Assembly articles from July 2002

Assembly archives from July 2002

An overlooked resource. (Editorial).
July 1, 2002... What do colorful cell phones and the latest generation of handheld personal organizers have in common? Issues & Trends, a Kelly Engineering Resources report, answers its own question: Both were designed by women engineers. Whether colorful...

Controlling cylinders. (X-Y-Z).
July 1, 2002... In the first of our three-part series on pneumatic cylinders, we reviewed various cylinder types. In the second, we discussed how to size cylinders. This month, we'll address how to control them. Stroke speed is regulated with a flow...

Fastener demand to rise. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... CLEVELAND--Worldwide demand for fasteners is projected to rise 5 percent annually through 2006 to $46.4 billion. The major factor fueling this increase will be ongoing economic expansion within the developing nations of Asia and Latin...

Palomar forms alliances. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... VISTA, CA--Palomar has formed alliances with Axsys Technologies, Creative Automation and ILX Lightwave to provide a completely automated photonic component assembly line. The line consists of magazine loaders, an automated in-line adhesive...

Sandia invents secure bar code. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... LIVERMORE, CA--A Sandia National Laboratories team has created a bar code that is readable even if 70 percent is missing or obscured. The mottled spread-spectrum bar code resembles the marbled cover of a composition notebook. It contains...

Honoring Rosie the Riveter. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... SEATTLE--Remember the image of Rosie the Riveter flexing her muscles and urging U.S. women to help with the war effort by keeping the factories going during World War II? The Women in Trades Association sure remembers. It recently sponsored a...

Adept to extend support for legacy systems. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... SAN JOSE, CA--Adept Technology Inc. has formed an agreement with Advanced Technology Services (Peoria, IL) to extend the service life of Adept's oldest product lines. The agreement enables Adept customers to keep their multibus-controlled...

Nanomaterial has far-reaching implications. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, IL--Scientists at the University of Illinois and the University of Pennsyslvania (Philadelphia) have created a new class of nanomaterial with tunable electronic properties by filling the cores of single-wall nanotubes. ...

Employment improves for second quarter. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... MILWAUKEE--Hiring activity will improve in the second quarter, according to Manpower Inc. Of the nearly 16,000 firms interviewed, 21 percent expect to add employees in the second quarter. Only 10 percent of employers intend to reduce their...

Circuit board assembly market making a change. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... SAN JOSE, CA--The printed circuit board assemblies market is changing from through-hole to surface mount production. The change is due to smaller board space required by digital technology. The Global Fact Book of Surface Mount Technology...

Emerson & Cuming can simulate production conditions. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... BILLERICA, MA--Emerson & Cuming can now simulate actual production equipment used by its customers. The new research and development area has a Universal GMSxs pick-and-place machine. It places components on integrated circuit boards at...

Book explains Intelligent Vehicle Technologies. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... WARRENDALE, PA--A new book details the emerging technologies that will enable vehicles to drive independently with little or no assistance from people. Published by the Society of Automotive Engineers Inc. (SAE), Intelligent Vehicle...

GM donates pioneer robot to Smithsonian. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON--The Smithsonian Institution held a ceremony in April to recognize the contributions of an industrial robot. General Motors Corp. (Detroit) donated the robot, named "Alice," to the National Museum of American History. It joins a...

Feeling is believing. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA--Scientists at the University of British Columbia have developed a new technology that makes it possible to touch and feel simulated objects on a computer. The scientists integrated a robot and various sensors into a...

Association wants copper radiators. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK--The International Copper Association has started a public relations campaign aimed at convincing automobile manufacturers to replace aluminum radiators with copper. According to the association, copper heat exchangers are...

Partnership to develop hydrogen car. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... DETROIT--Following President Bush's call to reduce reliance on foreign oil, an automotive research partnership between the U.S. Council for Automotive Research and the U.S. Department of Energy has been formed. The partnership's goal is to...

Cognitens honored with Award. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... RAMAT HASHARON, ISREAL--Cognitens Ltd. is one of the winners of the 2001 Photonics Circle of Excellence Awards. The award was presented during the Photonics West Conference in San Jose, CA. It honors the 25 most technically innovative...

Controller helps with aerospace application. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... FORT MYERS, FL--Robotic Workspace Technologies Inc., a software developer for production automation, has installed its universal robot controller in an aerospace application. The controller and RobotScript, the software, replaced the Acramatic...

Survey covers pay in metal fabricating industry. (Assembly Lines).
July 1, 2002... ROCKFORD, IL--The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International (FMA) has issued its 2001 Metal Forming and Fabricating Industry Wage and Benefits Survey. This bi-annual report provides data on job titles in all technology sectors of...

Adhesive bonds aluminum. (Assembly in Action).
July 1, 2002... Panoz Auto Development Co. (Hoschton, GA) considers itself to be a renegade company that marches to a different drummer. Danny Panoz, president of Panoz, is the ultimate car guy. He has assembled a team of engineers, craftspeople and support...

Workstations provide assembly and flexibility. (Assembly in Action).
July 1, 2002... Before Steve Darmanin of Flextronics International (Palm Harbor, FL) reorganized workspaces in his production facility, visitors might have seen soldering irons piled on spools of solder, or a collage of cords, power strips, tweezers, pliers...

