Author Archives: Carlos De Sordi

Ford Recalling 1.5 Million F-150s in North America

For announced it is recalling 1.5 million F-150s in North America due to concerns with sudden shifting.

According to reports, transmissions in impacted can suddenly downshift into first gear while driving. Five incidents related to the malfunction have been reported, including one accident that caused a whiplash injury. Representatives from Ford believe a glitch in the signal being sent from the transmission to the speed sensors is the cause of the problems.

The F-Series pickups are the top selling vehicle in the U.S. This recall targets F-150s from 2011-2013 with six speed automatic transmissions.

Autonomous Vehicles Not Taking Over Anytime Soon

While autonomous vehicles are drawing news coverage and wowing trade show attendees everywhere, a future of driverless cars and robotic busses is much farther off than the headlines would have you believe.

While many vehicle manufacturers are looking towards the future with intriguing concept vehicles and self-driving cars have hit the road in a few cities, numerous challenges still stand in the way of large scale automation that would drastically impact consumers or fleet owners.

“If fleet operators are concerned about the next five years, they shouldn’t be,” Bern Grush, founder of Grush Niles Strategic and author of “The End of Driving: Transportation Systems and Public Policy Planning for Autonomous Vehicles,” said. “Nothing is going to happen in the next five years. There are going to be tests and announcements and discussions in the news or demonstrations at tradeshows, but none of that is going to affect the actual work of fleets for the next several years. Automation is coming, but it’s much more difficult than we are letting on.”

While autonomous vehicle technology has improved by leaps and bounds, little has been done in terms of urban planning to accommodate an influx of these vehicles. Regulatory challenges will also have to be worked out.

“The actual automation is the easier part,” Grush said. “The hard part will be the regulatory challenges, the deployment and the preparation of urban spaces. All those issues are unsolved. Most city streets are intended for a car to move through at the posted speed and for cars to park on the side. When a taxi or a delivery vehicle stops in front of you to pick someone up or drop something off it disrupts traffic. When automated vehicles come, the volume of people and goods being dropped off or picked is going to increase dramatically.”

Another concern surrounding autonomous vehicles is the potential for job loss. While jobs may change, most autonomous vehicles will still require human intervention even if it isn’t directly behind the wheel.

“There are still going to have to be people, we have to watch these systems, we have to go out and help them if something happens, we have to make sure they are secure,” Grush said. “It doesn’t take job count away, it changes the nature of operating a fleet. It’s no longer a driving job, it’s now a customer care job. It changes the training.”

In addition, Grush believes some vehicles, like service, repair and emergency vehicles, won’t gain much at all from being automated.

“The opportunity to run that vehicle without a human driver is pretty small,” Grush said. “Even if your truck drove itself to your jobsite, you would still have to do the job. There wouldn’t be any job loss, there wouldn’t be a point in automating that vehicle other than to make it a little bit safer.”

While he primarily focuses his attention on urban environments, Grush said automation of highway vehicles like will likely come first, as it is a lot less complex. However, even that is a long way off.

“I think we are going to see some automation on the highway, where one driver will be able to operate two trucks,” Grush said. “I don’t think it’s going to happen for a while. We might put two drivers in two trucks and have one operate the lead truck while the other sleeps in the second. By law, truck drivers have to rest after a set number of hours, and this could allow a pair of trucks to not stop.”

While automating busses, taxis and delivery vehicles in an urban environment is possible, it is going to be much more challenging.

“It would not be impossible to automate, but it would be difficult,” Grush said. “You would have to make sure the road was extremely well mapped and everything is well coordinated. Snow has to be cleaned away. There are a whole series of regulations that haven’t been sorted out that make things complicated not just for driving but for running the business.”

Still, it is apparent that automated vehicles will start becoming more common. It is unclear exactly how these vehicles will change the business model for fleet owners, but steps can be taken to prepare.

“A fleet owner or operator is going to want to know how to transform their business from hiring drivers to managing automated vehicles,” Grush said. “Say you have 300 vehicles. You might want to start looking at trying to operate 10 of them as automatic vehicles five years from now. There are cases of automated shuttles operating in small locations, like parking lots. You want to watch that and when that technology is ready, you want to try to make a business out of something like that.”

More Automakers Announce Recalls Over Deadly Takata Airbags

Several automakers have announced recalls related to potentially deadly Takata airbags, with about 1.7 million vehicles expected to be impacted.

