications Mail Agreement #40065710. Circulation email: [email protected] Tel: 416- and creative, cost-effective solutions. Our goal is to help you achieve your goals. When 442-5600, ext 3552 Fax: 416-510-6875 or 416-442-2191 Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1. Occasionally, PLANT will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups you’re ready, look to Machines Italia. whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. Annex Privacy Officer: [email protected] Tel: 800-668-2374. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2018 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Performance claims for products listed in this issue are made by contributing manufacturers and agencies. PLANT receives unsolicited materials including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images from time to time. PLANT, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any For more information on Machines Italia call 888-ITALTRADE form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. This statement does not apply to materials/pitches submitted by freelance writers, photographers or illustrators in accordance with known industry email or visit www.machinesitalia.org practices. Printed in Canada. ISSN: 1929-6606 (Print), 1929-6614 (Online). www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 3

PLT_ItalianTrade_75th.inddAutoPlant_Spring_Italia.indd 1 1 2016-10-052018-06-12 11:56 9:29 AM AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 3 2018-06-12 1:08 PM EDITORIAL Driverless vehicles: Associate Publisher Jeff Brownlee 416-277-8428 not such a great idea [email protected] he technology wizards have spent roughly $80 billion over the past three Editor Joe Terrett years on driverless vehicles, according to the Brookings Institute. Acknowl- 416-442-5600 ext. 3219 T edging the limitations of its data gathering, the Washington, DC research firm [email protected] says it’s likely the amount is much higher. Art Director Concerned about all the effort going into developing transportation that Andrea M. Smith relieves drivers of responsibility for what’s happening on the road? Don’t worry, you’re not a Luddite. There is reason to question the driverless preoccupation. National Account Manager Experts and enthusiasts will tout the safety benefits. In 2016, more than 37,000 Ilana Fawcett 416-510-5202 deaths in the US were attributed to motor vehicle accidents. In Canada (2015) [email protected] there were more than 1,800 fatalities. More than 90% of deaths are attributed to human error and distracted drivers are responsible for much of the carnage. Bob Account Coordinator Debbie Smith Lutz, former vice-chair of General Motors, suggests when autonomous technolo- 416-442-5600 ext 3221 gy is up and running properly, this number would be reduced to 5%. [email protected] Looking past Lutz’s magical forecasting and on a cheerier note, occupants of a driverless vehicle will have the time to concentrate on those distractions, such Annex Business Media Vice President/Executive Publisher as their smart phones, Netflix or reading an engrossing-e-book; why, it will even Tim Dimopoulos be okay to have a nap. No parking? Your ride will drop you off and find a spot. (416) 510-5100 [email protected] The disabled, or seniors in their 80s, 90s and 100s no longer allowed behind a steering wheel needn’t worry. There will be no steering wheel and they’ll have President & CEO transportation to any destination. And feel free to tie one on after work because Mike Fredericks drinking and driving won’t be an issue. Even better, the major victims of all this Circulation Manager enhanced safety will be personal injury lawyers. Beata Olechnowicz How will these Jetson-like vehicles work? They’ll gather data using a combina- 416-442-5600 ext. 3543 tion of sensors, radar, cameras and algorithms firing up lightning-fast computer [email protected] power working with GPS technology to build a 3D model of the vehicle’s imme- Subscription Price diate environment. Artificial intelligence will identify other vehicles, people, Canada $74.50 per year, US $151.50 lane markings and speed signs, crunch the data, plan and execute, then adapt to (US) per year, Foregin $171.00 (US) per year. Single Copy Canada $12.00. Add changes as they occur. applicable taxes to all rates. Combined, Getting all that right is sure putting a lot of faith in technology, and there are expanded or premium issues, which count some red flags to consider: like a planet-wide electromagnetic pulse taking out as two subscription issues. everything electronic. Okay, that’s unlikely and would probably screw up a reg- Mailing Address ular car, but who hasn’t had trouble with random computer meltdowns? There’s Annex Business Media going to be a lot of data in the software and ample opportunity for glitches. So 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400 Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 think of the risk multiplied across a national transportation system. And consid-

er the security issues. There are no impregnable firewalls. Beware of mischief Circulation and malicious intent. Driverless vehicles will also be putting a lot of faith in GPS Bona Lao mapping that sometimes provides misdirection with comic and/or aggravating 416-442-5600 ext. 3552 [email protected] results. How will roadblocks be handled? Also, weather conditions can impair Fax: 416-510-6875 or 416-442-2191 sensing conditions and the technology won’t know what to do when it encounters a policeperson directing traffic because it can’t read human hand signals. There are also legal implications. If there is a mishap, who is to blame: the car manufacturer; the municipality; or the tech providers? Much of the speculative safety advantage evaporates if there isn’t widespread adoption by drivers. The techno-doubters will inject all that human unpredict- ability we currently endure. And let’s not overlook the so-far unimagined calam- ities caused by technology. Plus, there’s a danger the skill level of drivers will diminish. No kidding! Do we really need to find another way to make us dumber and more disconnected from our surroundings? Using this technology to enhance vehicle and road safety makes sense, but drivers must be responsible for what happens on the road. Reduce distractions and perhaps consider retesting periodically to ensure drivers are focused and sharp, but leave the big decisions in human hands.

Joe Terrett, Editor Comments? E-mail [email protected].

4 AutoPLANT June 2018

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 4 2018-06-12 1:08 PM NEWS Unifor and Lear settle EVENTS Magna a GM Ajax plant closure now off the table supplier of the year IMTS 2018 AMT TROY, Mich. — Magna International Sept. 10-15, Chicago picked up two GM Supplier of the Year The International Manufacturing Tech- awards for innovations in lighting and nology Show (IMTS) 2018 presented driveline performance. by the Association For Manufacturing The automaker’s 26th annual awards Technology (AMT) with more than in Orlando, Fla. recognized suppliers that 2,400 exhibitors. Pavilions will cover go above and beyond requirements. metal cutting; tooling and workholding Magna is a global automotive parts systems; fabricating and laser; abrasive and system supplier based in Aurora, machining/sawing/finishing; controls Ont. and CAD-CAM; EDM; gear generation; Its D-Optic LED headlamp uses machine components/cleaning/envi- Lear makes automotive seats in Ajax, Ont. PHOTO: LEAR multiple high-power LEDs and can be ronmental; and additive and quality custom-developed to a vehicle’s specific assurance. Visit www.imts.com. AJAX, Ont. — Unifor and the Lear Corp. managed to styling. The technology, which debuted prevent a potentially bad outcome arising from the rejection on the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, improves Hannover Messe USA 2018 of a contract offer at the company’s automotive seat plant in forward visibility. Hannover Messe Ajax, Ont. Magna also supplies GM with driveline Sept. 10-15, Chicago Union Local 22 says its members voted in favour of a products such as the single-speed Ac- The Hannover Messe USA premier will contract May 4. timax transfer case, two-speed Ultimax feature the latest trends and devel- They had voted 94% against a deal offered by the South- transfer case, electronic limited slip dif- opments in Industry 4.0 and industrial field, Mich.-based parts supplier on April 30. The union had ferential and Actimax beveloid transfer digitalization. Visit https://hannover- said it was seeking to end the “current pay disparity in the case. Benefits include improved handling messeusa.com. seat manufacturing sector.” On May 1, Lear said it would and performance, dynamic four-wheel close the plant that employs 320 workers. and all-wheel drive, and optimized fuel 2018 MainTrain Conference With the acceptance of a subsequent offer, Unifor efficiency. Magna’s powertrain portfolio PEMAC said the company had fully retracted its notice to close is also positioned to support increased Sept. 24-27, Ottawa the plant. vehicle electrification. Annual professional development conference for asset management, maintenance and reliability profession- als. Hosted by the Plant Engineering and GM, Autodesk are lightening up design Maintenance Association of Canada (PEMAC). Visit www.pemac.org/con- Advanced technology reduces mass, consolidates parts ference. DETROIT — General Mo- consolidate parts that can’t tors is harnessing the power be achieved through more Pack Expo International 2018 of advanced design and 3D traditional methods. PMMI printing technologies to de- GM and Autodesk engineers Oct. 14-17, Chicago velop the next generation of have produced a proof-of- Advanced packaging equipment, mate- lighter-weight vehicle parts. concept part – a seat bracket rials, containers, automation technolo- The Detroit-based auto- – that’s 40% lighter and 20% gies and other supply chain solutions. maker is collaborating with stronger than the original The PACKage Printing Pavilion brings Autodesk, the San Rafael, part. It also consolidates together suppliers of the latest digital Calif.-based design software eight different components packaging solutions. Visit www.packex- developer, to come up with into one 3D-printed part. pointernational.com. future product designs. GM and Autodesk have Autodesk’s generative formed a multi-year inno- Physical Asset Management Program design software uses cloud vation alliance that will see U of T computing and artificial in- them collaborate on projects Nov. 5-9, Toronto telligence-based algorithms involving generative design, Offered in partnership with the Faculty to rapidly explore multiple A proof-of-concept seat bracket design. additive manufacturing and of Science and Engineering at the Uni- versions of a part design PHOTO: GM materials science. Execu- versity of Toronto, St. George campus. and generate hundreds of tives and engineers from Taught by two world-class instructors. options based on parameters set by the user, both companies will participate in a series of Features fundamental need-to-know such as (among others) weight, strength, materi- onsite sessions to exchange ideas, lessons and material combined with proven, lead- al choice and fabrication method. The user then expertise. ing-edge approaches. Visit http:// learn. determines the best options. General Motors also has on-demand access to utoronto.ca. The technology provides significantly more Autodesk’s full portfolio of software and techni- opportunities to reduce vehicle mass and cal specialists.

