Equipois's ZeroG Counterbalancing Act Aims to Revolutionize Assembly Lines

Garrett Brown, the man behind Hollywood's Steadicam, is looking to bring a little upgrade to manufacturing. Brown has partnered with Eric Golden's LA-based Equipois to help release the "zeroG", a new type of mechanical arm that could reduce manufacturers' health care costs by up to $13 billion annually.

Spawned from a conversation with a Honda engineer who liked the idea of a Steadicam mechanism on the factory floor, the zeroG is crafted from high-grade aluminum and steel and helps minimize overexertion by using simple physics. Each arm is fitted with spring that counterbalances the weight of heavy tools, which in turn makes the tools "lighter" and easier to use.

Maneuverability has also been taken into account; the zeroG's gimbal mechanism means tools can be used to their full capacity even when being held by the arm.

Equipois's Eric Golden explains it like this: "The actions cancel each other out...When the arm holding the tool moves, the position of the end of the spring changes to compensate for the movement. That's 20 pounds of lift on a 20-pound tool, no matter where it's positioned...You can have something that weighs 25 pounds and move it with your fingertips, as if you're in space."
At a cost of $10,000 for the larger arm ($5,000 for the smaller unit), Equipois has found serious interest from serious clients like Boeing, Ford, and the United States Navy.

Allison Stephens, an assembly ergonomics specialist working for the Blue Oval, says, "Because it uses no electricity -- just springs -- it's actually much cheaper than our current method of tool support...We selected jobs that had difficulties because of heavy tools, and operators who had medical visits because of that. We've seen some great results -- no injuries when the arms are used. We are going to incorporate it into our engineering strategy."

With the economy slowly getting back on its feet and a number of positive responses, Equipois hopes more people will come to see the benefits and invest in the zeroG. If its current client base is any indication, this may just be the next low-tech big thing in the world of manufacturing.

By Phil Alex

Sources:Equipoisinc & CNN

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New Dodge Charger TBi Powered by Alfa Romeo’s 1.75 Liter Turbo Engine

Now here’s some news we weren’t expecting. The Chrysler Group announced today the premiere of a new variant of the 2011 Dodge Charger bearing the TBi moniker, which stands for Turbocharged Boosted Induction. The Charger TBi is powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine sourced from sister company Alfa Romeo. The Italian flavored 1.75-liter powerplant is the same one found on a variety of Alfa models including the Giulietta and 159, as well as the upcoming 4C sports coupe previewed in Geneva last month.

On the 2011MY Charger, the force-fed four-pot delivers a maximum output of 225HP and a peak torque of 250 lb-ft / 340Nm at just 1,900 rpm.

The Detroit automaker said that the gasoline engine “ensures performance that matches or exceeds that of a 3.0-litre V6 whilst still delivering the moderate fuel consumption which is typical of a compact, 4 cylinder unit”. The new powerplant will be matched exclusively to a new automatic "TCT" twin dry clutch transmission with eight gears.

According to Dodge, the Charger TBi completes the standard 0-60mph sprint in 8.1 seconds while returning an estimated average fuel consumption of 25mpg city and 32mpg highway. In comparison, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 model is rated at 18mpg and 27mpg respectively. More details are expected to be released before the end of the day so stay tuned.

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Seriously? $275,000 for a Ferrari...Book!

We're used to hugely-expensive Ferrari models, but a book that cost more than an actual sports car from Maranello is a first. It's called “The Official Ferrari Opus” and it retails for $275,000 in its most expensive edition. Publisher Opus Media Group calls it “the most exclusive book in the world.” It might be, at least as far as the price is concerned.

The 852-page Ferrari bible weighs 82 pounds and measures 19.6 square inches. Printed on heavy-duty paper, it contains 2,000 photos and 200,000 words covering every Ferrari road car and race car ever produced, as well as every professional driver to race for the company since 1947.

The book is offered in various editions, ranging in price from $4,100 to $275,000. The “Enzo” edition for instance is limited to 400 copies, with each being “personally signed by all living Ferrari world champions on an individually numbered, silver-foiled signature sheet.” Each book comes in a carbon-fiber case and is priced at $37,500.

More affordable is the $7,500 “Cavallino Rampante” edition, with each of the 500 copies personally signed by “Ferrari greats, past and present.” Finally, the most affordable edition is the “Classic”, limited at 4,100 copies and priced at $4,100. For this kind of cash however, buyers will only receive the signatures of current Ferrari F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

As for the $275,000 edition, it is called “Enzo Diamante” because of the 30 diamonds that adorn the Prancing Horse logo sitting on the cover. Only 400 copies of this book will be available, but not more than one in each country. Which is kind of odd, as there are 193 internationally-recognized sovereign states in the world. Anyway, buyers of this edition will be entered into a drawing for a replica of the Formula 1 car driven by Michael Schumacher. The copy No. 1 will be auctioned, with proceeds going to charities. Scroll down to see an official presentation of the Official Ferrari Opus.

By Dan Mihalascu

Source: New York Times

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Why Lexus Lags Behinds its German Rivals in China’s Luxury Market

For the past eleven years, Lexus has been Numero Uno in U.S. luxury vehicle sales. Not so in China, where Germanic giants BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi lead the pack and Lexus is relegated to a paltry fourth.