According to reports, vehicles from Subaru, Tesla, BMW, Mercedes, Ferrari and Daimler Vans are the latest in a long line of recalls. Recalls are managed by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To date, 23 people have been killed and hundreds injured by the airbags, which can throw shrapnel at drivers when they deploy. By the time the final phases of the recall are completed in 2020, as many as 70 million vehicles will have been recalled.

Some of the current rounds of recalls are limited to certain geographical regions of the United States. Areas with high humidity and differentiating temperatures are the most likely to see problems with the airbags. To see if your vehicle is being recalled, visit www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your VIN number.

Scientists Create Alloy Using Nanoscale Diamonds

British scientists were successful in introducing nanoscale diamonds into aluminum, which will likely lead to the creation of new materials for the maritime industry.

According to reports, scientists at London’s Brunel and Tomsk State Universities used ultrasonic treatment to incorporate nanoscale diamonds into an aluminum melt. This is the first time nanodiamonds have been successfully used in the creation of a synthetic alloy. The teams used a technique called shock-wave compaction to create an alloy they say is without pores or defects. This alloy will not degrade when introduced to nanoparticles.

Those involved believe the new alloy will predominately be used in maritime applications. They believe it may also find use in the aerospace, automotive and space industries.

Ford to make $1 Billion Improvements at Chicago Facilities

Ford has announced it will spend $1 billion to update its assembly and stamping plants in Chicago while adding 500 new jobs.

According to reports, the automaker will begin updates March and be completed by the end of spring. They will be building new body and paint shops at the facility and modifying the assembly area. The improvements will include 3D printed tools and new robots to inspect electrical connections during the manufacturing process. The improvements have become necessary as Ford prepares to launch three new SUVS, a redesigned Explorer, a redesigned Lincoln Aviator and a new police interceptor.

Ford has claimed it is the top producer and leading exporter of vehicles in the United States. The automaker built almost 2.4 million vehicles in 2018.

OSHA Releases Respirable Crystalline Silica FAQ

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new FAQ document in an effort to better explain its standards for respirable crystalline silica in industrial applications.

OSHA worked with industry and union representatives to create the FAQ, which outlines things like permissible exposure limits (PEL), required medical exams and when to asses employee exposure levels. Currently, the PEL sits at 50 micrograms of silica per cubic meter of air averaged over an 8-hour workday.

The rules for exposure were initially published by OSHA in 2016. Those in general industry and maritime applications were given until mid-2018 to comply with the standard. Hydraulic fracking operations have until mid-2021 to comply.

You can view the FAQ here.

Most Mining Companies Unprepared for Cyberattacks

A recent survey shows an overwhelming majority of mining companies believe they need to do more to combat cyberattacks.

According to the survey, conducted by communications firm Inmarsat Enterprises, showed 87% of respondents believe their process for combating cyber threats should be stronger, while 84% say more can be done to prevent the mishandling of data. About 125 mining companies responded to the survey. Despite recognizing the risk of a potential cyberattack, few of the respondents have taken steps to prevent one. Just 22% of respondents say they have invested in new security measures, while only 31% have partnered with outside firms.

One of the biggest issues respondents say they face is a lack of relevant skills needed to prevent cyberattacks. 70 % of respondents said they did not have staff with the skills needed to improve their security.

Commercial Fleet Sales Fall in January

Commercial fleet sales fell 1.9 percent for the month of January, largely due to a steep drop in passenger cars sold.

According to reports, sales of passenger cars to fleet owners declined 17.2 percent month over month. This continues the trend of declining passenger car sales dating back to last year, which saw an overall increase in sales powered almost entirely by trucks, SUVs and vans. Sales of those vehicles remained largely flat in January.

While commercial fleet sales have dropped, rental fleet vehicle sales had a strong month, increasing 16 percent to just under 145,000. Truck, SUV and Van sales were the key driver, with a 20.6 percent increase to 88,300, but car sales in the sector also increased 11 percent.

A Safe Work Environment Starts With Engagement

Maintaining a safe work environment for employees presents a unique set of challenges in industrial applications. While there is plenty of debate as to how to improve safety, most would agree it’s a mission critical part of their business.

Whether you are operating a machine shop, factory or industrial plant, safety is always going to be a concern. With employees working long, difficult hours around potentially dangerous equipment, the chance for injury, or worse, skyrockets when proper procedures aren’t followed.

But how can employees work safer? And how can managers help them do so? According to Safety Culture and Change Management Consultant Phil LaDuke of Environmental Resources Management, maintaining a safe work environment starts with engaging all employees.