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 5

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 5 2018-06-12 1:08 PM NEWS

Toyota investing $1.4B in Ontario CAMI surpasses 5M vehicles Plants will be the North American hub for the RAV 4 Employees get a first crack at 2018 Equinox

for the RAV 4 crossover SUV, including INGERSOLL, Ont. — CAMI Assembly has rolled its five mil- hybrid versions. lionth vehicle, a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, off the production line Canada’s largest vehicle producer at its Ingersoll, Ont. assembly plant. is also reducing its carbon footprint. CAMI employees will get an opportunity to purchase the Vehicles produced at the plants will be 2018 Cajun red Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD through Searles more fuel-efficient while volatile organ- Motor Products, the local dealership. ic compound emissions will be reduced CAMI Assembly has been producing the current-generation Toyota’s 2019 RAV4. PHOTO: TOYOTA in select shops by 10%. Chevrolet Equinox compact SUV since January last year. The investment, supported by $110 The plant was CAMBRIDGE, Ont. — Toyota is million each from the federal and originally estab- expressing its confidence in Canada’s Ontario governments, will add 450 lished in 1989 as automotive industry with a $1.4 billion jobs to Toyota’s current 8,000-person CAMI Automotive investment in its Ontario assembly workforce, create 1,000 new co-op Inc., a joint venture plants that will support its pursuit of placements and contribute to new with Japanese future production mandates for the automation technology in the paint and automaker Suzuki province. plastics shop. Motor Corp, pro- Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Toyota will also spend $220 million ducing models for (L-R) Pat Shea, sales manager, Searles Mo- will apply its new global architecture to on R&D over the next 10 years. both companies. tor Products; Bob Searles, president/owner, retool the Cambridge and Woodstock The automaker assembles RAV4s, The partnership Searles Motor Products; Bill Morrison, as- plants, installing advanced manufac- Lexus RXs and Corollas at its Ontario ended in 2011 and sistant plant manager, CAMI Assembly; and turing platforms to make the Canadian production facilities, but it’s moving now the plant is Gary Duff, plant manager, CAMI Assembly. operations the North American hub Corolla production to Mexico in 2019. operated by GM. PHOTO: CAMI

6 AutoPLANT June 2018 AutoPlant_Spring_SEWEurodrive.indd 1 2018-05-30 9:09 AM

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 6 2018-06-12 1:08 PM ECONOMY

Senior execs sour ECONOMIC TRENDS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR on economy Lowest confidence TRANSPORTATION SALES DECLINE level in six quarters Manufacturing sales rose 1.5% billions $ 58 onfidence in Canada’s economy in March with 14 of 19 industry has soured among business lead- subsectors showing increases. Current dollars Trend-cycle (current dollars) 56 C ers in the first quarter, according Statistics Canada reports 2012 Constant dollars Trend-cycle (2012 constant dollars) to a survey by the Conference Board transportation wasn’t among them. 54 of Canada. It fell 5% thanks to declines in The Ottawa-based research motor vehicle and motor vehicle 52 organization’s Index of Business parts manufacturing, partly as a Confidence fell 6.9 points to 93.1, its result of a strike at an assembly 50 lowest level in the last six quarters. plant and changes to some models

The survey, conducted March 9 to manufactured in Canada. The 48 April 13, identified several reasons most significant output gains came

for growing pessimism among exec- from machinery, food products, 46 utives. They don’t expect the rapid non-metallic mineral products and Mar. Mar. 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 sales growth of 2017 to continue, plastics and rubber products. Source: Statistics Canada but they’re also concerned about the impact of government policy on competitiveness (cited by half the firms); the availability of labour (40%); and the cost of labour. Other factors $53B holding them back are: competitive Average annual Canadian motor vehicle impact of US tax cuts; a weak Cana- exports annually over dian dollar; NAFTA’s uncertain fu- the next five years, ture; the rising cost of capital goods; according to the and better opportunities abroad. Conference Board of “The first-quarter results for 2018 Canada. Watch for are closer to the 2016 average, a sign lower-than-average that businesses see the economy 417,300 vehicle ownership moving into a new, slower-growth Individuals Statistics Canada says are rates among millennials and seniors phase,” said Matthew Stewart, the registered to apprenticeship programs impacting US sales going forward. Conference Board’s director of na- in 2016, down from 455,900 in 2015. tional forecasting. The research firm says weaker investment intentions suggest a reduced ability to increase production Canada’s position and exports in the future. among the global Firms that believe now is a good automotive th time to invest in machinery and producer hierarchy, equipment declined from 52% to 34%, 2.2% and it’s the fourth 9 while those who see this as a bad Increase in business largest auto exporter by time to invest rose from 17% to 21%. productivity in 2017 value, according to the Those planning to increase capital following a 0.6% increase International Organization investment by at least 10% fell from in 2016. Hourly compensation of Motor Vehicle 28% in the previous quarter to 22%, ($51.10) rose 2.1% compared with a 0.6% increase (2016). Manufacturers. while firms anticipating capital ex- penditures to increase fell two points (but still a solid 60%). Expectations for the overall economy have also worsened. The Canadian motor vehicle sales for 2018, according to Scotiabank’s Global balance of opinion (respondents 2.1M Auto Report. Sales were stronger than expected in March at an annualized believing economic conditions will 2.08 million. Light truck purchases (CUVs, SUVs, pickups and vans) jumped be better in six months minus those 5% year-over-year and accounted for more than 71% of overall new vehicle who project that conditions will be sales, up from less than 55% as recently as 2012. Overall purchases rose worse) was at 19 percentage points 1.9% year-over-year in Q1. In Ontario, an 11% year-over-year jump in fleet in the previous survey. It is now -6 volumes is consistent with strengthening business investment, which

percentage points. IMAGES: FOTOLIA accelerated in late-2017 at the fastest pace since mid-2015.

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 7

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 7 2018-06-12 1:08 PM INDUSTRY Japan’s auto OEMs THEIR RISING INFLUENCE IN CANADA’S INDUSTRY

The Japanese brand is The Honda Civic, Canada’s expanding its footprint top-selling car the past two decades, came just shy of 70,000 amid changing trade units – almost 40% ahead of its conditions. nearest rival. “Japanese automakers and BY JEFF BROWNLEE Canadians have built a strong partnership together for more aizen. It’s the Japanese than 50 years,” says Larry philosophy of focusing on Hutchinson, chairman of the K continuous improvement in eight-member Japan Automo- all aspects of life and a term that bile Manufacturers Association best describes the history of the (JAMA) Canada and president, Japanese vehicle manufacturers Toyota Canada. “JAMA Canada in the Canadian market. members are committed to con- Since Japanese vehicles first tinuing to deepen and grow that appeared on Canadian asphalt partnership through ongoing in 1965, there have been a num- investment in vehicle and parts ber of speed bumps including manufacturing, distribution, trade disputes, oil crises as well sales and service infrastructure as unorthodox trade barriers and employment growth.” to the Canadian market that The economic footprint of resulted in the creation of a the eight members of JAMA, a Japanese-run joint venture. not-for-profit trade association Yet the industry has been on based in Toronto, helps create a a continuous improvement strong and globally competitive growth curve since the mid- auto industry in the country. 1990s, with production topping According to a 2017 study, The more than one million units for Economic Contributions of the second consecutive year the Japanese-Brand Automo- in 2017. That represents 46% tive Industry to the Canadian of total Canadian light vehicle Economy, 2001-2016 by McMas- production. In terms of sales, ter University faculty professors, 2017 was a record-breaking year Greig Mordue and Brendan for Japanese auto manufac- Sweeney, the Japanese-brand turers, with light-duty vehicle auto industry supports more Left: Checking the rear bumper assembly of a Honda Civic. sales growing by 5.8% to 719,807 than 203,000 jobs across Cana- Centre: Assembled Honda Civics in Alliston, Ont. units. Six individual automakers da. Direct employment figures Right: Honda’s 2016 CRV PHOTOS: HCM posted record sales with Honda totalled 85,678, which represents and Toyota recording fourth and a 69% increase since 2001. Earn- fifth top overall sales in Canada, ings for those workers totalled respectively. more than $5 billion and gener-

8 AutoPLANT June 2018

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 8 2018-06-12 1:08 PM Toyota’s popular RAV4 crossover. The automaker’s Ontario operations will be the hub for RAV4s in North America. PHOTO: TOYOTA

of these industries shrank. Japanese-owned firms are thus unique in this respect; they have consistently delivered growth and stability within an environment of economic uncertainty and change.” Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada employs more than 8,000 at its Cambridge and Wood- stock factories while Honda employees 4,200 at its Alliston, Ont. facility. And Hino Motors Canada employs 96 at its 177,000 square-foot truck manufacturing plant in Woodstock. History in Canada In total, more than $11 billion has been invested by Japanese car brands in Canadian automotive manufacturing and assembly plants since 1986. The supply chain includes more than 40 auto parts plants, the majority located in Ontario, with a handful in BC and Quebec. There are an additional 20 materials, machine tools, subassembly and service shops in the Golden Horseshoe. As of 2016, there were approximately 1,238 Japanese auto dealerships across the country and a total of 17.4 million vehicles have been built in Canada since 1986 with overall sales topping 15.8 million since 1965. Trade has been instrumental to the growing Japanese pres- ence in the Canadian market. Investment and production growth in Canada would not have happened without open access to the much larger US market and preferential trade agreements like the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement as well as NAFTA. Today, Canada’s ex- ated $1.7 billion in Employment “Between 2001 and 2016, employment in manufacturing ports of Japanese-brand vehicles Insurance premiums, QPP/CPP growth of employment in Japa- establishments owned by Japa- exceed imports from Japan, the contributions, personal income nese-brand and Japanese-owned nese-brand and Japanese-owned US and other countries com- taxes and import tariffs. automotive firms has far firms in vehicle assembly, bined by more than 4.5 million The report illustrates how outpaced growth in the auto- automotive parts manufacturing units (since 1993). JAMA members are bucking an motive industry itself,” states and tire manufacturing grew In 1965, Canada signed the industry trend. the report. “In fact, nominal while total employment in each Auto Pact with the US and that

