Manufacturing sector should focus on value migration

Bangalore, Nov 28(UNI)

Addressing secondary waste and practicing lean management process are needed for India to become global leader in manufacturing, S Sandilya, President, SIAM and Chairman, Eicher Motors Ltd, today said.

Speaking at the Annual Manufacturing Conference organised by CII on 'Maximising Cost Competitiveness in Turbulent Times' he said manufacturing firms should understand that value migrates on a continuous basis and develop processes that sustain.

'We need to focus on lean management not just lean but should practice lean as a concept. Increasing value to all the stakeholders not just for the customers is needed, he said.

Dr B Mahadevan, Professor of Operation Management, IIM, Bangalore, said value migration always takes place and bringing relevance into our activities is needed to be in the business.

The market will become unkind if there is no value creation or value appropriation according to current context, he said.

--UNI

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Ford Announces 1.0-Liter Turbo Three-Cylinder EcoBoost for U.S.-Market Fiesta (Maybe Focus, Too)

June 2, 2011 at 10:50am by Justin Berkowitz and Erik Johnson

Ford just announced plans for a direct-injected, turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine, joining BMW among major automakers who intend to offer such a powerplant. The Blue Oval says that the tiny mill will find its way into U.S.-market Fiestas, with availability possibly expanding to the Focus, too. No word as of yet on whether the C-Max mini-minivan, a platform mate of the Focus, will get the three.

A broad torque curve is promised, as is performance on par with the Fiesta’s current naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four, which makes 120 hp and 112 lb-ft. The new engine—we’re told it’s an all-new block, not just a chopped-down four—weighs some 20 pounds less than the 1.6, and will feature an integrated cylinder head and exhaust manifold, which is intended to give the engine a wider power band, and optimum fueling throughout the RPM range. Included with the new engine is a split cooling system, meant to minimize warm-up times, as well as a friction-reducing offset crankshaft.

Ford promises that the three will replace a four-cylinder engine in its U.S. powertrain portfolio—we’re guessing the aforementioned 1.6-liter four that’s in today’s Fiesta is on the chopping block—and that the little three pot will debut at this fall’s Frankfurt auto show.

With the introduction of the triple, Ford says it will offer an EcoBoost option for 90 percent of the models it sells in the U.S. by 2013. The 1.0-liter engine will be the lowest-displacement engine Ford has ever put into production. While we like the general info we’ve heard so far, the 1.0 had better be darn good if it’s going to convince Americans that three-cylinders and a single liter is sufficient for our highways. At the very least, Rod Farva will be happy with his liter-a-motor.

Tags: EcoBoost, engines, Ford, Ford Fiesta, three-cylinder, turbocharged |

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We Catch the 247-hp 2012 Ford Focus ST at the Nürburgring

May 25, 2011 at 12:55pm by Justin Berkowitz

We’ve just caught a mule of Ford’s upcoming Focus ST as it heads into testing at the Nürburgring in Germany. While the body is stock Focus, the Brobdingnagian wheels and the center-mounted exhaust tell us that this is definitely the 247-hp, 260-lb-ft hot hatch. We expect Ford’s answer to the VW GTI to arrive in late fall. Until the Blue Oval boys officially reveal the ST, you can read more about what to expect from the turbocharged Focus ST here, as well as our test of the stick-shifted regular Focus here.

Tags: Ford, Ford Focus, Ford Focus ST, spy photos |

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2012 Ford Focus SE Hatchback Manual – Short Take Road Test

May 13, 2011 at 2:47pm by Erik Johnson

It’s been a long time since we’ve driven a small car this sweet.

The bottom line, up top: The new Ford Focus is the best small car for sale in America today. The sedan pummeled four other runabouts in a recent comparison test, a victory made more impressive by the goodness found across a segment historically filled with what could generously be described as “total crap.” The 2012 Focus is so excellent, in fact, that just one small car beats that comparo-winning Focus, and that’s the one tested here: an SE hatchback with a five-speed manual transmission.

Keep Reading: 2012 Ford Focus SE Hatchback Manual – Short Take Road Test

Tags: American, Ford, Ford Focus, Ford Focus SE, hatchback, performance testing |

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze LT vs. 2012 Ford Focus SEL, 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited, 2011 Mazda 3 s Sport, 2011 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SEL – Comparison Tests

April 29, 2011 at 11:16am by Jared Gall

Startup Sedans: Five perfectly respectable rides for up-and-comers establish a new standard for compact sedans.

Even if two weeks’ worth of Maruchan ramen drains your savings account, there’s something about a rusting mid-’90s Accord on sagging springs that fails to inspire confidence among financial backers or real-estate agents. And when you and the missus are just starting out, you feel that need to be taken seriously more acutely than most. There are certainly cheaper new cars than the group gathered here, but—wrong as it may be—“cheap” is the only reputation many B-segment cars have.

Keep Reading: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LT vs. 2012 Ford Focus SEL, 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited, 2011 Mazda 3 s Sport, 2011 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SEL – Comparison Tests

Tags: American, Chevrolet, Chevrolet Cruze, economy, Ford, Ford Focus, Hyundai, Hyundai Elantra, Japanese, Korean, Mazda, Mazda 3, performance testing, sedan, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Jetta |

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze LT vs. 2012 Ford Focus SEL, 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited, 2011 Mazda 3 s Sport, 2011 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SEL – Comparison Tests

April 29, 2011 at 11:16am by Jared Gall

Startup Sedans: Five perfectly respectable rides for up-and-comers establish a new standard for compact sedans.

Even if two weeks’ worth of Maruchan ramen drains your savings account, there’s something about a rusting mid-’90s Accord on sagging springs that fails to inspire confidence among financial backers or real-estate agents. And when you and the missus are just starting out, you feel that need to be taken seriously more acutely than most. There are certainly cheaper new cars than the group gathered here, but—wrong as it may be—“cheap” is the only reputation many B-segment cars have.

Keep Reading: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LT vs. 2012 Ford Focus SEL, 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited, 2011 Mazda 3 s Sport, 2011 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SEL – Comparison Tests

Tags: American, Chevrolet, Chevrolet Cruze, economy, Ford, Ford Focus, Hyundai, Hyundai Elantra, Japanese, Korean, Mazda, Mazda 3, performance testing, sedan, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Jetta |

View the original article here