“Making safety easier hinges on engaging workers in safety,” LaDuke said. “The difference between a motivated worker and an engaged worker is that a motivated worker will work for a reward. An engaged worker will work because it’s the right thing to do. If you treat people like they are children, that is what you will end up with.”

LaDuke, who has worked as a safety consultant with oil, gas, mining, automotive and manufacturing companies and published two books on workplace safety, said facility managers often need to look deeper when it comes to maintaining a safe environment.

“Too many people are armchair behaviorists,” LaDuke said. “They think they can just have one employee monitor another and remind them to stay safe. You need to look at the cause and effect factors in your system that are causing people to be harmed, not who you can blame for being lazy or incompetent.”

A lot can go wrong in an industrial setting and LaDuke called out preventable fall from height incidents as a major safety concern and “isolation of hazardous energy” incidents as frightening and almost always deadly. But the biggest cause of injury is perhaps the most basic.

“It’s not sexy, but one of the biggest is slips, trips and falls,” LaDuke said. “People say ‘how often does someone fall or trip and injure themselves?’ The answer is quite a lot. A lot of those are serious injuries and some of them are life limiting. They screw up their knee, or they screw up their back and it can be very serious.”

Building a culture around safety can help mitigate these incidents, as employees who are engaged are more likely to call out issues they see and take action to fix those issues.

“A lot of companies have a saying ‘see something, say something, do something.’” LaDuke said. “If you see someone in danger, say something to someone so people don’t get hurt and it can be fixed. It all comes back to respecting people, letting people know they can make a difference.”

Too often, policymakers misunderstand the impact of poor worker safety on the bottom line. Workplace injuries can be costly both financially and in terms of productivity.

“It costs money, it saps your productivity and it’s a symptom of a poorly run operation,” LaDuke said. “Your injury records are going to determine how much money you are going to have to put away as encumbered cash. That can be devastating. If you show me a company that’s struggling financially, I’ll show you a company that struggles with safety.”

For many companies, improving the work environment starts with a cultural change in the way they think about safety.

“Companies don’t routinely count safety as part of their costs, they don’t talk about it like they do quality or productivity,” LaDuke said. “People think injuries are free and they’re not. The more injured workers there are, the less profit there is. You are spending money on something nobody gains anything from.”

Takeaways from the 2019 North American International Auto Show

The 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show, is in the books, marking the final time the event will take place in the winter.

The 2020 event will take place in the summer, allowing the event to make its way outdoors for the first time in its 31 years. Event organizers hope the format change will result in renewed interest in the show, as many automakers declined to attend this year’s event to unveil their new vehicles and concept cars.

However, the 2019 show was not without its moments. Most of these moments affirm the direction in which many experts believe the industry is headed. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the 2019 Detroit Auto Show.

Bigger is Better? – With many automakers discontinuing production of smaller vehicles in favor of SUVs and crossovers, it isn’t surprising to see the amount of larger passenger vehicles that were officially introduced. Ram introduced two new pickups, the 2500 and 3500, which are larger versions of its popular 1500. Kia introduced its eight-passenger Telluride model, while Cadillac unveiled the XT6 and ford introduced a rebooted version of the Explorer.

Electric and Hybrid Cars – As many automakers are getting back into creating larger vehicles, electric and hybrids are also becoming more popular. Car companies are becoming more and more innovative with these vehicles while also making them more accessible. Chevy introduced a new model of its sub $30k Bolt, while Nissan introduced a model for the Leaf to go along with a concept sedan called the IM. Kia, Volkswagen and Hyundai also introduced one or more electric models. Infiniti also rolled out a concept electric vehicle called the QX, but it broke down before it was driven to the stage for its press conference.

GAC and Mahindra – The Chinese automaker showed off an all-electric concept SUV, called the Entranze, further signifying its interest in entering the U.S. automotive market. GAC had attended previous NAIAS events, introducing a wide variety of vehicles, but current political tensions are making its entry into the market difficult. India-based Mahindra also introduced some unique vehicles like its Roxor, which is not available in the United States despite being built here. While it may take time, it seems that more international companies are angling to get into the U.S. market, which could lead to some significant changes.

Automotive Partnerships – The return of the Toyota Supra had been one of the major talking points leading up to this year’s Detroit Auto Show. Of particular interest is the engine…which will be manufactured by BMW. Automotive partnerships are nothing new, but it seems like they are going to become more common. Ford and Volkswagen have already announced a partnership of their own. This could be something for those in the automotive industry to look out for.