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 9

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 9 2018-06-12 1:08 PM event, along with a view to the impossible to meet the stan- the American market. which mandated investment by future, led Nissan to open up the dards on the timetables being However, the Japanese all foreign automakers in Cana- first Japanese distribution office suggested and any forcing of the wouldn’t agree to the same da with increased levels of local in Vancouver. Additionally, Ca- issue would cost consumers mil- arrangement with Canada. Canadian content as a condition nadian Motor Industries (CMI) lions, if not billions of dollars.” “This exacerbated what was of market access. started selling Toyota and Isuzu In 1975, Honda unveiled its already a serious situation in This definitely got the at- vehicles in the Canadian market Compound Vortex Controlled our domestic market,” states Ed tention of the Japanese, who at the same time. Combustion engine that not only Lumley, former minister of trade informally created the Japanese “It was a big, big carrot,” says surpassed proposed require- and industry. “We needed to do Automakers Manufacturers JAMA executive director David ments, but exceeded them something to dramatically to Association (JAMA) Canada. Worts of the duty remission pro- without a loss of power and with emphasize our sincere desire to Lumley, who had been preach- gram that was intended to fully no additional cost to the con- ensure the long-term viability of ing to the Japanese to look at the integrate the North American sumer. The power plant (1488- our auto industry.” Big 3’s disproportionate invest- auto industry. Canada, unlike cc, 53-horsepower) would run Lumley, who made many trips ment in Canada (rather than the the US, decided to implement on unleaded gasoline and didn’t to Japan as a Cabinet minister, US) as a model to emulate, took the Auto Pact multilaterally. require a catalytic converter. borrowed an idea from the the unprecedented move of invit- Qualifying manufacturers could “This turned the entire au- Japanese on one such trip. He ing Takishi Ishihara, president import parts and vehicles, duty tomotive environment debate saw “boatloads” of European and CEO of Nissan as well as the free, from any GATT country upside down,” DesRosiers writes vehicles sitting in a harbour in president of JAMA, to Canada as long as they met certain in the study, A Short History Tokyo because they didn’t meet for a bilateral discussion. safeguards of production and of the Japanese Automotive regulatory standards. Lumley met Ishihara at the Canadian value added in their Industry In Canada. “The in- “That’s when a light went on,” Toronto airport and drove him operations. dustry moved very quickly from he adds. to his cottage in the Thousand In the early years, the smaller ‘we can’t do it without increased Islands for a mini summit on Japanese imports didn’t fare cost’ to ‘we will find a way to do Vancouver harassment the future of the Japanese auto well in a market that had a pen- it quickly and with little in- Canadian officials instituted a industry in Canada. chant for much larger vehicles. creased cost.’” slowdown on customs clearance The unusual meeting between “The vehicles were out of While the 1970s saw the de- for Japanese vehicles at the a senior government official of place with the tenor of the North mand for smaller, more fuel-ef- Port of Vancouver – a tactic that Canada and one of Japan’s top American market at that time,” ficient vehicles, the early 1980s earned the moniker in the Japan industry leaders resulted in the Worts adds. “The Japanese was a tumultuous, yet defining auto industry as the “Vancouver formal incorporation of JAMA struggled for a number of years.” time for the North American harassment.” as a not-for-profit association in addition to the creation of the Pacific Automotive Co-operation (PAC) in 1984. A unique to Canada joint venture company, PAC shareholders included 11 Japanese automakers (JAMA members) and 21 major Japanese auto parts makers. The president and vice-presidents of PAC were seconded from JAMA member companies and reported to the PAC Steer- (L-R): Putting tires on a Lexus RX450h hybrid; battery installation; fitting a windshield. PHOTOS: TOYOTA ing Committee of JAMA in Tokyo. That is until, the first oil crisis auto industry. The decade start- “No question it was not a PAC’s main objective was to in 1973 that sent the price of ed with the foreign manufactur- tactic without risk,” Lumley promote automotive investment gasoline skyrocketing, plus ers, particularly the Japanese, writes in A Short History of the in Canada and support new busi- mounting pressure from govern- gaining a larger market share Japanese Automotive Industry ness opportunities with Canadi- ments for improved environmen- and the Big Four automakers In Canada. “I took my lumps an auto parts suppliers. tal performance and the first registering a combined loss of in Parliament, in the public and Lumley’s plea to invest in Can- efficiency targets. $4 billion following the 1979 especially in the media.” ada gained traction with a series “The automotive sector was energy crisis. The slowdown was eventually of investments in Canada begin- spending significant dollars to With mounting concerns over lifted and Japan took advice on ning in 1985 with the creation fight these initiatives in Ottawa the future of the North Ameri- restricting the number of vehi- of the CAPTIN (Toyota) wheel and Washington,” according to can auto industry, the US and cles it would ship to Canada, but factory in Delta, BC, followed by auto industry expert Dennis Japan entered into a voluntary in 1983 the federal government the opening of Honda’s factory DesRosiers. “The basic message quota system in 1981 that would released a task force report, in Alliston in 1986 and Toyota to government was that it was curb the number of imports in An Auto Strategy for Canada, in Cambridge in 1988. CAMI, an

10 AutoPLANT June 2018

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 10 2018-06-12 1:08 PM specifically about drop $3.3 billion through 2040, reciprocal market mainly in automotive. Never access and the mind that those cars have Ca- overall net benefit nadian parts – if correct, that’s to Canada’s do- a gap that smart US negotiators mestic automotive could then be seeking to close sector. in NAFTA 2.0 final terms. One In a nutshell, the pocket to another,” Volpe tweet- CPTPP reduces ed. “The net CPTPP auto and Canada’s 6.1% auto parts gain claimed is only import tariff for all $172 million by 2040. Contextu- CPTPP countries ally, the Canadian auto sector to zero over four ships $85 billion in goods annu- years and requires ally. This huge 22-year increase a fully-assembled represents approximately 0.2%. vehicle to have If you account for inflationary 45% regional dynamics, this actually rep- content in order to resents a decline in real dollars.” be considered duty That reinforces the concern free. The content of Mark Nantais, president of CAMI Automotive, a GM-Suzuki partnership, now under GM as CAMI Assembly. PHOTO: CAMI requirements for the Canadian Vehicle Manu- parts will range facturers’ Association, which initial joint venture between Su- tion (MFN) vehicle tariff, which between 35% and 45%. Current represents the Detroit 3. He zuki and GM, opened its plant in Honda and Toyota believed was regional content requirements contends access for automotive Ingersoll in 1989. CAMI Automo- discriminatory to non-members in NAFTA stand at 62.5% for ve- exports from domestic factories tive became a fully owned entity of the Auto Pact. Japan and the hicles and 50% for parts. During to the CPTPP markets has not of General Motors in 2011 and is EU launched a World Trade Or- the current NAFTA renegoti- been materially improved by the now known as CAMI Assembly. ganization (WTO) dispute. ation, the US pushed for even agreement. Since the first Canadian-made, In 2000, the WTO ruled that higher content levels. “Canada’s trade agenda needs Japanese cars rolled off the the Auto Pact was inconsistent Angelo DiCaro, UNIFOR na- to ensure our large manufac- assembly line in 1986, trade with WTO rules and despite an tional representative and trade turers get fair reciprocal access agreements shaped the evolu- appeal by Canada, the federal policy analyst, says it’s a bad to the markets of our trading tion of the industry in Canada. government repealed the agree- deal. “Canada exports virtually partners before we further open Specifically, the Canada-US Free ment in 2001 and instituted a no cars or parts to the Japanese up Canada’s market to compa- Trade Agreement closed the standardized 6.1% import tariff market. In fact, we import $5.5 nies that do not manufacture in Auto Pact to new entrants and for countries outside NAFTA. billion in auto goods from Japan Canada or employ significant omitted Honda and Toyota from each year, while they buy back numbers in Canada,” he says. an annex that would give the au- Trade agreements about $30 million. That means “Otherwise this is a harmful tomakers preferential treatment. Fast-forward to today and trade we sell to Japan in one year one-way street for automakers The 1990s began with a deep is once again dominating the what they sell to us every two who invest billions in Canada.” recession and a market slump agenda. Canada, the US and days. It’s a gross imbalance that Worts says the agreement will cut vehicle imports from Japan Mexico are in midst of a renego- a trade agreement can hardly open doors of opportunity in by 75% – from 295,000 units at tiation of NAFTA and the new help fix – but it certainly can all the CPTPP member states. the peak in 1987 to 70,000 units Comprehensive and Progressive make things worse.” “Importantly, this agreement in 1995. Agreement for Trans-Pacific Part- And that’s also troublesome will also restore a level playing NAFTA was also brought into nership (CPTPP) has domestic for Flavio Volpe, president of the field on vehicle tariffs that are force and the Japanese auto- and Japanese automakers in this Automotive Parts Manufactur- needed as a result of Canada’s makers were concerned with country at odds with each other. ers’ Association, who says that trade agreements reached with the significant increase in the Worts says that NAFTA needs we can’t be in two boats at once. South Korea and Europe. As a content requirement from 50% to be updated and he’s hopeful Volpe has been constantly rais- country that relies on global in the FTA to 62.5%, as well as that the posturing about “tearing ing red flags about the impact on trade, Canada’s focus must be the push by the US auto indus- up” the document is just that. “If NAFTA renegotiations, access to on building bridges, rather than try for “tracing” to account for it did happen, it would be hugely the Japanese market and impact barriers.” the value of all non-originating disruptive and create a period of on the Canadian auto sector. He materials in a traded good. uncertainty that investors would took to Twitter Feb. 20 – the day Jeff Brownlee is the associate PAC was dissolved in 1997 have real difficulty with.” complete text of the agreement publisher of PLANT and Cana- and its official functions were In terms of the CPTPP, it ap- was released – to point out some dianManufacturing.ca. E-mail transferred to JAMA Canada. pears history is repeating itself key challenges in the Canadian jbrownlee@annexbusinessme- One of the main issues it had to as the Japanese manufacturers government’s own economic dia.com. deal with was the Canadian gov- in Canada are welcoming the analysis, published the same day. ernment’s refusal to make any deal while the domestic auto- “The report states that US Comments? changes to its most-favoured na- makers are raising red flags, imports into Canada would now E-mail [email protected].

