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Non-Tech : Delphi Automotive Systems (DPH) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: BWAC who wrote (314)	9/25/2002 8:51:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 397

Delphi Announces GM As First U.S. Customer For Electric Power Steering Brownfield Location Gears Up For ESTEER Production Using Lean Manufacturing And Award-Winning Processes Wednesday September 25, 8:05 am ET biz.yahoo.com TROY, Mich., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Delphi Corporation (NYSE: DPH) has secured electric power steering business with General Motors for future applications. A 55,000 square foot brownfield redevelopment manufacturing location in Buena Vista Township, Michigan prepares for the start of ESTEER(TM) Electric Power Steering production. The new facility will utilize state-of-the-art lean manufacturing principles and two Delphi award-winning manufacturing processes, Math Based Metal Removal and high precision gear set machining. (Logo: newscom.com ) In January 2001, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) granted Delphi a Brownfield Redevelopment Single Business Tax Credit, which is designed to encourage new investment in obsolete facilities. The MEDC also provided additional support to the project via a three year Economic Development Job Training Grant. "Bringing the new ESTEER business to our Buena Vista site was the result of hard work and collaboration between our local and state government. We worked collectively with our UAW partners on creative solutions that enabled us to meet competitive challenges," stated Robert J. Remenar, president of Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems. "Both UAW Local 699 and Delphi management have developed an innovative manufacturing plan that enabled the placement of this business in Saginaw." The redevelopment of the facility in Buena Vista Township began in June 2001. The facility, which will be able to produce more than 400,000 ESTEER systems annually, features 12 lean work cells instead of traditional assembly lines. This single plant will produce and assemble the full electric power steering system including the steering column, assist mechanism, intermediate shaft, and rack and pinion gear, which will then be delivered to the customer as a single module. In addition to lean cells, other lean manufacturing approaches used in the redevelopment included flexible installation of machinery, one-piece flow within cells, and small lot material handling strategies. The new ESTEER plant is using Delphi's Math Based Metal Removal (MBMR) process, which won a 2001 Premier Automotive Suppliers' and OEMs' Contribution to Excellence (PACE) Award as the industry's first implementation of modeling of machining in a personal computer-based intelligent software system. Using this process, Delphi engineers can now use virtual machining to optimize machining parameters prior to ever setting foot on the plant floor. This optimization tool helps remove subjectivity and provides improvements to cycle time and quality. The ESTEER plant has specifically used MBMR to improve the assist mechanism housing machining process. Through computer-based analysis, engineers changed the path of the tool, reduced non-cut time and changed the sequence of the cycle to eliminate delays and combine moves. Overall MBMR allowed an 11.6% improvement in cycle time. Another award-winning Delphi process being applied in the plant is the manufacturing of a high precision plastic worm gear set, which is another first in the automotive industry. The hybrid worm gear set is designed to improve responsiveness in the electric steering mechanism. This manufacturing process evolved from the challenge of cutting precision plastic gears versus conventional metal gears and garnered a team of five Delphi engineers, including one from Delphi Steering's Spain facility, a 2001 Boss Kettering Award. "In a continuous effort to remain competitive and meet future market needs, manufacturing organizations must continue to evolve," stated Remenar. "At Delphi that evolution involves a strong focus on future technology and advanced processes that are leading the industry and enabling us to deliver high performance, high quality products to our customers." Delphi's E*STEER Electric Power Steering technology won a 1999 PACE Award. That same year Delphi began production for European customer, Fiat, followed by Volkswagen in 2001, and has since produced more than 1.5 million units.

