Assembly articles from August 2003

Assembly archives from August 2003

Betrayed again.(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... The world's greatest deliberative body, a.k.a. the U. S. Senate, has labored mightily and brought forth failure. "The Senate failed to pass medical liability reform legislation," President Bush remarked. "The nation's medical liability system...

Cams guide complex motions.(X-Y-Z)
August 1, 2003... At the heart of some of the most complex automated assembly systems is one of the simplest motion control mechanisms: the cam. Cams are reliable, accurate, durable and quiet. With cams, engineers can carefully control the acceleration,...

Tax bill provides incentive for equipment orders.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... MCLEAN, VA -- The new tax relief bill contains a 50 percent expensing allowance for machine tools and other equipment ordered between May 6, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2004, and placed in service by Dec. 31, 2004. The bill is part of a $350...

Adhesives can replace eutectic solder.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... ANN ARBOR, MI -- The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has published the results of its 6-year project that evaluated electrically conductive adhesives as a substitute for eutectic solder for surface mount electronics assembly....

Semiconductor spintronics to revolutionize electronics industry.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... SAN JOSE, CA -- Ongoing research into spintronics, a method that enables spin-polarized current flow through semiconductors, is likely to result in a new class of multifunctional electronics. Practical spintronics incorporates existing...

Machine tool show returns to Michigan.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... NOVI, MI -- The Midwest's largest metalworking and manufacturing event of 2003 is near. The Midwest Machine Tool Show is coming to the Novi Expo Center (Novi, MI), on Sept. 9 to 11. This year's event will feature a panel discussion entitled...

AMTI joins with Maxant.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... NILES, IL -- Maxant Technologies Inc. has acquired American Manufacturing and Technologies Inc. (AMTI, Addison, IL). Maxant Technologies manufactures specialty lighting fixtures for the medical industry. AMTI manufactures tube, cable and...

UL creates optic network test center.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... NORTHBROOK, IL -- To meet increasing needs of optical fiber network customers, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) has opened a new North America Optic Network Test Center in Melville, NY. Fiber optic services are now located in Melville. UL's...

Pirelli wins award for robotic tire assembly process.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... ANN ARBOR, MI -- Pirelli Tire North America has been named the recipient of the 2003 Robots & Vision User Recognition Award for its innovative robotic tire assembly process. Known as MIRS, the system allows Pirelli to reduce the lead time...

RIA chooses 2003 Engelberger winners.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... ANN ARBOR, MI -- Four international robotics industry leaders have received the 2003 Engelberger Robotics Awards. The awards are presented annually by Robotic Industries Association (RIA). Named after robotics pioneer Joseph F. Engelberger,...

Labor Department awards grant for metalworking apprenticeships.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Labor Department has awarded a $1.9 million grant to the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) to give a lift to existing metalworking apprenticeship programs. The new model will use industry proficiency...

ABB and Braintech extend alliance.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... NORTH VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA -- Braintech Inc. has signed a new agreement with ABB Inc. (Zurich, Switzerland). The agreement allows the two companies to continue to collaborate on the sales and marketing of 3D vision-guided robotics to the North...

DEK and PacTech team up for wafer bumping solution.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... FLEMINGTON, NJ -- DEK International GmbH and PacTech USA (Santa Clara, CA) have formed a technology partnership to develop high-volume, high-speed wafer processing and bumping equipment. By combining PacTech's electroless under-bump...

NCMS seeks participants for lead-free study.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... ANN ARBOR, MI -- The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is seeking participants for a project that will evaluate lead-free interconnect materials that can be exposed to temperatures of -55 to 205 C. The project will focus on...

Europe is going electric.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... SAN JOSE, CA -- Amid mounting pressure to promote civic values and green credentials, the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is increasingly attracting vehicle manufacturers' attention. A new study by Frost & Sullivan states that European...

Crystal could provide more power for electrical devices.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed microscopic tungsten lattices that, when heated, emit more energy in a band of near-infrared wavelengths than solid tungsten filaments. This greater energy...

Model shows how data will flow in future factory.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... DEDHAM, MA -- In the factory of tomorrow, information from automated equipment will be instantly accessible and freely exchanged from the shop floor to product development groups and extended supply chains. However, before that vision can...