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 11

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 11 2018-06-12 1:08 PM REAR-VIEW

CAW’s split with the UAW

Before Unifor and the Canadian Auto Workers, unionized automotive workers were represented by the Canadian Region of the United Auto Workers (UAW). The Canadian branch began two years after the UAW (in Chrysler in Canada: 93 years 1935) following a strike at General FCA Canada celebrates its Motors in Oshawa. There were many 93rd anniversary in June. factors leading to CAW’s divorce from It began as The Chrysler the UAW, and one of the biggies was Corp. of Canada Limited the Canadian view that the US union in Windsor, Ont. on June was allowing too many concessions 17, 1925. That was a mere during collective bargaining. Another 11 days after Walter P. factor brings us to today with the Chrysler founded the imperilling of NAFTA and threats of Chrysler Corp. in Detroit. Bob White, CAW’s first president. tariffs on imported autos by the Trump In 1928, the automaker PHOTO: UNIFOR administration. An early America 1933 Dodges on final assembly line at the Windsor added Canada’s Dodge First effort saw the UAW lobbying Passenger Car Assembly Plant. PHOTO: FCA Bros. operations and truck Congress to force the transfer of auto production in Canada to the US. manufacturer Graham By 1985 the split – led by Bob White, Buzz Hargrove and Bob Nickerson – Bros., while establishing the Plymouth and DeSoto divisions. A year later, the was complete. White, who died last year, served as president of the CAW first new assembly facility opened. from 1985 to 1991.

Tracking distance Welcome Nova Scotian Samuel McKeen is to Ford City credited with coming up with Once upon a time the Ford the first version of what would Motor Co. had its own bed- become the modern odometer room community within the in 1854. Gear plates were boundaries of Windsor, Ont., attached to the frame of a where it had a big plant. Ford carriage and connected to a had formed a partnership with pinion on the wheel that mea- the Walkerville Wagon Works sured the number of revolutions. in 1904 to bypass tariffs Ford Motor of Canada plant in Ford, 1920. But there have been many by sending up incomplete other attempts to measure Modern odometer. PHOTO: FOTOLIA vehicles and parts from the US. Employees on the Canadian side of the border turned distance travelled going back them into finished automobiles for the domestic market. In the first year, 17 employees to at least 15 BC. Roman architect Vitruvious describes a large assembled 117 cars. By 1910, the Ford Motor Co. of Canada moved to an even bigger wheel mounted on a small frame like a wheelbarrow that dropped facility within Ford City (or just “Ford”) and eventually expanded its operations over a pebble into a container for each revolution. Probably not too hundreds of acres. By 1913, the community was incorporated as a village and the auto- practical for chariots and long distances, what with the number maker had 1,400 people on the payroll earning $4 and hour, based on a 48-hour week. of pebbles required, and all that manual counting… Ford (the municipality) attained town status in 1915, but ironically never made it to city status. In 1929 it became East Windsor.

Quebec’s GM connection General Motors Canada once had a footprint that extended beyond Ontario. It opened a plant in St. Therese, Que., a suburb of Montreal, in 1965 where it produced a range of different models starting with the full-size 1966 Chevrolet Biscayne. A number of GM’s lacklustre models chugged along the assembly line, such as the Chevrolet Vega, as well as some notable anchor brands such as the Olds Cutlass, but the coolest cars were the sporty F-body Pontiac Firebird and Chevy Cama- ro (1993 to 2002). There was some labour trouble in 1970 when employees rightly demanded more French (their labour contract was written in English). And closure was threatened in the mid-1980s because of high absenteeism and work quality issues. GM relented, expanding and modernizing the plant, helped along by a low-interest government loan, a labour deal and improved quality. But by 2002 the plant was operating well under its annual 250,000-vehicle capacity (40,000) and was closed. The site is now commercial-residential. 1976 Chevrolet Vega hatchback. PHOTO: VEGAAIRBOB

12 AutoPLANT June 2018

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 12 2018-06-12 1:08 PM ASSEMBLY

A new vibration-proof system from KUKA targets zero maintenance.

BY ALYSSA DALTON

s the saying goes, good things come to those who A wait, but in this case, it looks like good things also come to those who are the first in line. Almost three years ago, Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s (FCA’s) Windsor, Ont. assembly plant signed up to be the launch customer for a new body shop transfer system, embracing a new technology from robotics innovator KUKA Systems that KS Pulse moves vehicle body sections through robotic work cells. PHOTO: FCA promises to be 30% faster than conventional friction-based it’s 100% potted, it’s filled with transfer systems. resin so there are no moving Developed and patented in FCA‘s faster parts.” the US, KS PULSE (Propulsion A PULSE line switches among Using Linear Synchronous up to four distinct model varia- Energy) is a body shop transfer tions, and he notes its flexible de- system that moves car and truck sign means it costs “much less” body sections from robotic to add a second model-handling workstation to workstation as PULSE capability than it would with they are built. It generates an conventional transfer systems. electromagnetic force to propel BODY SHOP TRANSFER “All you have to do is shoot in the dedicated carriers or pallets risers and then you bring in the along a rail between worksta- IMPROVES PRODUCTION rail and set it on top. Each one of tions, designed specifically for those has six plugs, and because automated assembly lines in and through programming, “they the rail. The reason for that is of the configuration file, once you body-in-white production lines all act like one motor,” says Lau- the ferrous material inside the get that loaded, it’s basically just where the task performed in rence. “No matter what system motor blocks and then there is turning the system on. No tuning each station is between 30 to 60 we need to build for a customer, magnet on the chassis. There are has to be done.” seconds, says Kevin Laurence, we have all the Lego blocks in 1,700 pounds of attracted force Depending on the applica- who came up with the original our toolbox for the track.” that pull those magnets into the tion, there’s a choice between a technology concept. Today The system is friction-free and motors, so you need to maintain carrier or pallet version. Both Laurence is director in charge completely vibration-proof. As a the 12-millimetre gap, otherwise systems use the same spare of PULSE products and develop- result, Laurence says there are it gets stuck to the track. The parts, keeping the inventory as ment at KUKA North America in no moving parts to be serviced rollers that maintain the gap small as possible, which “makes Sterling Heights, Mich. and zero maintenance needs to are the only moving part,” he the lifecycle cost very attrac- The system deploys through- be done. The solid-state linear explains. tive,” says Laurence. out the entire body shop, motors mean the PULSE line has FCA Windsor, which employs eliminating the need for multiple fewer wear components, such as Carrier or pallet versions more than 6,000 people, produc- systems through the facility. “It sensors, connectors and cables PULSE also incorporates turn- es the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrys- can be adapted to all body man- that can fail, which improves the tables, cross transfers, elevators ler Pacifica Hybrid and Dodge ufacturing processes, and en- overall productivity of a body and both high- and low-speed Grand Caravan. Since installing gineered to fit atypical building shop by preventing unscheduled rails. the carrier version of the PULSE dimensions, like low ceilings,” downtime. Having no moving Everything is sized for 15 system, Windsor’s body shop Laurence says. parts to generate thrust elimi- years. Laurence says the motors production has increased. The Linear synchronous motors nates the need to store hundreds are 100% potted and “based on system was integrated into the in the rail and magnets on the of spares. our duty cycle, it’s about 130 line where the inner and outer chassis — provided by Mag- “We could run this with no years. None of us will ever be body side panels are “married.” neMotion, a developer of modu- wheels. We could put a piece of able to prove that, but it makes PULSE helped increase the lar conveyor systems — form the UHMW — which is basically a perfect sense if you think about transfer speed while reducing core of the system. After placing linear bearing without the roller it. It’s an electronic board with downtime caused by the previ- the ‘bricks’ next to each other balls – and it would slide on some copper coils, and because ous chain-driven system.

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 13

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 13 2018-06-12 1:08 PM Sponsored Content

Rittal Cooling Systems: ‘Built Ford Tough’ to outlast! Don’t sweat it! Rittal Climate Solutions Ford Motors speeds up huge cost & energy savings after efficiency check of cooling units! keep your electrical components cool! ologne’s Ford engine plant shut down a number of times in one year due to defective cooling units. As a result, Ford immediately Caccepted Rittal’s offer to carry out a manufacturer-independent inventory of all the cooling units and to identify potential energy sav- Our new-gen Blue e+ cooling ings. The analysis by Rittal’s service specialists showed the urgent need to repair and replace 11% of the cooling units installed. In addition, Rittal units offer: drew up a comprehensive energy efficiency calculation, which resulted in savings of more than half a million euros within 10 years, with a payback period of just 2.4 years for the investment in the new cooling units. Efficiency – Up to 75% energy “ Rittal’s inspection revealed significant Over 220 cooling units from different manufacturers put to the test savings potentials for our plant.” savings The Rittal technicians checked the maintenance status of more than 220 Helmar Bencker, Plant Engineering & En- cooling units at the Cologne Ford factory, relating to both Rittal climate vironment Manager at Ford in Cologne control units, as well as third-party equipment. They checked the cooling Versatility – Multi-voltage unit components for dirt accumulation, damage and bearing noise. Then they drew up a maintenance checklist and made a number of improve- capability and cUL certification ment suggestions. Analysis showed that of the 220 enclosure cooling units installed, 25 were defective and needed to be repaired or replaced. The majority of these systems were competitor products with an average User Friendly – Touch screen age of just five years. interface, NFC control, optional Impressed by practical tests with Rittal Blue e+ cooling units IoT interface Parallel to the service check, the Rittal team set up a practice-oriented test facility at the engine plant. From July 2016 onwards, the 2.6-kilowatt Rittal Blue e+ cooling unit was compared with a 2.5-kilowatt cooling unit from a competitor. Initial findings show that the Blue e+ unit offers energy Need more information? savings of 88.9% compared to the third-party system. Contact [email protected] Or visit: www.rittal.ca/climatecontrol Manufacturing plant’s maintenance manager impressed by results Based on the data collected, Rittal compiled a comprehensive efficiency calculation for the Ford plant in Cologne.

