Assembly articles from February 2002

Assembly archives from February 2002

Turning Point. (Editorial).
February 1, 2002... It has been overlooked by many that one of the fundamental contributors to a strong economy--productivity growth--has stubbornly insisted on remaining healthy, even while some parts of the so-called "new economy" like the fabled dot.coms have...

Super scooter or silly side-wheeler?: A brief look at novel products, evolving technology and new manufacturing methods. (Down the Line).
February 1, 2002... It looks like an old-fashioned, push lawnmower. But, it's hailed as the personal transportation device of the 21st century. The recent unveiling of the battery-powered, two-wheeled device generated widespread publicity. Is it a new type of...

Do touch that dial! (X-Y-Z).
February 1, 2002... One of the simplest devices for partially automating an assembly process is a rotary indexing table. This device consists of a circular steel plate and a drive for turning it. Parts rest in nests spaced equally along the table's...

2001 Income and salary data released. (Assembly Lines).
February 1, 2002... ALEXANDRIA, VA--The average salary for engineers rose from $88,163 to $91,741 per year between 2000 and 2001, an increase of 4.06 percent, according to a survey by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). The median income for an...

Robot orders decline 30 percent. (Assembly Lines).
February 1, 2002... ANN ARBOR, MI--North American robotics companies have seen new orders decline by 30 percent in the first 9 months of 2001, according to new statistics released by Robotic Industries Association (RIA). Through September, North American robot...

Tool sales to exceed $15 billion in 2005. (Assembly Lines).
February 1, 2002... CLEVELAND--According to the Freedonia Group Inc., U.S. demand for power and hand tools is expected to increase over 4 percent annually to $15.1 billion in 2005. Advances will result from upgrades to more powerful, high-end power tools, and from...

Ebbert and Huck merge. (Assembly Lines).
February 1, 2002... TROY, MI--Ebbert Engineering Co. has merged with Huck Fasteners (Tucson, AZ). Ebbert Engineering will operate under its established name and continue to offer its full line of riveting tools and installation equipment. Huck manufactures...

Caterpillar to distribute fuel cells. (Assembly Lines).
February 1, 2002... PEORIA, IL--Caterpillar Inc. and FuelCell Energy Inc. (Danbury, CT) have signed an agreement to distribute ultra-low emission fuel cell products for industrial and commercial use. Fuel cells are like continuously running batteries that...

Plant strengthens Biodegradable plastic. (Assembly Lines).
February 1, 2002... COVENTRY, ENGLAND--Automobile manufacturers are coming under increasing pressure to build cars that won't just rust away in junkyards once they've reached the end of the road. Biodegradable plastics could help, but they are too weak to be of...

Reference books cover plastic molding. (Assembly Lines).
February 1, 2002... CINCINNATI--Hanser Gardner Publications has published two new reference books for engineers who work with plastic parts. Injection Molding Handbook presents an up-to-date review of injection molding processing equipment and techniques,...

Merger Streamlines manufacturing process. (Assembly Lines).
February 1, 2002... COLORADO SPRINGS, CO--Avalanche Industries has merged with CEH Metal Technologies (Englewood, CO) and Scientific Dimensions (Albuquerque, NM) to form Synergy Manufacturing Technologies Inc. Corporate headquarters are located Englewood, with...

ConProTec Forms custom products division. (Assembly Lines).
February 1, 2002... SALEM, NH--ConProTec, a manufacturer of two-component adhesive dispensing systems and static mixers, has opened a custom products division in Salem. This shop will focus on modifying static mixers to meet the application needs of its customers....

Capital equipment optimizes profits. (Assembly in Action).
February 1, 2002... Josh Lee, sales manager for Silver State Wire (Reno, NV), knows that customer satisfaction is important when running a small business. Therefore, Lee's job entails more than just sales. He also plays a major role in selecting capital equipment....

Workbenches help improve efficiency and productivity. (Assembly in Action).
February 1, 2002... When talking about humble origins, Hypertherm Inc. (Hanover, NH) can match stories with anyone. The company began 30 years ago in a small garage. Now, the company employs more than 400 people and has subsidiaries in Germany, Singapore and the...

Dispensing technology dispenses reliability and faster cycle times. (Assembly in Action).
February 1, 2002... By using Asymtek's (Carlsbad, CA) dispensing technology, Philips Consumer Communications Div., a division of Royal Philips Electronics (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), has improved the reliability of its mobile phones and is experiencing faster...

Software trims production time. (Assembly in Action).
February 1, 2002... Consumer demand for the Chrysler PT Cruiser is setting records across North America. To meet consumer demand and on-time delivery, DaimlerChrysler (Auburn Hills, MI) uses a Centralized Vehicle Scheduler (CVS) based on ILOG Solver optimization...

Closed-circuit video system provides silent surveillance. (Assembly in Action).
February 1, 2002... Closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) allow individuals to see in areas where they are not physically present. Today, numerous merchants, bankers, factory owners, hotel managers and other business people use CCTV technology as a crime...