Epoxy helps build ships. (Assembly in Action).
July 1, 2002... The benefits of epoxy have long been known throughout the boat building industry, particularly for medium-and large-sized hulls. A company that has incorporated and embraced these benefits is Hodgdon Yachts (East Boothbay, ME). Established in...

Fasteners tighten online lottery terminals. (Assembly in Action).
July 1, 2002... If you buy a lottery ticket in the United States, chances are it will be issued by a machine built by GTECH Corp. (West Greenwich, RI). The company's units are stationed in convenience stores and other retail outlets in 29 states. When the...

Scales help company fill orders. (Assembly in Action).
July 1, 2002... At M&M Aerospace Hardware Inc. (Miami), quality counts. The company distributes nuts, bolts, washers, rivets and other hardware to manufacturers. Founded in 1974, it now has more than 300 employees and eight locations in the United States,...

The perils and profits of assembly cells: cellular assembly can slash work-in-process inventories and cut response times dramatically. But, it's not always the answer. (Cellular Assembly).
July 1, 2002... Many companies are rearranging their assembly operations into cells. According to an Industry Week survey, 19 percent of U.S. manufacturers practiced cellular manufacturing last year. In addition, when plant managers were asked what lean...

The expanded reach of laser marking: lasers are a flexible and reliable way to put data onto parts. (Parts Marking).
July 1, 2002... The arguments in favor of laser marking are strong. It's fast, flexible, reliable and permanent. It does not require consumables, such as ink. It is inherently noncontact; the material being marked is not dimensionally altered or stressed...

Bonding aluminum auto parts: automakers are using more and more aluminum to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel economy. (Ultrasonic Welding).
July 1, 2002... What do James Bond and aluminum have in common? The Aston Martin sportscar the debonair secret agent will drive across theatre screens in the upcoming motion picture, "Die Another Day," boasts a large percentage of aluminum parts. Indeed, the...

Assembly modules allow fast reaction. (Flexible Assembly).
July 1, 2002... Successful automotive suppliers have to respond quickly to new part designs, increasing part variety and rapid changes in production volume. Here's how one supplier uses a plug-and-produce approach to maximize assembly flexibility for...

Positive signs for manufacturing. (Assembly Trends).
July 1, 2002... The fourth annual Assembly East exhibition and conference, which was held May 1 to 2 at the Fort Washington Expo Center (Fort Washington, PA) was 2 days of encouragement for manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region. The mood throughout was...

Functional testing of PCBs: always employed as a final manufacturing step, functional testing provides a go or no-go decision on finished PCBs. (Electronics Assembly).
July 1, 2002... Finding defects in electronics assemblies is a never-ending search, driven by the need costs. Over time, this search has to improve the assembly process and product quality, and reduce manufacturing unearthed a wide range of test and inspection...

Cordless screwdriver. (Assembly Products).
July 1, 2002... The Exact cordless T-grip and angle pistol screwdrivers feature accurate, repeatable shut-off clutches (CMK of greater, than 2 at a tolerance of [+ or -]10 percent). The battery has a long run time per charge, and the tool provides optical and...

Material aids laser welding. (Assembly Products).
July 1, 2002... Clearweld is a process for transmission laser welding of both clear and colored plastics without the use of opaque materials or the addition of unwanted color. A thin layer of near-infrared-absorbing material is applied at the interface of two...

Enclosure protects controls. (Assembly Products).
July 1, 2002... The SL 2000 enclosure protects flat-screen industrial controls from damage. Constructed of lightweight extruded aluminum, the enclosure meets NEMA 12 and IP 65 protection standards. The enclosure allows controls to be suspended or mounted as a...

Conveyors with plastic belts. (Assembly Products).
July 1, 2002... The MPB series of plastic-belt conveyors comes in lengths of 2 to 30 feet and widths of 3.75, 6, 12, 18 and 24 inches. They can carry 50 to 150 pounds and achieve speeds of 250 fpm. Various belts are available, including an FDA-approved blend...

Low-dose X-ray inspection. (Assembly Products).
July 1, 2002... An option for X-ray inspection machines allows them to function with lower doses of radiation, so that high-reliability circuit boards can be safely inspected. An aperture completely blocks the X-rays while the board is moved to the next area...

Superbonding epoxy. (Adhesives).
July 1, 2002... Bond-It 7040 forms high-strength bonds to most metals, plastics, high- performance composites, glass, ceramics and dissimilar materials. The epoxy contains no volatiles or solvents, and it will not outgas. No two- or three-stage curing systems...

Methacrylate adhesive. (Adhesives).
July 1, 2002... Fusionbond is a two-component methacrylate adhesive that bonds diverse substrates, such as ABS, nylon, PVC, gel coats, PBT blends, steel and Teflon. Overlap shear strength ranges from 950 psi on polycarbonate substrates to 5,000 psi on abraded...

Instant adhesive. (Adhesives).
July 1, 2002... Zip Grip is a clear-drying cyanoacrylate adhesive that is suitable for a wide range of repair and bonding applications. It is available in three formulations--low viscosity for close-fitting parts, general-purpose and a stay-in-place gel. They...