Future laptops to be fueled by methanol.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... TOKYO -- NEC Corp. has revealed a prototype of a laptop computer that runs on a methanol fuel cell instead of a rechargeable battery. The company plans to start selling the computer next year. A number of other companies are developing...

University of Tennessee wins FutureTruck award.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... AUSTIN, TX -- National Instruments awarded a team of University of Tennessee engineering students with the Most Innovative Use of Virtual Instrumentation Award at the FutureTruck competition. FutureTruck student teams re-engineer sport...

Universal and Asymtek form partnership.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... BINGHAMTON, NY -- Universal Instruments has developed the Technology Excellence Center in Suzhou, China. Asymtek will provide a Millennium 2020 dispenser for the center. The dispenser will be used for dispensing underfill material for flip...

China's currency makes fair competition impossible.(Assembly Lines)
August 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) members are testifying before Congress that Chinese currency manipulation has heavily and unfairly distorted the global trade environment. "I can produce a particular mold for one of...

Measurement tool plays role in rocket launch.(Assembly in Action)
August 1, 2003... FARO Technologies Inc.'s (Lake Mary, FL) Laser Tracker played a key role in the Boeing Co.'s (Chicago) Delta IV rocket launch that deployed into space the first satellite for the U.S. Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch vehicle program. ...

Cart gives tractors a productive ride.(Assembly in Action)
August 1, 2003... CNH Global builds tractors at its Racine, WI, location for its Case IH and New Holland brands. This equipment will go on to work the fields on farms in over 160 countries. As this farm equipment becomes more sophisticated, coming up with...

LDA automates laser diode component assembly.(Assembly in Action)
August 1, 2003... Eblana Photonics (Dublin, Ireland) manufactures laser diodes for the telecommunications market. These components are the engines in high bandwidth fiber optic communication systems for the high-volume business and consumer markets. Eblana...

Image sensors see for Mars Rovers.(Assembly in Action)
August 1, 2003... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, needed image sensor chips for the panoramic camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) missions. JPL contacted DALSA Corp. for...

Factory of the future uses two-story conveyor.(Assembly in Action)
August 1, 2003... Nokia (Helsinki, Finland), a manufacturer of mobile phones, chose Hungary for its new facility. The main reason for choosing Hungary was the favorable geographic location, existing infrastructure, and the skilled and well-educated labor force....

Flying prober provides complete test options.(Assembly in action)
August 1, 2003... Solution Sources Programming Inc. (San Jose, CA) is an in-circuit testing services provider, creating test programs for electronics manufacturers throughout the United States. Solution Sources Programming was looking for a new testing unit. The...

ATExpo set to jump-start the economy: ATExpo 2003 returns to Chicago, and attendees will again have the opportunity to view more than 600 exhibits.(Events)
August 1, 2003... Two recent studies indicate that the U.S. economy may be ready to emerge from a long slump. According to a survey by the Institute for Supply Management, manufacturing activity did shrink in June despite signs of a tentative recovery in the...

Forming in circles: orbital forming offers an efficient and precise method for assembling component parts.(Riveting)
August 1, 2003... Orbital forming has been used to assemble component parts for 40 years, and the use of orbital forming in production is increasing. Orbital forming is a clean, silent, nonimpact and vibration-free coldforming process that forms heads on most...

The economics of ultrasonics: other joining methods may be cheaper to buy, but none is as cost-effective to use.(Metal Welding)
August 1, 2003... Ultrasonic welding is a proven method for assembling metal parts. Typical applications include wire harnesses, automotive parts, medical devices, rechargeable batteries, and copper tubing for heating, ventilating and cooling equipment. ...

Taking the lead on lead forming: whether it's a costly fine-pitch flat pack or an inexpensive axial-leaded resistor, lead forming can be a tricky business.(Electronic Assembly)
August 1, 2003... High-reliability, fine-pitch microelectronic packages for military and aerospace applications typically cost $2,000 to $4,000 each. Some components cost as much as $50,000. "I've had engineers visit my plant with chips locked in briefcases...

