By the 1980s, the Japanese auto manufacturing industry dominated the automotive world and Detroit has never quite recovered, as the economic crisis of the early 21st century made quite clear. For more information about automotive metal cuttingand other related topics, follow the links on the next page. Frequently, instead of a craftsman cutting the metal by hand, the raw pieces are placed on or inside of a computerized machine that can cut and shape the part to precise measurements. ­NASCAR race cars are becoming more complex as their performance and safety technology evolves. But with a substance so tough, how do you cut it into the countless complex shapes that come together to form a working automobile? In the automobile manufacturing industry, the term fit and finish refers to the way the parts of a car go together. When a customer looks at a car with an eye toward buying it, he or she may not consciously notice the fit and finish. On some level the customer is aware that if the manufacturer got the fit and finish right, then they care about details and probably got other things right as well.

But even as the customer kicks the tires there's an unconscious visual assessment of the entire vehicle underway. In recent years the American auto industry has even partnered with the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) to improve its ability to measure fit and finish. Some companies will also cover you in case of a hurricane warning -- even up to 24 hours before your departure. Companies like Toyota began turning out cars that simply looked (and often ran) better than American cars. Butto, Sam. Toyota spokesman. They can cut through lots of material quickly. Waterjets use a process called "cold supersonic erosion" to blast away material with water and some type of granular additive, called an abrasive. Sir George Harriman of the British Motor Corporation (whose Pressed Steel subsidiary supplied Jaguar bodyshells) offered Lyons a 'logical and beneficial' merger deal, which would leave Jaguar operating under Lyons's chairmanship as 'a separate entitiy and with the greatest practical degree of autonomy' within a new organization called British Motor (Holdings) Limited.

But recycling your used motor oil is as simple as taking it to an auto repair or quick lube shop that accepts it. Next up: Let's learn why diesel engines aren't the smoky, noisy, low-power oil burners of the past. Plasma: Plasma blows an ionized stream of gas past a negatively charged electrode inside the torch nozzle. A negatively charged electrode made of molybdenum or zinc-coated brass releases a spark when in close proximity to the positively charged metal piece. For small, low-volume jobs that don't require super-precise accuracy -- for instance, the type of metal cutting done in an auto enthusiast's garage -- the tool could be as simple as hand-operated cutting shears. Can you name the fastener type? If you think you can ID everything you might find in a shop, take the quiz and show us your stuff! Depending on the state to which a car was to be delivered, there might be a Pontiac-, Chevrolet-, e0 daikin error code or Oldsmobile-built V-8 under the hood, as there was a 49-state engine lineup and a California and high-altitude lineup. So there are entire departments at major car makers that work almost exclusively with fit-and-finish issues, using sophisticated, high-tech machinery that analyzes the way parts fit together on the level of one or two millimeters.

Computerized controls ensure that there are few mistakes. The cutting tools and techniques described in the next few pages are used by suppliers to the auto manufacturing industry as well as independent fabrication shops. In the highly competitive auto manufacturing industry, suppliers of auto components are always looking for tools that can save labor without sacrificing quality. Does the hood join smoothly with the fender assembly, so that neither sticks out and the gaps between them are barely visible? To find out about advances that are improving this accuracy, go to the next page. Most people turn to the book as the authority on this matter, but in some cases, the rankings are open to debate. Not too many people are up to replacing the struts in their vehicle, but you can save money by doing it yourself. Lasers are most effective on materials free of impurities and inconsistencies. It's relatively easy to use and can cut through many different materials besides metals. For one, it only works on electrically conductive materials. On the next page, we'll look in detail at the importance of fit and finish, and examine both the devices used to inspect it and the penalties automakers can expect if they don't pay enough attention to details., made a serious misstep.