Replacing 150 cooling units by Rittal “Blue e” and “Blue e+” systems would make it possible to achieve savings of more than CAD 860,000 and 276.3 tons of CO2 over a useful life of ten years. Deducting the investment sum Stay tuned for our would result in a brief payback period of just 2.42 years, clearly less than Summer Cooling Promo: the 3.5 years required. May 1 – Aug 31 Its efficient products and consulting service have helped Rittal to get closer to being included in the technical delivery specification again with its cooling units. This represents a major endorsement for the Rit- tal service team and their new consulting services.

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PLT_April_RittalRighthand.inddAutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 114-1514 2018-04-062018-06-12 10:48 1:08 PMAM 2018-06-07 2:44 PM Sponsored Content

1-800-399-0748 | www.rittal.ca/climatecontrol Download Rittal’s new Climate Control Handbook: www.rittal.ca/climatecontrol Contact [email protected] or visit rittal.ca for more information.

PLT_April_RittalRighthand.inddAutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 114-15 2018-04-06 10:48 AM AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 15 2018-06-072018-06-12 2:441:08 PM “It brings a part in and drops of 150,000 vehicles, the plant ter 1.2 million test cycles, it was ment – fewer stations, robots, down to traditional tooling. We will produce a range of all-new officially launched in 2015. fixtures, weld guns and other didn’t upset how our customer aluminum JLR vehicles. The first “There is about $6.5 million components. likes to build cars, just because cars are scheduled to come off dollars worth of equipment in “We knew this [would be] new we’re transferring it with PULSE the line late this year. the test lab. We made sure what technology and everybody is go- technology,” says Laurence, de- we’re selling is actually going to ing to be afraid of it, so it [has] scribing the project in Windsor. Customer approach work. Every component is repre- to be way better in every aspect The installation was part of “There have been many leaps in sented in a body shop.” of the job,” Laurence says. an extensive multi-billion-dol- manufacturing history, such as The test lab duplicates the ex- He likens the body shop to a lar overhaul to transform the assembly lines, automated ma- act framer that operates KUKA chain. “If one link breaks, the Windsor body shop into a state- chines, robotics, digital control,” Toledo Production Operations whole body shop is down.” of-the-art facility — more than says Laurence. “In KUKA’s opin- (KTPO). Located in Toledo, Thanks to Laurence and his 80% of the equipment is new or ion, PULSE is the next big leap. Ohio, KTPO builds the body- team, PULSE ensures the links has been modified. Success with It’s faster, safer, uses less elec- in-white of all Jeep Wranglers of the chain are strong. the Windsor line installation trical power, requires minimal sold worldwide and in August prompted Fiat Chrysler to order maintenance, is more reliable 2017, surpassed its two-millionth This article was original- another installation as part of with hardly any downtime, and production milestone. ly published in the October the retooling at the Sterling requires a fraction of the spare A PULSE line is to be installed 2017 issue of Manufacturing Heights plant where the next parts traditional systems need.” during the KTPO plant make- Automation. Alyssa Dalton is generation of RAM 1500 light PULSE was the result of a over this year. the editor of Print Action and trucks is to be built. customer approaching KUKA. PULSE makes a 22-foot move- former editor of Manufactur- Meanwhile, Jaguar Land Rover Laurence and his team began ment of a 1,500-pound payload ing Automation magazine, an has selected PULSE to be its developing the technology as an between two consecutive sta- Annex Business Media publica- main transfer system at its new in-house research and develop- tions in 3.2 seconds, an improve- tion. E-mail adalton@annex- 300,000 square-metre plant in ment project at the 2007 KUKA ment of up to five seconds over businessmedia.com. Nitra, Slovakia, becoming the Toolbox global summit. legacy transfer systems. The first in Europe to implement the In 2013, PULSE entered the savings in time means there can Comments? system. With an annual capacity laboratory testing phase, and af- be a reduction of process equip- E-mail [email protected].

16 AutoPLANT June 2018 PLT_April_Gorbel.indd 1 2018-04-04 8:50 AM

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 16 2018-06-12 1:08 PM SUSTAINABILITY

A rendering of the General Motors co-generation plant in St. Catharines, Ont. PHOTO: GM

The automaker’s facilities and facilitates the creation of in Oshawa are now 100% high-quality jobs.” Garbage to It’s IGRS’s role to collect gas landfill free. from the Walker Environmen- tal Group’s landfill in Thorold, BY ANNETTE MCLEOD Ont. using a series of drilled wells, then clean and deliver it eneral Motors of Canada to the GM plant via a dedicated has added to its green ENERGY pipeline now under construc- G credentials. In February tion. The engines and generators the automaker announced its GM TO TAP LANDFILL GAS are new and will be located in Oshawa Assembly plant and an existing building that’s being Canadian Technical Centre FOR CO-GENERATION POWER refurbished. Oshawa Campus are now 100% On its side of the pipeline, landfill-free, which makes 142 ford Proving Ground data centre The St. Catharines co-gener- GM will deploy a 6.4-megawatt global GM facilities that meet offices; the batteries are collect- ation project is a partnership co-generation plant that will the criteria – more than any ed from out-of-service vehicles among GM, Alectra Utilities, contribute to its 2020 emis- other auto manufacturer. and recertified for continued Integrated Gas Recovery Ser- sions reduction targets. When The addition of Oshawa As- use. Yates says up to 80% of their vices (IGRS) and the TargetGHG implanted early next year, the sembly means GM diverts 100% storage capacity remains even program funded by the Ministry facility will reduce direct GHG of the waste from its Canadian after the vehicles have been of Research, Innovation and Sci- emissions by 5,153 tonnes annu- manufacturing facilities. St. retired, helping to contribute to ence, which is administered by ally, contributing to the prov- Catharines Propulsion and a “circular economy.” Ontario Centres of Excellence. ince’s broader goal of reducing CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll, As another part of its commit- The Ontario-funded not-for-prof- emissions below 1990 levels 15% Ont. have been landfill-free since ment to sustainability, the com- it OCE connects entrepreneurs, by 2020, 37% by 2030 and 80% by 2008 and 2014, respectively. pany announced in December academics and investors to 2050. “Success is achieved when “Solar, wind and landfill gas plans to reduce more than 75% commercial innovation. the St. Catharines Propulsion are the key sources of renewable of the greenhouse gas emissions Plant is generating 32% of its energy that underpin GM’s glob- from its St. Catharines Propul- Accelerating innovation electricity needs from a renew- al efforts to achieve RE100 by sion Plant by capturing landfill “The project is key to the Ontario able fuel and reducing plant 2050,” says Doug Yates, GM Can- gas to generate electricity and government’s ‘cap and invest’ greenhouse gas emissions by ada’s director of environment recovering thermal energy to program and aligns with OCE’s 77%,” Yates says. and energy. “GM Canada and the provide power and heat. Steve core mandate of accelerating The co-gen project would be St. Catharines Propulsion Plant Carlisle, former president and innovation,” says Martin Vroegh, the province’s “first complete are proud to contribute to GM’s manufacturing director of OCE’s senior director, green- renewable landfill gas industrial vision of reduced greenhouse GM Canada (now heading the house gas reduction technology. co-generation system that deliv- gas (GHG) emissions via sus- Cadillac Group in the US) said “The innovative use of landfill ers renewable landfill gas from tainable manufacturing.” in a release cutting greenhouse gas being cleaned, transported, an offsite source and distributes He calls the drive towards a gases from transporting and and utilized for electricity gener- it via a dedicated pipeline to a complete reliance on renewable landfilling waste and in the ation and heat production for the co-generation plant located at a energy a “perfect complement” supply chain roughly offset the manufacture of goods demon- large industrial facility,” accord- to their electric vehicle strategy. total cost of greenhouse gas strates sustainable manufacturing to GM. That’s a lot of mod- Used Chevrolet Volt batteries emissions from its manufacturing and reduces GHG emissions, ifiers, but it doesn’t diminish are already powering GM’s Mil- ing operations. which drives competitiveness the project’s significance at the

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 17

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 17 2018-06-12 1:08 PM vanguard of what could become by displacing fossil fuel use of the chemical engineering and While the specific tech- a mainstream process. directly from their existing applied chemistry department at nologies differ, he says such “While the co-location of a pipelines.” the University of Toronto. “The co-generation projects take the manufacturing facility and a more we value reducing our car- combustible methane, send it landfill have created a unique Anaerobic digestion bon footprint, the more common to a boiler to make steam, and synergy, using landfill gas to More companies and munic- it will become.” then make electricity through a offset fossil fuel use will be ipalities are looking at trying Allen says landfills naturally turbine, or they send it directly seen to be more prevalent going to use some form of anaerobic generate methane through the to the turbine. “Basically, if you forward,” Vroegh says. “We are digestion – a biological conver- anaerobic digestion. “One option have methane, it’s just natural seeing many new gas-to-pipeline sion of organic material to make is to just allow the methane gas,” he says. “As you can take projects, which opens up addi- methane – and then turn that into to go into the atmosphere but natural gas and make electricity tional manufacturing facilities electricity and residual heat, says methane is even worse than C02 from it, you can take the stuff to reducing their GHG footprint Grant Allen, professor and chair as a greenhouse gas,” he says. that comes out of a landfill.” One challenge is that landfill gas is not as clean as the natural gas that comes from a pipeline, so it may require some cleaning. Once the methane has been drawn off, and the high-pressure steam put into the turbine to LEAKChecker generate electricity, what’s left after the steam has condensed is still hot, and that residual heat can be used to offset buildings’ heating requirements. Naturally, it’s common in co-generation processes to try to use as much of the energy generated as possible. “You can take the methane and turn it LUBEChecker into heat, but it’s much better if you can turn some of it into electricity,” he says. Such projects are already impacting the way we think about landfills. Allen suspects con- temporary landfill designers are FOCUSED. SIMPLE. AFFORDABLE. asking themselves how they can build in some of the processes Ultrasound detectors for every application and budget for collecting methane. “When we first started landfilling stuff, people weren’t thinking about capturing the gas,” he notes. We won’t see backyard methane-capturing devices attached to our compost heaps – they just TRAPChecker don’t generate enough gas. But Allan predicts technologies built into the landfills of the future will help bring costs down for small and medium-sized companies that lack GM’s considerable sdtultrasound.com/checkers resources.