Doom or boom? Panelists at Assembly East debate the future of U.S. manufacturing.(Assembly East)
August 1, 2003... Listening to an expert panel predict the future of U.S. manufacturing, an engineer in the audience had heard enough. The panelists were far too optimistic. So he raised his hand and made a bold prediction of his own: "I think manufacturing in...

Wire termination uses and methods: demands for higher quality and higher production volume have led to many innovations in wire termination.(Wire Processing)
August 1, 2003... For centuries, copper wire has been used as an electrical conduit. But wire requires termination. Simple screw clamps were originally used to terminate wire. Although screw clamps are still used today, there are now numerous means to terminate...

Optoelectronics: bandwidth capacity is waiting for demand to catch up.(Industry Watch)
August 1, 2003... "Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away, now it looks as though they're here to stay." The Beatles could easily have been singing about the optoelectronics industry. After showing unlimited potential just a few years ago, the photonics...

Suppress the spikes.(Products)
August 1, 2003... The Combotrab protects electronic equipment from voltage surges and lightning strikes. It handles the current associated with a direct or close lightning hit, while providing clamping voltages under 900 volts independent of surge current....

Straps wrap wire.(Products)
August 1, 2003... With Scotch 100 wrap straps, assemblers can cinch bundles of wire and cable tighter, faster and with less effort than with plastic ties, wire ties or string. The 6inch-long straps are 0.375 inch wide with a 0.75-inch head that gives the...

Ergonomic pneumatic tools.(Products)
August 1, 2003... The Cleco 14 series of pneumatic screwdrivers and angle nutrunners are for tightening M4 and M5 fasteners. Operators can customize the tool's handle for comfort. A soft composite housing reduces the transfer of heat and vibration to the...

Dispenser for multicomponent material.(Products)
August 1, 2003... The ProBatch dispenses small batches of plural component materials. The minimum batch size is 4 ounces. Metering is based on weight. The controller stores the parameters for 99 fluids and 250 recipes. Graco Inc. www.graco.com ...

Chair offers large backrest.(Products)
August 1, 2003... An extra-large backrest is available for ergonomic workchairs. The Ergonomic Managerial Backrest is 19 inches high and 18 inches wide. It is 5 inches taller and 2.5 inches wider than the standard backrest. Biofit Engineered Products ...

Smart vision sensors.(Products)
August 1, 2003... The Legend 500 smart machine vision sensors are available in various models to meet specific applications. Model 520 is a CMOS sensor for basic inspections, bar code reading and optical character recognition. Model 544 has a resolution of 1,280...

UV spot curing.(Dispensing & Curing)
August 1, 2003... The Lite is an ultraviolet and visible light spot curing system. Output intensity and exposure time are adjustable. Changeable optical filters allow the unit's broad spectral output to be tailored to specific applications while protecting...

Cartridge dispenser.(Dispensing & Curing)
August 1, 2003... The AC series benchtop dispenser meters, mixes and dispenses adhesive from 50-, 200- and 400-milliliter dual-barrel cartridges. Flow can be controlled with a foot pedal, or the machine can deliver a timed shot. A pneumatic valve at the mixer...

Twin-pack cartridge dispenser.(Dispensing & Curing)
August 1, 2003... The I&J 123-D50 50 milliliter twin-pack cartridge dispenser has a control unit that houses the stepping motor and a Palm computer for controlling the dispensing setup. Graphical display indicates when the cartridge is empty. Shot sizes of 0.002...

Tape dispenser.(Dispensing & Curing)
August 1, 2003... The EZ-7000 tape dispenser has four operating modes. In automatic mode, whenever a piece of tape is pulled from the dispenser, it feeds and cuts a new piece. In manual mode, the dispenser presents a piece of tape whenever a button is pushed. In...

Conveyorized curing system.(Dispensing & Curing)
August 1, 2003... The Cure Tunnel has four, asymmetrically mounted lamps that generate 400 watts of curing energy per inch. Each lamp is fixed at a 45-degree angle and focused at 10 inches. This allows for greater air circulation and keeps substrates cooler than...

Grippers for medical device assembly.(Robots)
August 1, 2003... These lightweight, compact grippers are assembled in a clean environment, and they have magnetic pistons for smooth jaw movement. They are suitable for liquid handling and syringefilling applications. Grippers are available in angular and...

