Assembly articles from March 2001

Assembly archives from March 2001

Excellence at Risk?
March 1, 2001... The path to manufacturing excellence begins in grade school classrooms. And the foundation for manufacturing excellence is not touchy-feely stuff; a solid foundation for manufacturing excellence is built on engineering, mathematics and science....

Stanley Air Tools Opens Applications Center.
March 1, 2001... CLEVELAND--Stanley Air Tools will open a new Application Development Center in Detroit this spring. The center will help customers resolve challenging assembly problems. "We're excited about opening our new facility and furthering our...

JOT Picks Adept Robots for Workcells.
March 1, 2001... OULUNSALO, FINLAND--JOT Automation Group PLC has selected Adept Technology Inc. (San Jose, CA) to provide robotic mechanisms, controllers and machine vision systems for its automated assembly cells. Adept SmartModules, AWC controllers and...

De-Sta-Co Acquires CPI Products.
March 1, 2001... MADISON HEIGHTS, MI--De-Sta-Co Industries has acquired CPI Products (Plymouth, MI), a supplier of end-of-arm, transfer press and assembly tooling products. De-Sta-Co makes manual, pneumatic and hydraulic clamps, grippers, robotic tool...

Robots May Be Underused for Material Handling Jobs.
March 1, 2001... ANN ARBOR, MI--Eighty percent of manufacturers that do not use robots for material handling applications would consider doing so, according to a study by the Robotic Industry Association (RIA). The study suggests that material handling is a...

Welding Questions Answered at Web Site.
March 1, 2001... SAN JOSE, CA--Engineers can get answers to questions about welding, brazing and soldering at a Web site operated by McWane & Associates, an engineering services firm. Located at www.materialsite.com, the Web site has a list of 50 topic...

Battery Sales to Reach $60 Billion.
March 1, 2001... CLEVELAND--Worldwide sales of disposable and rechargeable batteries will total $60 billion in 2004. According to a study by The Freedonia Group, battery sales will grow S percent annually during the next 4 years. Sales growth will be...

New Book Covers Rapid Prototyping.
March 1, 2001... NEW YORK--A new book covers the fundamentals of rapid prototyping technology. Published by Marcel Dekker Inc., Rapid Prototyping Technology: Selection and Application explains how to create accurate prototypes from CAD files with...

SME Offers Online Courses.
March 1, 2001... DEARBORN, MI--The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is offering two online courses: "Lean Manufacturing Fundamentals" and "Fundamentals of Planning Manufacturing Cells." "Lean Manufacturing Fundamentals" identifies the best practices for...

Seminar Covers Fastening Techniques for Aluminum.
March 1, 2001... CLEVELAND-A new seminar details various methods of fastening aluminum parts. Developed by the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI), the seminar includes lectures on the following topics: designing aluminum attachments; adhesive bonding;...

Leadership Is Crucial to Success of SPC System.
March 1, 2001... PORTLAND, OR--The difficult part of implementing a statistical process control system isn't the math, it's getting people to use the system. "SPC programs involve employees at many levels, from plant-floor operators who run the machines...

Web Site Sells Fasteners.
March 1, 2001... FAIRBANKS, AK--Assemblers can order fasteners in prototype or production quantities through a new Web site called www.skydock.com. The sites catalog lists more than 500,000 items, including thread-cutting and thread-rolling screws, machine...

New Newsletter Covers Display Technology.
March 1, 2001... NORWALK, CT--BCC Inc. has launched a monthly newsletter far manufacturers of displays, their components and materials. The newsletter will report on cathode ray, liquid crystal, electro-luminescent and other display technology; processing...

NEMA Marks 75 Years.
March 1, 2001... ROSSLYN, VA--The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year. Created by the merger of the Electric Power Club and the Associated Manufacturers of Electrical Supplies, NEMA provides a...

Cahners Sells ASSEMBLY.
March 1, 2001... OAK BROOK, IL--Cahners Business Information has sold ASSEMBLY magazine and nine other magazine titles to Business News Publishing (Troy, MI). Besides ASSEMBLY, Cahners sold Industrial Paint & Powder, Quality, Pollution Engineering, Supply...