Annette McLeod is a Toron- to-based freelance journalist. Visit www.nettiewrites.ca or TIGHTChecker e-mail annettemcleod@rogers. com.

Comments? E-mail [email protected].

18 AutoPLANT June 2018 PLT_March_SDT.indd 1 2018-03-09 10:16 AM

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 18 2018-06-12 1:08 PM LAW

How decriminalizing a non-unionized workplace marijuana will impact where: an employee works in a safety-sensitive position in a management strategies. dangerous work environment; and there’s an alcohol abuse BY LISA BOLTON problem in that workplace. Post-incident and reason- he Trudeau government has able cause testing. If, after a committed to passing and significant workplace accident T implementing the Cannabis or near miss, there’s a reason- Act (Bill C 45) year. In addition able basis to suspect impairment to making recreational use of as a factor, an employer may the drug legal, the legislation require testing of those involved. will regulate marijuana produc- Similarly, if an employee whose tion, distribution and retail sale. actions suggest impairment Legalization of cannabis com- (slurred speech and/or the smell pounds concerns many employ- of marijuana), an employer may ers already have about medici- Decriminalized pot, federal target July 1. PHOTO: FOTOLIA wish to test. In both of these nal marijuana in the workplace, contexts testing is generally per- particularly in hazardous and missible provided the employee safety sensitive environments. works in a safety-sensitive Relying on testing to address Workplace position and the workplace has workplace drug use or impair- appropriate policies in place ment may seem appealing; identifying the circumstances in however, it’s currently permitted which testing may occur. only in limited circumstances Return to work testing. It’s and, depending on the methods DRUG USE typically part of a return to work used, results may not be consid- program or a condition of a last ered reliable. LEGALIZED POT A BUZZ-KILLER chance agreement stipulating a Drug testing’s primary pur- positive test result will result in pose is to indicate the pres- FOR EMPLOYERS termination. Ongoing testing for ence and extent of on-the-job monitoring purposes may also impairment. Historically, courts reliability of oral fluid testing assess its reliability for roadside be an appropriate requirement and arbitrators have taken a to measure recent drug use and applications. for an employee returning to cautious approach to permitting impairment. The court also Although advances are being work from drug dependency testing. Methods were not able accepted that obtaining fluid made to improve testing reli- treatment. to measure current impairment via mouth swab for testing was ability and minimize privacy Special considerations apply due to the long period of time less invasive than more tradi- concerns, it remains to be seen when marijuana is used to treat some drugs take to metabolize. tional testing of blood or urine whether oral fluid testing will a disabling medical condition However, a recent Ontar- samples. Several Canadian gain widespread acceptance by such as epilepsy, chronic pain or io Divisional Court decision police forces implemented oral other courts and adjudicators. post-traumatic stress disor- favourably commented on the swab testing as a pilot study to der. Human rights legislation Duty to accommodate requires an employee to be When can an employer test? Note accommodated unless it would Prepare for legalized pot the following: result in undue hardship for nsure drug and alcohol policy is broad enough to address impairment from Pre-employment and the employer. This may mean E prescription, illegal and legal recreational drugs. A minimum policy should: pre-access testing. Canadian permitting an employee to use • Prohibit an employee in a safety-sensitive position from working while courts and arbitrators have marijuana during working hours impaired. typically held this type of testing if it’s medically required (subject • Require an employee to disclose information about any drug use that may is not permitted because it nei- to safety considerations). impair safe work performance, including proactive disclosure of drug use ther demonstrates impairment However, an employer may by an employee with a dependency. at work (testing occurs before implement rules regarding the • Obtain information regarding the use of impairing drugs in a way that work begins); nor predicts fu- use of medical marijuana, so respects privacy and encourages compliance. ture impairment. long as appropriate accommo- • Set out a process for obtaining additional medical information to facilitate Random testing. It’s only dation is provided. This may accommodation. permitted in rare circumstanc- include exploring alternatives • Ensure the employee (and union, if applicable) participates in the accommo- es. An employer must demon- to smoking (such as ingesting dation process. strate a unionized workplace is marijuana) or requiring the em- • Identify appropriate restrictions on the use of marijuana. dangerous and there’s evidence ployee to smoke in a designated • Identify consequences in the event of a breach of the policy (discipline and of an ongoing drug problem. area during scheduled breaks termination). Canadian courts have permit- or meal periods; and restricting ted random alcohol testing in the employee from smoking

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 19

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 19 2018-06-12 1:08 PM while in uniform, in public view, and safety of workers. This case of a safety-sensitive posi- dependency and use. in a company vehicle, or in the includes identifying hazards that tion, this may mean considering In a recent Supreme Court vicinity of others who may come may result from an employee whether the employee can be of Canada decision, the court into contact with the smoke or working while under the influ- reassigned to a non-safety-sensi- found an employer did not dis- lingering odour. ence of medical marijuana. tive position. criminate against a truck driver Accommodation does not Drug dependency can be a when it terminated his employ- mean allowing an employee to Duty to accommodate disability triggering the duty to ment following a positive drug carry out his or her duties while Bottom line: an employer must accommodate. To evaluate the test administered in response impaired. Under Ontario’s Occu- consider health and safety when need for accommodation and ad- to a workplace accident. The pational Health and Safety Act assessing possible accommo- dress any potential safety risks, employer’s policy required em- (OHSA), an employer has an ob- dation options for an employee an employer may implement ployees to proactively disclose ligation to take every reasonable who uses medical marijuana for a policy requiring proactive drug or alcohol dependency precaution to protect the health treatment of a disability. In the disclosure of drug or alcohol without fear of discipline or termination, with the promise of rehabilitation assistance. How- ever, the policy stated if disclosure occurred after an incident and positive test, the employee would not be protected from discipline or termination. The employee, who advised of his drug dependency and use only after the accident, was terminated for failing to comply with the disclosure requirement in the policy. The Supreme Court of Canada upheld the dismissal, finding the employee’s addic- tion did not prevent or shield him from complying with the BAD employer’s policy. While each situation must be assessed on its own facts, this decision is welcome news for employers that may wish to MOVE. require proactive disclosure of drug or alcohol use as a means of reducing the potential for workplace accidents. If passed, the Cannabis Act’s GOOD removal of incidental marijuana consumption and possession from the Criminal Code will present challenges for employers. Manufacturers should MOVE. prepare by updating management controls that cover policy, accommodation, discipline and discharge.

Lisa Bolton is a lawyer with Sherrard Kuzz LLP, an employment and labour law firm representing management. E-mail mbadrov@sherrardkuzz.com. Call (416) 603-6958, Up to 75% more tensile strength and 30% higher transmittable force. (416) 603-0700 (main) or (416) 420-0738 (24 hour). Visit move-series www.sherrardkuzz.com. The New Generation of Timing Belts www.brecoflex.com Comments? E-mail [email protected].

20 AutoPLANT June 2018 PLT_June_BrecoFlex.indd 1 2018-05-02 11:33 AM

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 20 2018-06-12 1:08 PM INDUSTRY 4.0

Defects are spotted and fixed before vehicles roll off the assembly line.

BY MICHAEL MARTIN

s we move into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or A Industry 4.0, some consider automation to be a recent phe- nomenon. It’s not. Take the automotive industry: long before the internet or computers, Henry Ford realized if cars were going to replace the horse and buggy and change the way we travel, he had to find a faster way to build them. As a result, he created the assembly line, which automated many of the tasks. Testing and diagnostics on the production line. PHOTO: FOTOLIA This revolutionized the auto industry, and manufacturing. Processes were mostly manual, As cars rolled down a 140- with even the critical quality foot line, assembly went from Quality in real assurance stage executed as a 12 hours to 93 minutes. More stand-alone task on the line. importantly, automating the We’ve all heard of “Friday process lowered the price of afternoon” or “Monday morning” the Model T from $850 (about vehicles, which refer to the hit $21,000 today) to just $260 or miss human element, with ($3,500). Ford had created an misses often not being caught inventory and a price point that until after the car is built. the masses could afford. TIME Automotive manufacturers Quality in real time now face realities Henry Ford HOW IIOT IS CHANGING IIoT is increasingly used to im- never had to contemplate. Com- prove the manufacturing process. panies using advanced technol- AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION Instead of building, then check- ogies such as artificial intelli- ing afterward, manufacturers are gence (AI) and the Industrial costs while improving other an option. testing in real time as the vehicle Internet of Things (IIoT) are factors such as efficiency, prod- Until recently, manufacturers moves along the assembly line to driving unprecedented changes uct quality and time-to-market. applied an assembly line model immediately detect, identify and within the automotive industry. Under these conditions technol- to production. In auto plants, ve- correct defects. Machine-embed- New operating models involve ogy is expected to do more and hicles were built using the same ded IIoT sensors check quality connected systems that reduce always work – downtime is not design and manufacturing plans. assurance (QA), monitoring

INSTRUMENTS This improves the efficiency of the machinery and reduces maintenance costs. Monitoring market is growing Vibration monitoring will account for the biggest segment. Widely used for predictive maintenance, it’s capable of detect- Driven by advances in wireless tech, IIoT ing a fault before any repair at an early stage and identifying he global equipment monitoring market is growing, driven by its precise location. Research and Markets says decreasing T advances in wireless technology and declining costs of IoT prices of sensors and wireless systems have made it the most components, according to a study by a Dublin research firm. preferred technique. Research and Markets forecasts 6.7% growth over the next Of the processes, online will command. Widely used in five years from US$3.23 billion to $4.47 billion. 24-hour production environments, online processes provide Cloud-based solutions with real-time functions, IIoT and big real-time data to plant operators, an advantage over portable data analytics will drive the growth. equipment monitoring. Monitoring of vibration, thermal, motor current, alarm and For deployment, on-premise will lead market share. These Smart phone used to monitor GPS are key to production. Equipment monitoring ensures un- monitoring solutions collect accurate data in real time, with machinery. PHOTO: FOTOLIA interrupted operations of machinery with minimized downtime. sufficient lead-time to resolve incipient faults.