Laminating tape. (Adhesives).
July 1, 2002... Transfer tapes are used to assemble membrane switches and nameplates. Backed with a highly opaque acrylic adhesive, the tapes are available in thicknesses of 2 and 5 mils. Single-linered tape is supplied on rolls in widths of 48 and 54 inches....

Stencil printing surface mount adhesive. (Adhesives).
July 1, 2002... D 125 F 3 is a one-component surface mount adhesive, which is suited for bonding large components, such as SOs and PLCCs, to PCBs. It resists stringing and sagging during curing and exhibits no moisture absorption of uncured material. Curing is...

Aircraft cargo hold tape. (Adhesives).
July 1, 2002... This 8-millimeter-thick, high-strength, flame-retardant tape meets Federal Aviation Authority and military requirements for joining, sealing and repairing liner panels in aircraft cargo holds. The tape is suitable for applications that need...

Dispensing cartridges. (Dispensing & Curing).
July 1, 2002... These one-piece cartridges are available in 50-, 200-, 400- and 600-milliliter sizes. The hermetically sealed closure breaks off cleanly and provides longer shelf life for cartridge contents. Pistons come with or without preassembled center air...

High-volume inline dispenser. (Dispensing & Curing).
July 1, 2002... The Axiom X-1010 is a high-volume inline dispensing system for surface mount applications. It is suitable for such applications as surface mount adhesive, solder paste and electrically conductive adhesive. It uses a controller area network bus...

Tabletop dispensing system. (Dispensing & Curing).
July 1, 2002... The ShotGun is a tabletop dispensing system for two-component adhesives prepackaged in the Mixpac system. It operates in two modes to dispense either a timer-controlled single shot or a continuous bead of adhesive. It is built using Mixpac 200-...

Inventory software. (Parts Feeders).
July 1, 2002... Piece Weight Lookup software allows scale operators to remotely receive and issue parts from up to 32 networked Model PC-820 digital counting scales while keeping the entire inventory on one shared computer. A screen displays on-line and...

Standard stocked slide. (Parts Feeders).
July 1, 2002... The Dora-Slide IV meets special applications. It can be used as an isolation shuttle typically found at the end of a parts feeder track. Tooling nests are mounted on the sliding table, which has tapped and dowel holes for location. Mounting and...

Stripper for magnet wire. (Wire Processing).
July 1, 2002... The Model L2S rotary insert stripper removes film insulation from round magnet wires sized 8 to 29 AWG. The wire is pushed into the rotating insert up to a depth stop and then withdrawn. The machine can strip flush to a coil body, or it can...

Automatic cutter. (Wire Processing).
July 1, 2002... The Marken 450 automatically measures and cuts wire, cable, hose, ribbon and tubing. It accepts material up to 3 inches wide and 1 inch tall. Able to measure in inches, millimeters or feet, the machine is accurate to within 0.1 percent to 0.5...

Crimping press. (Wire Processing).
July 1, 2002... The Crimper Plus 5-ton wire-terminating press has an integrated crimp-force monitor. It handles crimping jobs as large as three-wire cord sets. Variable speed and micro-jog modes facilitate precise setups. Kenco Press, Div. of Taber...

Wire-wrapping tool. (Wire Processing).
July 1, 2002... This pneumatic tool wraps wire around terminals and posts. It handles wire sizes 18 to 32 AWG. Model WG300 is trigger-activated; Model WG400 is triggerless. JDV Products Inc. www.jdvproducts.com 201-796-1720 Reply 119

Terminal crimping tool. (Wire Processing).
July 1, 2002... The Sta-Kon ERG-2008 Comfort Grip terminal crimping tool is a lightweight tool suitable for handling large, tubular, non-insulated terminals ranging from 8 to 1/0 AWG. The crimper has a short, ergonomic frame that requires less force....

Benchtop wire processor. (Wire Processing).
July 1, 2002... The Model 97 Compu-Strip automatically measures, cuts and strips stranded wire from 8 to 32 AWG, flat cable up to 0.52 inch wide, and multiconductor cable up to 0.3 12 inch OD. The blade mechanism on this programmable, benchtop machine is...

Handheld stripper. (Wire Processing).
July 1, 2002... The JIC-4473 is a handheld tool for cutting and stripping wire. The operator places the wire in the stripping slot, squeezes and pulls. The wire is stripped and cut to length. The tool has cushioned grips and interchangeable blades for wire...

Wire processing system. (Wire Processing).
July 1, 2002... The Contact wire processing system automatically cuts, strips, crimps, marks, tins, collects and sorts wire. It can also apply weather seals, make twisted pairs and double the same wire. Megomat USA Inc. www.megomat.com ...

Be more than you can be: Bureaucracy and social inertia are the greatest stumbling blocks in the path of a creative, inspired leader. (Uncommon Sense).
July 1, 2002... I never did care much for the Army's old recruiting slogan: "Be all that you can be." It seemed so shortsighted. I've always wanted to be more than I could be, and that's meant a life of learning and struggling to look beyond my own limited...