Stamping

Announced on July 26, 2024, Proton, Malaysia held the groundbreaking ceremony for new additions to its stamping facilities in Tanjong Malim on July 23. With an additional investment of MYR 253 million, the new lines will expand the volume of parts stamping at this plant. 

The new E-Line will feature a four-stage stamping process with a 1600-ton stamping machine and three 800-ton machines. Meanwhile, the new F-Line will have a five-stage stamping process using a 2000-ton, 1200-ton, and three 1000-ton stamping force machines. Robots will also be used to transfer parts between workstations while IR 4.0 technology will be implemented using real-time data and machine learning to improve the quality of parts produced.

This second planned expansion to Proton’s parts stamping capabilities followed the inauguration of the D-Line stamping plant in March 2023. The new stamping lines will allow Proton to be less dependent on imported parts for its models.

Proton added that for the whole of 2023 and up to June 2024, its Tanjong Malim plant has stamped out 6,067,064 components, of which 395,211 are from the new D-Line, and this number will grow exponentially when production for the Proton Saga sedan is relocated from Shah Alam plant to Tanjong Malim plant in 2026.

(From Proton press release on July 26, 2024)

On July 18, Ford Motor Company announced plans to assemble F-Series Super Duty pickups at its Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada, starting in 2026.

The move to add production of up to 100,000 units of its best-selling Super Duty to Oakville expands Super Duty production across three plants in North America, including Kentucky Truck Plant and Ohio Assembly Plant, which are operating at full capacity.

It also paves the way to bring multi-energy technology to the next generation of Super Duty trucks, giving customers more freedom of choice and supporting Ford’s electrification plans.

In total, Ford plans to invest approximately USD 3 billion to expand Super Duty production, including USD 2.3 billion to install assembly and integrated stamping operations at Oakville Assembly Complex. When complete, Oakville Assembly Complex will be a fully flexible plant.

Boosting Super Duty assembly will initially secure approximately 1,800 Canadian jobs at Oakville Assembly Complex, 400 more than would initially have been needed to produce the three-row electric vehicle coming in 2027. Unifor-represented employees at Oakville Assembly Complex will return to work in 2026, a full year earlier than previously planned.

The increased production also adds approximately 150 jobs at Windsor Engine Complex, which will manufacture more V8 engines for Super Duty, while adding roughly 70 jobs and additional overtime at U.S. component plants, including:

• Sharonville Transmission Plant in Ohio – USD 24 million investment and additional overtime
• Rawsonville Components Plant in Michigan – USD 1 million investment and roughly 20 new jobs
• Sterling Axle Plant in Michigan – approximately 50 new jobs

(Ford press release on July 18, 2024)

On July 11, General Motors announced, that with a USD 500 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its own investment, the company will prepare its Lansing Grand River plant for electrification.

The grant comes from a federal Domestic Manufacturing Conversion Grant program which supports U.S. production of hybrid, plug-in electric hybrid, plug-in electric, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

Lansing Grand River will join other electrified GM plants, including Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center and Orion Assembly in Michigan, Spring Hill Manufacturing in Tennessee, Fairfax Assembly in Kansas and Toledo Propulsion Systems in Ohio, as well as an array of GM component, stamping and propulsion plants.

GM has announced over USD 12 billion in investments for its North American EV manufacturing and supply chain development since 2020.

The Lansing Grand River plant will continue to produce the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 (including V-Series) while awaiting announcement of future products, volumes, and timing.

(GM press release on July 11, 2024)