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 21

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 21 2018-06-12 1:08 PM machinery for weakness, and line. Unlike 20 years ago when longer build lemons. better understanding of the var- enabling it to fix itself. QA would focus on the engine, As plants with their sprawling, ious factors that impact produc- One major car manufacturer the transmission and other ma- complex systems and equipment tivity, drive up costs and impede is now performing all its testing jor components, manufacturers become instrumented through time to market. along the assembly line before now check systems not imag- the IIoT, AI and data analytics But as IIoT advances, cyber the body is even on the chassis. ined years ago. Are the seats provide deeper insight into the crime becomes a growing threat Today’s cars have dozens of heating and cooling as they data generated on the factory to businesses. All connected built-in CPUs used to monitor should? Do brake-activated seat- floor. systems are vulnerable to at- and control vehicle functions, belts actually work? With IIoT, tacks. Most of the valuable data but they’re also used to test computers are always talking IIoT advances generated from IIoT devices processes during production. As to each other to ensure all parts This insight is improving reliabili- appeals to hackers who want to vehicles become more complex, work seamlessly and exactly ty, quality, safety, and equipment make money from the informa- value is added to the bottom as designed. Manufacturers no performance, while leading to a tion, wreak havoc, or worse. Manufacturers are suscepti- ble to industrial and economic espionage as hackers attempt to steal intellectual property and internal operational information. Consequences include financial loss because of lower productivity to dangerous work conditions. As cyber criminals adopt AI, OEMs will have to keep pace and use it to defend their vehicles from attack. It’s not just cars and trucks – the end-to-end vehicle ecosystem must be protected at every stage and with a dynamic response that escalates as the threats advance. While the threats are real, technology companies are developing cybersecurity solutions that keep pace with IIoT and connected devices. To prevent breaches, systems must be designed to embed security as technology is developed and deployed. This approach is spreading as automotive companies are required to comply with rigorous security regulations. Connected technology is expected to mesh into virtually every industry ecosystem. Even so, IIoT is still evolving. Manu- facturers at the beginning of an IIoT journey should not consider this an all or nothing model. It takes time to transition to newer systems. A thoughtful and systematic approach will drive valuable results.

Michael Martin is the Inter- net of Things lead executive for Network Services at IBM Canada.

Comments? E-mail [email protected].

22 AutoPLANT June 2018 PLT_April_RotoPrecision.indd 1 2018-04-04 9:02 AM

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 22 2018-06-12 1:08 PM CCOHS SAFETY TIPS

How loud is your plant? exposure time within accept- Conduct an assessment able limits. Workers should wear appropri- or employee survey to ate personal hearing protection identify sources, gauge such as earmuffs or plugs, but noise level, and who is only as an interim measure until noise is controlled at the source. exposed. If monitoring noise levels are at an action level or above the ndustrial noise is more than legislated limit, develop and just annoying and disrup- implement a hearing conser- Itive – it can cause permanent vation program. Eight jurisdic- hearing damage. tions specifically require such Exposure limits measured a program when noise exceeds in decibels (dB) vary across the occupational exposure Canada. In most jurisdictions, limit (BC, Newfoundland and the limit is 85 dBA, but federally Labrador, PEI and federal juris- it’s 87 dBA, and 90 dBA in Que- dictions), 85 dBA (Northwest bec. Yet even without technical Territories, Nunavut, Saskatch- measurements there are certain ewan) or when there is excess signs that determine if there’s a noise (Alberta). noise problem in a plant: The hearing conservation • Must voices be raised to be program includes a policy and heard? procedure. The CSA Standard • After a shift, are ears ringing, Z1007 Hearing Loss Prevention and do people find they need Program Management recom- to play car radios louder than mends the following hearing on the way to work? Hearing protection is one way to protect workers from industrial noise. PHOTO: FOTOLIA conservation elements: • After a few years, do employ- • Hazard identification and ees find it hard to understand exposure monitoring conversations at parties, • Control methods (using the restaurants or other crowded Turn down the hierarchy of controls) places? • Hearing protection devices Hearing issues include tin- (selection, use, and mainte- nitus (a ringing or buzzing in nance) the ear) or temporary hearing • Audiometric testing loss that may improve over time • Hazard communication, edu- in a quiet place, or permanent VOLUME cation, and training hearing loss. • Recordkeeping Permanent loss may occur HOW INDUSTRIAL NOISE • Continuous monitoring and in a person exposed to noise improvement often, for long periods or at high AFFECTS WORKER HEALTH All employers have a duty to frequencies. Noise-induced per- provide a safe work environment manent hearing loss worsens as pinpoint, researchers believe hierarchy of controls. Where and take all reasonable precau- long as the exposure continues. it may act as a general stressor possible, eliminate the source of tions to do so. Controlling noise Initially, it’s most pronounced that causes symptoms unrelated the noise. is key to preventing work-related at a frequency of 4,000 Hz, but to hearing, such as high blood The next best option is to hearing loss. spreads across other frequencies pressure, or changes to heart control noise at its source by over time and as the noise level rate. A noisy environment also lowering it to acceptable levels The Canadian Centre for increases. However, sometimes, affects how a worker breathes with engineering controls. Occupational Health and just one short burst of extremely and sleeps, and generally has a They substitute or modify the Safety (CCOHS) in Hamil- loud noise (such as a gunshot) negative impact on physical and noise source or workplace envi- ton contributed this article. can cause acoustic trauma that mental health. ronment by enclosing the noise CCOHS provides information, damages hearing. source, adding acoustic sound- training, education, manage- Other factors that affect Use controls proofing and using mufflers on ment systems and solutions hearing include vibration, the How noisy is your plant? Con- equipment. that support health and safety worker’s age, certain medica- duct an assessment or survey to Administrative controls and programs and the prevention of tions and diseases, and expo- determine the sources and the the use of appropriate personal injury and illness in the work- sure to ototoxic chemicals, such amount of noise, who is exposed, hearing protection also help. place. Visit www.ccohs.ca. as toluene and carbon disulfide. and for how long. They involve rotating work Noise also has other health The most obvious and schedules, or changing produc- Comments? effects. Though difficult to effective solution is to use the tion schedules to keep noise E-mail [email protected].

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 23

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 23 2018-06-12 1:08 PM CLEAN TECH

FleetCarma study tallies 18,560 electrified models sold last year, up 68% over 2016.

he rapid rise of electric vehicles on Canadian streets hit T a new benchmark in 2017 as drivers traded in their gas and diesel cars for EVs and automakers injected new electrified models into the fast-growing market. Canadian EV sales topped out at a record 18,560 last year, increasing 68% over their 2016 vehicle tally of 11,023, according to a FleetCarma report released in February. The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV recharging. PHOTO: GM The study included sales of both plug-in hybrids and battery Meanwhile, EVs were not the electric vehicles. only winners in the Canadian The fleet management and 2017 jump in automotive market last year. telematics firm based in Water- Vehicle sales hit an all-time high loo, Ont. shows sales acceler- of just over 2 million, according ating across the country, with to automotive consultancy Des- Ontario emerging as the largest Rosiers Automotive Consultants buyer, wresting the title from in Richmond Hill, Ont. – a fifth- Quebec for the first time. Ontar- EV SALES straight year of record sales. ians purchased 7,477 EVs last Dealerships moving light year, a 120% increase over 2016. MORE CANADIANS CHOOSE trucks – a category that in- Sales in Canada’s three other cludes SUVs – fuelled the over- significant markets also picked ELECTRIC VEHICLES all sales increase. Light truck last year, increasing 44% in sales increased 8.7% to nearly Quebec, 53% in BC and 26% in electrics last year. Canadians with 4,340 vehicles sold in 2017. 1.4 million vehicles in 2017 as Alberta. Greater availability of purchased more than 2,000 passenger cars sales declined charging stations coast to coast Chevrolet Bolts from January Battery traction 3.4% to about 640,000 vehicles. and improving economics of to December, eclipsing sales of While the Canadian market was Electric technology is steadily electrics are two factors playing Tesla’s Model X (1,806), Tesla once dominated by plug-in hy- taking hold, but still makes up a a major role in the maturing Model S (1,675) and Nissan’s brids, last year battery electrics fraction of the overall Canadian market. Leaf (1,380). gained significant traction with car market. EV sales accounted A new vehicle also took over The Chevy Volt continues to sales growth of 92%, compared for slightly less than 1% of all the top sales spot for battery top the Canadian hybrid market to 48% for hybrids. vehicle sales. The segment was expected to Chevrolet Bolt: hit another milestone by the end of February when FleetCarma Canada’s Green Car of the year projected electric vehicles on he Chevrolet Bolt is the Overall Winner of the 2018 Canadian Canadian roads were to acceler- TGreen Car Award. This marks the third consecutive win for ate past 50,000. General Motors following the program’s 2017 and 2016 awards. Read a complete breakdown The Bolt EV, winner of this year’s Zero Emission category, of the study at www.fleet- was selected by a panel of Canadian automotive journalists from carma.com/electric-vehi- among six category winners as the vehicle that best combines cle-sales-canada-2017. environmental benefits and mass-market appeal. The independent Canadian Green Car Awards recognizes This article was contributed vehicles, widely available in Canada, that combine impressive by CanadianManufacturing. environmental attributes with strong mass-market appeal. ca, an Annex Business Media Assessment criteria include fuel consumption, emissions and Ester Bucci (centre), a GM advertising and communi- online news channel. price, as well as the judges’ evaluations of performance, driving cations manager, accepts the 2018 Green Car Award on experience, value, features and “green” qualities. behalf of Chevrolet. PHOTO: GM Comments? E-mail [email protected].

24 AutoPLANT June 2018

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 24 2018-06-12 1:08 PM SUPPLIERS

Canada’s biggest automotive supplier extends its reach in the global auto industry.