Gripper for clean rooms.(Robots)
August 1, 2003... The DKG RR two-finger parallel gripper can be used in a Class 1 clean room. This sealed gripper emits less than eight particles per minute larger than 0.2 microns. When the gripper opens, a vacuum sucks air inside. When the gripper closes, that...

Angular grippers.(Robots)
August 1, 2003... The GG-Series angular grippers are fully sealed with an adjustable stroke. They have 35 degrees of stroke per jaw for tooling fingers. There are five different sizes available with up to 2,700 newtons of gripping force. They are suitable for...

Modular axes.(Robots)
August 1, 2003... Called EZ modules, these easily assembled modular axes can be configured as one-, two-, three- or four-axis mechanisms. They combine NSK axes with the standard RC+ software and RC420 and RC520 controllers, allowing users to increase power and...

Grippers with spring assist.(Robots)
August 1, 2003... Series GRS grippers with optional spring assist have an angled cam drive mechanism and precision ground jaws for smooth operation and minimal jaw play. The grippers are double-acting for use in internal and external gripping applications....

Hipot testers.(Test & Measurement)
August 1, 2003... The 2900 series hipot testers meet the requirements of Underwriters Laboratories, Canadian Standards Association, British Standards Institution, and other international safety agencies. The base unit, Model 2925, is a 12-milliampere, 5-kilovolt...

Portable mechanical tester.(Test & Measurement)
August 1, 2003... These portable mechanical testers come in portable or benchtop versions. They are suitable for onsite quality control check; and tension, compression and peel testing. They convert between two test modes: push-pull and tension-compression. The...

Resistance test kit.(Test & Measurement)
August 1, 2003... This test kit measures temperature, relative humidity, resistance between two points, and resistance from surface to ground. The meter automatically selects the correct test range voltage, 10 or 100 volts. Desco www.desco.com ...

High-speed continuity tester.(Test & Measurement)
August 1, 2003... The OS-32 automatically tests integrated circuits, bare and assembled circuit boards, and short cable assemblies for shorts and open circuits. The unit conducts 100 percent continuity testing of all internal connections without false errors....

In-circuit tester.(Test & Measurement)
August 1, 2003... The TestStation LH in-circuit test machine safely tests low-voltage technologies and provides pin-level diagnostics for fast and accurate board repair. It is available with 256 to 2,048 multiplexed or nonmultiplexed pin configurations. Features...

Modular automation components.(Hardware)
August 1, 2003... These modular automation components do not require milling or drilling. When fastened, they are play-free and have a tensile load capacity up to 10,000 pounds per connector. All extrusions feature a 14-millimeter-wide T-slot. All extrusions are...

Components offer keyless locking.(Hardware)
August 1, 2003... These drive components have zero backlash and keyless locking mechanisms for shaft sizes as small as 6 millimeters. They are easy to install and are available in various styles for individual applications in carbon and stainless steel....

Ultrawide linear guide.(Hardware)
August 1, 2003... The Type SHW Linear guide has wide rails and a low center of gravity. It also has caged ball technology, which works by isolating each of the load carrying recirculating elements in the guides in an individual cage or pocket. Type SHW can be...

T-slotted frame with stanchions.(Hardware)
August 1, 2003... T-slotted frames with stanchions allow users to add a fourth or fifth axis of adjustability. Stanchions allow users to position camera equipment, scanning devices, light sources, photo sensors, computer monitors and actuators. The Quick Clamp...

Silicon brazing alloy.(Brazing & Soldering)
August 1, 2003... Called Blockade, this brazing alloy allows the user to see the work by forming a viewable seal that is leak-proof. It has a low brazing temperature of 228 F, which allows for more throughput, less gas consumption, less copper annealing or...

Water-based cement.(Brazing & Soldering)
August 1, 2003... A-VA Braz-Cement is low-viscosity, water-based cement with good powder-binding properties. The cement is a liquid binder that can be used with a wide variety of powdered filler metals to hold them in place prior to brazing. It is nontoxic,...