One issue is customer service, or rather a level of customer service that fails to differentiate Lexus from its competitors. As business owner and Lexus customer Maggie Lin explains: “Nothing stands out from Lexus's service. I don't feel there's anything special compared with what Audi has been doing. They are more or less the same.”

It’s one of the reasons Lexus’s Chinese arm has sent two of its top managers to the United States to learn how things are done at the brand’s North American operation. According to J.D. Power, Lexus sold just a fifth of market leader Audi’s sales total for 2010. That’s just 49,000 vehicles to the latter’s 236,000. There’s also the issue of consumer tastes.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota’s Executive VP for Research and Product Development explains: “Consumer needs are not all the same in each market. In China, within the Lexus lineup we're introducing smaller-engine cars favored by Chinese customers.”

It’s one of the reasons Lexus is bringing the IS 250 sedan and convertible plus the CT 200h hybrid to the Chinese market instead of the big V6 engined sedans and SUV favoured by Lexus’ U.S. customers.

Another problem is Lexus’ reluctance to open a plant in China, unlike its German competitors. The Japanese sourced Lexuses (Lexi?) incur a 25% custom duty and 17% VAT, on top of the recommended retail price and the Chinese government’s engine-size based consumption tax which can be as much as 40%.

This puts them out of the range of the younger (well, younger than dead) buyers the brand so richly needs. John Zeng of J.D. Power explains:

“Toyota insists on producing Lexus in Japan, but if you want to achieve the volume of your competitors, you have to follow your competitors' strategy. BMW, Audi, Mercedes—they are all focused on localizing production of their models.”

Lexus is hesitant to open plants in China over concerns of the quality of Chinese manufacturing and the potential theft of intellectual property. The brand was also a latecomer to the Chinese market, its first dealership having opened in 2005 after twelve years of imports. Compare this to Audi, which has been the favored brand of Chinese bureaucrats since its introduction to the Chinese market in 1985.

Only time will tell if Lexus can make it as big in China as it has in the U.S., or whether it will remain one of the also-rans in the nation’s burgeoning luxury car market.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Businessweek

Breaking: Gawker Media to Revert Jalopnik Back to Classic Blog Look

We have some good news for all of you automotive-website addicts. Gawker Media, the parent company of Jalopnik, believes it’s time to admit failure and do us all a favor by reverting its flagship car site back to its classic blog look after losing a large percentage of its readers, and to a lesser extent, its advertisers. The announcement was made by Gawker CEO Nick Denton earlier in the morning and will come into effect before midnight.

For the time being, the much anticipated template rollback will be limited to Jalopnik, with Gawker’s other sites, including Jezbel and Gizmodo as well as the upcoming blogs of Murilee Martin, Junkyardo, and Matt Hardigree’s Steve McWeiner, to keep the redesigned layout – at least until further notice. Carscoop attempted to contact head honcho Ray Wert for a statement, but he was not available at the time due to a photo shoot.

Link: Jalopnik

By John Halas

Argentine Dealer Signs Porsche-For-Wine Program to Offset Car Imports

Argentina's Industry Ministry signed an agreement with Porsche importer Grupo Pulenta according to which, the company will have to offset all car imports with equivalent exports of wine and olives.

The deal complies with local regulations that allow companies to import cars for sale only if they export goods of the same value. Grupo Pulenta, which aims to import 100 vehicles worth around $8 million this year, will therefore have to export wine and olive products to 18 countries, including the U.S. and neighboring Brazil.

The agreement comes two weeks after Volkswagen signed a deal with the Argentine government to increase exports from VW's Cordoba plant by 77 percent in 2011, so that the deficit between the company's exports and imports will drop around 70 percent.

Automobile sales in Argentina rose 43 percent in 2010 to a record 698,299 units, according to the country's Automobile Manufacturers Association. Out of these, 435,767 units were imported. Exports from Argentina's car industry reached 447,953 units last year.

By Dan Mihalascu

Source: Bloomberg

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Volkswagen Launches New Line of Accessories for Facelifted Eos

VW has released the first aftermarket accessories for its facelifted Eos coupe-cabriolet in the form of new aerodynamic, styling and practical accessories. In particular, VW proposes a tailgate spoiler, stainless steel muffler tips and a rear protection bar finished in high-gloss chrome. The spoiler is applied directly to the bootlid and promises to improve the car’s aerodynamics at high speeds

The chrome bar gives the Eos an extra “bling” factor, while also protecting the edge of the tailgate. It simply sticks to the lower rim of the tailgate, without damaging it in any way. Rounding off the exterior styling propositions is a new 17-inch alloy wheel design called “Azuro”, which is painted in silver and has five double spokes.

For the car's interior, VW Accessories offers three different trim sets, each consisting of five decorative pieces that apply to the doors and the dashboard. Available colors include carbon, aluminum and piano.

Cycling fans can order a bicycle rack that can transport up to two bikes, with an extension kit for a third one available. Finally, Volkswagen has developed a special luggage set for the Eos, made up of two branded suitcases.

The updated Eos was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November 2010, featuring new headlights and grille, revised bumpers, redesigned taillights and an upgraded equipment list.

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