BY PLANT STAFF

here’s nothing like the satis- fying “Fumph” of a car door T closing. Two things drivers look for are the feel of a car’s door opening and closing, and the quiet- ness of the cabin. Door modules for the Magna International has de- Chinese market. veloped a door latch to address PHOTO: MAGNA both concerns and has secured its first production contract to supply its new Comfort+ latch to an unnamed European auto- Expanding in China maker. Magna’s latest Magna has also been busy The latch mechanics turn slid- expanding its reach in the ing friction into rolling friction, Chinese market. It has part- which the Aurora, Ont.-based nered with Beijing Hainachuan auto parts and components sup- Automotive Parts Co. Ltd. plier says significantly reduces (BHAP) to supply an unnamed the efforts required to open MOVES German OEM in China with and close a car door by 40% door modules. to 60%. With reduced opening NEW PLANTS, TECHNOLOGY Their joint venture will build and closing efforts, automakers a new plant in Beijing with can increase sealing around AND COLLABORATIONS production beginning in 2021. the door, which helps create a The project will generate 100 quieter cabin. will add 25,000 square feet for The companies will share new jobs. After 100,000 slams, tradi- a total of 740 jobs. jointly-created IP and utilize Another joint venture with tional latches typically need an Magna has three other plants Lyft data to improve systems; GAC subsidiary GAC Component average 35% more effort. Mag- in the state and employs 1,450 and Lyft will make use of Mag- Co. Ltd. (GACC) will produce na’s latch performance remained people. na’s vast automotive experi- composite liftgates for a global consistent after more than 1 ence for its fleet’s self-driving automaker’s crossover vehicle million slams. Self-drivng Lyft systems. starting late this year. The new Magna is leveraging its ad- This scalable technology is ex- 55,900 square-foot plant in A BMW first vanced technology know-how pected to be market-ready over Changsha, China will start with Here’s another first for the auto with Lyft, a rideshare company the next few years and deployed 116 employees. supplier: providing seats to the based in San Francisco. Their by Magna across the industry. Lightweight, fully recyclable, BMW Group. multi-year collaboration will composite liftgates achieve up Magna opened a 255,000- jointly fund, develop and man- 32nd plant for Mexico to 25% savings in mass over square-foot seat manufac- ufacture self-driving systems. Magna has added to its Mexi- steel versions and are delivered turing plant in Spartanburg Magna will also invest $200 can manufacturing base with as complete assemblies. County, SC in March, and it million in Lyft equity. the opening in April of a new Magna says its composite ma- Lyft will lead 189,000-square-foot plant in San terials allow for greater design co-development ef- Luis Potosí, Mexico. flexibility with deeper draws forts at its Palo Al- The facility will produce and tighter radii. to-based self-driv- structural welded assemblies Additional benefits of the ing engineering for global automakers, including full-system assembly and centre, and Magna BMW and Mercedes-Benz. delivery are reduced complex- will contribute its It currently employs 400 peo- ity of the total liftgate module, manufacturing ple but the payroll is to grow by lower tooling investment and capabilities, vehicle approximately 1,000 employees increased throughput at the systems knowledge, at full production. assembly plant. and expertise in That makes 32 Magna facilities safety and ADAS to and more than 28,000 employees Comments? New door latch reduces open-close effort. PHOTO: MAGNA the collaboration. in Mexico. E-mail [email protected].

www.plant.ca AutoPLANT 25

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 25 2018-06-12 1:09 PM PLANT EXPO Mark October 10, 2018 on your calendar Bingemans Centre, Kitchener, Ontario

Say good-bye to Ford sedans

Ford’s Canadian operations were spared cuts to its PLANT production roster as the Detroit-based parent company phases out almost all its car models. Sedan sales President [Donald] have been in decline since Trump needs to stop playing 2012, edged out by SUVs and CUVs. Ford Canada’s EPLANT OPERATIONS PROPDUCTION AND AUTOMATION games and start supporting Oakville plant makes the the American economy Edge, Flex, Lincoln MKX and MKT, all SUVs. So say good- with positive action.” bye to the Ford Taurus as it Last ride for the Ford Taurus. PHOTO: FORD CONNECT dies for a second time. This Linda Hasenfratz, Linamar Corp. CEO, on Trump’s musing to products and services once formerly popular car died once before (in 2006), but was resurrect- about automotive imports as a security threat. ed a few years later. Production ends in March 2019. SAVE time and money FCA’s cruising glitch What are you paying? Fiat Chrysler has recalled 4.8 million vehicles in the US to ensure the Canadians bought more than 2 million vehicles in 2017 but 67% of drivers don’t GROW cruise control is under control. The automaker is correcting, or as it said know what the yearly cost is, according CAA. For the in a statement, “upgrading” the software to eliminate the possibility of record, it’s about $3,300. Almost 25% of the your bottom line an unlikely scenar- 1,530 drivers polled by the automotive io. Cruise-control association think depreciation is the PlantExpo is Southern Ontario’s premier event

systems initiate least expensive aspect of owning a vehi- acceleration as cle, but actually it’s the opposite. Fuel is for anyone in manufacturing, processing,

needed to maintain second at $1,500 for a compact. Routine machinery, and maintenance and repair markets. driver-selected Average is $3,300. scheduled maintenance ranges from $500 speeds. Testing PHOTO: FOTOLIA to $700 a year, excluding tire replacements. “ This was by far the best trade show for TDT Crews/WorkForce Capital in 2017. showed that if a CAA offers a Driving Costs Calculator at CAA. We were visited by potential clients who were specifically there to do business, short occurs during ca/carcosts that compares long-term costs, including environmental, and electrics not just to chit-chat. The Plant show was cost effective, had good quality leads acceleration, the or hybrids versus gasoline-powered vehicles. 15 models affected. PHOTO: FCA which is proof of the excellent marketing that you and your team put out for this driver wouldn’t be “show. We are looking forward to the 2018 Dex/Plant Expo. able to cancel cruise control, except by braking or shifting into neutral and braking. Drivers were advised to get the glitch fixed immediately. The Donna Parisien recall includes 15 2014 to 2018 gasoline-powered, automatic models. FCA DeLorean widow in Manager, Business Development TDT Crews/WorkForce Capital PlantExpo is sorting out which Canadian and Mexican vehicles are affected. Back to the Future dispute Back to the Future is creating problems in Put your products in front of hundreds will help this timeline for the widow of automotive of potential buyers including… innovator John DeLorean, creator of the your company Car maintenance that delivers futuristic, gull-winged “DeLorean.” The Plant Managers  Engineers  Technologists Plant Operations Add auto maintenance to the list of things you can order on the go. car was featured in the 1985 movie and  Production Managers  Designers Maintenance Managers connect, save, GoWrench Auto, a Hamilton startup, will send a mobile automotive 1989 sequel starring Michael J. Fox. As- maintenance service featuring fully vetted and certified mechanics sociated Press reported Sally DeLorean  Safety Managers  Purchasing Managers  and more… grow. directly to you. The service is has a 1989 contract with Universal giving available in 45 cities with more her 5% of net receipts for merchandise Don’t miss out – Reserve your table today! to come. The company has featuring the car and logo. Her suit says secured $525,000 in funding an unaffiliated Texas company called that will be used to scale-up DeLorean Motor Co. claims it has a right DeLorean DMC12 gull-wing. PHOTO: GENEX To view more information go to www.PLANTExpo.ca operations, bring on mechanics to the money and has already collected and develop a B2B and consum- a substantial payment from the movie studio. As of 2015 the company is allowed to er-facing platform. Ontario use the DeLorean name and trademarks, but she contends their agreement didn’t EXHIBIT SALES HAVE STARTED AND SPACE IS FILLING QUICKLY! Centres of Excellence through transfer contractual rights. Whatever the outcome, last word goes to Dr. Emmett its Market Readiness program Brown, speaking of the DeLorean to Marty McFly: “The way I see it, if you’re gonna To discuss sponsor and exhibitor options, contact: is among the investors. Mobile car service. PHOTO: FOTOLIA build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” Jeff Brownlee, Associate Publisher Ilana Fawcett, National Account Manager Presented by: 26 AutoPLANT June 2018 416-277-8428 416-829-1221 [email protected] [email protected]

AutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 26 2018-06-12 1:09 PM PLNT_May2018_PlntExpo_9x12_AMS.indd 1 2018-05-28 10:58 AM PLANT EXPO Mark October 10, 2018 on your calendar Bingemans Centre, Kitchener, Ontario PLANT

EPLANT OPERATIONS PROPDUCTION AND AUTOMATION CONNECT to products and services SAVE time and money GROW your bottom line

PlantExpo is Southern Ontario’s premier event

for anyone in manufacturing, processing, machinery, and maintenance and repair markets. This was by far the best trade show for TDT Crews/WorkForce Capital“ in 2017. We were visited by potential clients who were specifically there to do business, not just to chit-chat. The Plant show was cost effective, had good quality leads which is proof of the excellent marketing that you and your team put out for this “show. We are looking forward to the 2018 Dex/Plant Expo.

Donna Parisien Manager, Business Development TDT Crews/WorkForce Capital PlantExpo Put your products in front of hundreds will help of potential buyers including… your company Plant Managers  Engineers  Technologists Plant Operations  Production Managers  Designers Maintenance Managers connect, save,  Safety Managers  Purchasing Managers  and more… grow. Don’t miss out – Reserve your table today!

To view more information go to www.PLANTExpo.ca

EXHIBIT SALES HAVE STARTED AND SPACE IS FILLING QUICKLY!

To discuss sponsor and exhibitor options, contact:

Jeff Brownlee, Associate Publisher Ilana Fawcett, National Account Manager Presented by: 416-277-8428 416-829-1221 [email protected] [email protected]

AutoPLT_Spring2018PLNT_May2018_PlntExpo_9x12_AMS.indd AMS.indd 27 1 2018-05-282018-06-12 10:58 1:09 PMAM WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MEASURE?

FLIR delivers world-class thermal cameras and test & measurement tools with the accuracy, reliability, and versatility you need to tackle your most challenging jobs.

For more information please visit: www.flir.ca/work/

AutoPlant_Spring_Flir.inddAutoPLT_Spring2018 AMS.indd 1 28 2018-05-082018-06-12 9:481:09 AMPM