Low volatile alloys.(Brazing & Soldering)
August 1, 2003... Premabraze alloys are high purity, low volatile gold-, silver- and palladium-based alloys. After casting and processing, Premabraze alloys are fabricated in several sizes. These alloys can be used for electrical and electronic applications in...

Environmentally friendly flux.(Brazing & Soldering)
August 1, 2003... This flux contains no volatile organic content and requires no cleaning. MF101 is a replacement for most spray fluxing processes for through-hole components. It has a wide process window with reduced solder ball defects. It can be used with...

Fluoride-free flux.(Brazing & Soldering)
August 1, 2003... No. 650 fluoride-free brazing flux is formulated for used with cadmium-free, silver alloy and gold alloy filler metals. It can be use on copper, nickel, precious metal alloys and some ferrous metals. It will not release hydrofluoric acid or...

Safety platform.(PCB Assembly)
August 1, 2003... The Side Rider is an expandable safety platform that carries a MOLE profiler through beltless reflow ovens. It is available in two pan widths--5.5 inches and 6.5 inches. It holds the profiler assembly below the level of the oven chain, creating...

Lead cutter.(PCB Assembly)
August 1, 2003... The D-2c lead cutter for through-hole components is suitable for use with DIPs, PGAs and connectors. The unit is pneumatic and comes with a foot switch and scrap tray. The standard unit has a 2.5-inch-wide cutting area and a 2.5- by 4-inch...

Camera reads codes.(Sensors & Vision)
August 1, 2003... The Quadrus EZ smart camera reads 1D and 2D identification codes. With the field of view locator, the camera can be positively aligned to the symbol without the use of a video monitor or PC. Once the camera is aligned, it will automatically...

Linear position sensor.(Sensors & Vision)
August 1, 2003... The Model 9600 miniature linear motion position sensor is accurate over a temperature range of -40 C to 135 C. It withstands a shock of 50 g, vibration of 10,000 kilohertz, and humidity of 9.5 percent at 38 C. Mechanical life is 2 million full...

Vision system checks labels.(Sensors & Vision)
August 1, 2003... The iLabel machine vision appliance checks the placement and quality of labels on products. It verifies that the correct label is present and that it is correctly placed on the product. It then detects flags, tears, smears, splatter and...

Hand press.(Presses)
August 1, 2003... Hand-operated toggle and rack-and-pinion presses have ergonomic handles. These side-mounted, offset handles can be incrementally adjusted to the right position to suit the operator. They also have an extended horizontal surface with a soft,...

Press installs fasteners.(Presses)
August 1, 2003... The Model 1518 press installs large self-clinching fasteners. Fifteen- and 20-ton C-frame presses are available with PLC or PC control packages. Haeger Inc. www.haeger.com 209-847-7057 Reply 137

Column-mounted press.(Presses)
August 1, 2003... Both the head and the knee of this 3-ton column-mounted arbor press can be mounted with four bolts to any structural column or sturdy machine. The user can set the best distance between the head and knee, or additional mounting holes can be...

Electromechanical press.(Presses)
August 1, 2003... This CNC electromechanical press can be used to assemble and test springs, check valves, shock absorbers, antilock brakes, oxygen sensors and other critical parts. With a 20,000-pound capacity, the machine can press or pull to a set force or...

Pneumatic press.(Presses)
August 1, 2003... This pneumatic assembly press produces a maximum force of 2,500 pounds at 90 psi. Its throat depth is 4.5 inches, and it accepts die sets as large as 12 inches wide and 8 inches deep. The press has a Lexan access door with a safety interlock...

Gold plugs.(Pneumatics & Hydraulics)
August 1, 2003... Zero-Leak gold plugs are suitable for hydraulic and pneumatic applications. They won't leak or back out, even under vibration, temperature change or pressure-spike situations. The plugs don't require chemical sealants, and they can be resealed...

Where are the parts? You can greatly improve the profitability of your company by finding--and fixing--the real problems that are causing your parts shortages.(Uncommon Sense)
August 1, 2003... Why, after all these years, are parts shortages still the No. 1 issue for the assembly manager? Regardless of production volume or product complexity, assembly management spends most of its time working around parts shortages. So what have...