To: BWAC who wrote (314)	9/25/2002 9:15:14 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 397

First Automotive Bluetooth Application Leads Innovations With Saab; Delphi Wins Substantial High-Technology Business on New Saab 9-3 Wednesday September 25, 9:01 am ET biz.yahoo.com PARIS, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the automotive industry's first production implementation of the Bluetooth(TM) communications protocol is amongst several innovations being introduced to the public by Saab at the Mondial de l'Automobile (Paris Auto Show) with the support of Delphi Corp. (NYSE: DPH). (Photo: newscom.com ) Other Delphi technologies on the new 9-3 include integrated entertainment control units, communication units and reception systems, telematics and navigation for the mobile multimedia system, a column integrated module, electrical / electronic distribution systems, and various other electronics sub-systems. Bluetooth(TM) allows portable devices to communicate over 10 meters without physical connections. Using this standard protocol, the telephone fitted to the new Saab 9-3 can be accessed by any Bluetooth(TM) enabled device. Although Bluetooth(TM) is now widely used in offices to connect computers with peripherals, this is one of the first original equipment in-car applications. "Bluetooth(TM) opens opportunities for a vast range of convenience features in the car," explains Dr. Robert Schumacher, Delphi's general director of mobile multimedia. "We are already working with Saab to implement future personal productivity features that will allow the system to read (by text-to-speech) emails or other files from a laptop computer in a briefcase. I can see Bluetooth(TM) becoming a 'must have' for business drivers just as hands-free is today." The Saab infotainment system is built on Delphi's new mobile multimedia Open Computing Platform, which controls the various functions via a MOST communications bus operating in the more efficient parallel combined mode -- another industry first. The Open Computing Platform runs a real-time, deterministic operating system with modular applications software, allowing additional functionality to be quickly added and providing the option of integration with systems from other suppliers. "This is a very powerful platform that will allow Saab to maintain industry-leading functionality without substantial hardware revisions," says Schumacher. "Features such as voice control of entertainment are already planned, as well as some exciting personal productivity and navigation functions that will be right at the leading edge of mobile multimedia technology."

To: BWAC who wrote (314)	9/30/2002 9:06:49 AM
From: JakeStraw	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 397

Citroen, Fiat, Lancia and Peugeot Launched First European Vehicles With Power Sliding Door; Delphi's Generation III Power Sliding Door Opens Up Fast-Growing European Market Monday September 30, 9:00 am ET biz.yahoo.com PARIS, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Citroen, Fiat, Lancia and Peugeot are the first European manufacturers to offer mass production vehicles fitted with an electric power sliding door. Developed by Delphi Corp. (NYSE: DPH), the power sliding door allows users to open and close the side-entry doors at the touch of a button. (Photo: newscom.com ) Delphi's system provides remote, automatic operation of side-entry sliding doors using vehicle-mounted switches or the convenience of a remote-entry unit. This technology offers consumers the ability to open and close a door even with full hands. The technology also solves the problem of large, heavy doors, which can be particularly difficult to open or close manually if the vehicle is on an incline. Providing a lifetime contract value of 28 million Euros, Delphi's power sliding door is standard on top-range models of Peugeot 807, Citroen C8, Fiat Ulysse and Lancia Phedra and is also offered as an option on other models. The most recent Delphi technology, referred to as Generation III, is significantly more compact than earlier systems with a packaging reduced by 25% and also combines many of the benefits learned through Delphi's extensive experience in this product area. Delphi has been manufacturing power sliding doors since 1993 and now has more than 2 million on the road. The Delphi power sliding door is an electro-mechanical cable-driven system, designed to open and close track-mounted sliding doors manually or at the touch of a button. A single electronic control unit is used to control both doors, reducing the component count, simplifying installation and allowing further improvements in packaging and cost. This mechatronic module was developed by the Delphi Wuppertal Technical Center in cooperation with the Delphi Paris Electronic Development Center, illustrating Delphi's capability to offer complete systems. "The power sliding door is a really attractive feature that is sure to become as popular in Europe as it has in North America," said James A. Bertrand, president of Delphi Safety & Interior Systems. "With the continued technological development of power products, we expect further consumer demand for this type of safety and comfort product." Other power products available from Delphi include power liftgates, power boot lids including power trunk lid or power deck lid, and power tonneau covers. Delphi will also supply other technologies for the new vehicles, including amplifier electronics for hidden reception systems, column integrated modules, body electronics and remote entry subsystems.