Vision sensor ensures correct dispensing. (Assembly in Action).
February 1, 2002... Metrika Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA), a manufacturer of single-use, quantitative medical devices for people with diabetes, produces diabetes test meters that measure levels of hemoglobin A1c in blood. It performs an 8-minute analysis on a blood sample,...

Splice resists heat and reduces production costs. (Assembly in Action).
February 1, 2002... Electro-Flex Heat (Bloomfield, CT) manufactures flexible, heated straps for a variety of applications, including chemical manufacturing, aerospace and medical equipment. The straps are used as pre-heaters, delivering heat to specific areas. ...

Driving on automatic: With careful planning, assemblers can get the most out of automatic screwdriving equipment. (Screwdriving).
February 1, 2002... In most assemblies that are joined with threaded fasteners, the cost of the fasteners is not as important as the cost of installing them. Automation is one way to control that cost-but only if assemblers think ahead. In that regard,...

Fine-tuning parts placement. (Parts Positioning).
February 1, 2002... Parts handling is a critical challenge in automated assembly. Without it, automation is not possible. Freeing an operator from manually orienting and positioning parts allows manufacturers to increase cost savings and improve quality. ...

The mechanical marvel: The first fully automated assembly line was created more than 80 years ago. (Then & Now).
February 1, 2002... Imagine that you're a contestant on a TV game show. You have a chance to walk away with more than $1 million if you can answer the following question: What year did the first fully automated assembly line debut? Choose one of the...

Fiber optics: Photonic component assembly poses numerous challenges and endless automation opportunities. (Assembly Handbook).
February 1, 2002... The concept behind fiber optics is relatively simple. Just take a flashlight and shine it through one end of a transparent tube of glass or plastic in a dark room. Of course, it's a lot more complicated than that. The big challenge is...

Getting the vapors: The increasing use of lead-free solder has renewed interest in the vapor phase reflow process. (Electronics Assembly).
February 1, 2002... To eliminate lead from their products, electronics assemblers will have to do more than just change solder alloys. They'll have to change their reflow process, too. And while they're at it, assemblers may want to take a new look at an old...

Cylinder is accurate. (Assembly Products).
February 1, 2002... The Powerpackage pneumatic cylinder has a magnetorestrictive position transducer, giving it a positional repeatability of [+ or -]10 microns. Available in straight or piggyback configurations, the cylinder can generate 100 tons of force with a...

High-speed pallet conveyor. (Assembly Products).
February 1, 2002... The Supertrak high-speed pallet conveyor offers fully programmable, independent control over the direction, acceleration, speed and position of each pallet. Routing can be controlled station by station, or via individual pallet programming....

Press strips and crimps. (Assembly Products).
February 1, 2002... A wire stripping module is available for the Amp-O-Lectric Model G wire terminating press. The stripper accepts wire sizes 14 to 32 AWO and works with both end- and side-feed applicators. Strip length is adjustable from 0.1 to 0.4 inch. The...

Linear actuator with load cell. (Assembly Products).
February 1, 2002... The Eliminator HD is a heavy-duty, ballscrew-driven linear actuator. It can be equipped with an optional, internal load cell so that axial force can be continuously measured. The actuator can measure force from 2,000 to 24,000 pounds in both...

Miniature screws. (Fasteners).
February 1, 2002... Miniature screws are made from brass, stainless steel, titanium and other metals. Metric thread sizes range from 0.5 to 1.2 UNM; standard threads range from 0000-160 to 2-56. Screw length ranges from 1.5 to 12.5 millimeters. Stock head styles...

Standoffs attach without screws. (Fasteners).
February 1, 2002... Snap-Top standoffs attach to printed circuit boards and subassemblies without screws or other threaded fastening hardware. A spring action holds the board or panel in place. The standoffs can be installed in sheets as thin as 0.04 inch. They...

Cordless shutoff tools. (Power Tools).
February 1, 2002... These portable, cordless fastening tools provide precise torque control when air or electricity is unavailable. They have automatic shutoff, nonslip handles, low vibration, comfortable temperature, oil-free operation and industrial-grade...

OSHA-friendly rivet gun. (Power Tools).
February 1, 2002... 2000 Series rivet guns weigh a fraction of traditional rivet guns. These OSHA-friendly tools are suitable for the appliance, automotive, boat-building, truck- and trailer-building, and general metal working industries. The line features...

Unit monitors press applications. (Test & Measurement).
February 1, 2002... The PC-AMS performs online evaluations of press-fit, insertion, staking and crimping operations. The system consists of a microprocessor-based electronic unit that monitors signals from force and position sensors mounted on the press arm. It...

Tester finds shorts. (Test & Measurement).
February 1, 2002... The SF-10 finds electrical shorts in printed circuit boards. The operator sweeps a wire brush over the board to isolate the suspected short to a small region. Then, test probe is used to identify the specific components affected. Reply 109...

Nothing is ever easy. (Uncommon Sense).
February 1, 2002... I'll never forget the day when a new employer told me that one of my references said I was the best person he knew at process optimization. This reference was a widely respected leader in the electronics industry, as well as a friend, but was...