Machine Tool Sales Decrease.
March 1, 2001... MCLEAN, VA--U.S. machine tool sales in October totaled $564 million, that's a decrease of 14 percent compared with September sales and a decrease of 17 percent compared with October 1999 sales. According to the Association for Manufacturing...

College Grads Rarely Stay at First Job.
March 1, 2001... BETHLEHEM, PA--Nearly 10 percent of newly hired college graduates leave their jobs within a year's time, according to a survey of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The survey found that the turnover...

Fishercast Gets Supplier Award.
March 1, 2001... PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO--One of the largest manufacturers of automotive window lift regulators in the North American market has named zinc die caster Fishercast as its Supplier of the Year. The company, Hi-Lex Controls, also presented...

Lamb Invents Roll Form Unit to Assemble Body Panels.
March 1, 2001... CHESTERFIELD, MI--Lamb Technicon Body & Assembly Systems has developed a new electric roll form machine to assemble highly contoured automotive exterior panels. The machine handles the difficult-to-hem, open-angled flanges that often...

AWS Issues New Standard for Weld Tests.
March 1, 2001... MIAMI--The American Welding Society (AWS) has completed a new edition of its standard for mechanically testing welds. Developed under the guidance of industry experts, the standard covers common methods for mechanical weld tests, including...

Employee Involvement Ensures Project Success.
March 1, 2001... PORTLAND, OR--No matter how aggressively managers try to get employees to accomplish company goals, they won't comply unless they really want to. A high level of employee involvement is vital to the success of any project, says Robert...

Defense Department Honors ACI.
March 1, 2001... PHILADELPHIA--The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI) has received the 2000 Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award for its work to develop a flexible manufacturing process for microwave vacuum devices. The award is given...

Sandia Labs Licenses MEMS Tools.
March 1, 2001... ALBUQUERQUE, NM--Sandia National Laboratories has licensed its micromachine design software to Microcosm Technologies Inc. (Cary, NC). The software helps engineers design microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and ensure that those designs...

PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
March 1, 2001... Managing time, personnel and financial resources appropriately is crucial to bringing an assembly project from the concept stage to profitable production. Good project managers are hard to find, according to popular wisdom. Well, yes...

PROCESS PLANNING: MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC?
March 1, 2001... Basic questions about the product must be addressed before requests for quotations are issued for an assembly project. One of my summer jobs as a college student was at a bottling plant. Machines automatically filled, capped and labeled the...

WRITING EQUIPMENT SPECS.
March 1, 2001... Here's how to write up the specifications for your capital equipment so you "engineer" a better result. Writing specifications is a critical but often overlooked facet of every assembly project. Engineers hate this task, finding it tedious...

THE ABCs OF AN RFQ.
March 1, 2001... Suppliers of automated assembly systems agree that the more information they have up front, the better they can serve the assembler. In today's manufacturing scene, companies must cut time to market to stay ahead of the pack. No matter how...

SELECTING TECHNOLOGY AND VENDORS.
March 1, 2001... When it's your turn to be the chooser, do your homework so you don't end up a loser. The process of selecting assembly technology and vendors is similar to finding a spouse. There are many different techniques that can be used to narrow...

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT JUSTIFICATION.
March 1, 2001... Purchasing agents and top management will be more likely to say "yes" if you provide solid economic analysis. The product has been designed. An assembly process has been laid out. Appropriate technologies and vendors have been selected. All...

Truck Tonneau Covers Bonded With Polyurethane.
March 1, 2001... To fabricate a new tonneau cover for pickup trucks, Leer Div., Truck Accessories Group Inc. (Elkhart, IN) is joining ABS and high-impact Telene thermoplastic panels using a polyurethane adhesive. Tom Kauble, director of engineering, says,...

Ultrasonic Technology Aids in Assembly of Pool Cleaners.
March 1, 2001... When Polaris Pool Systems (Vista, CA), a manufacturer of automatic pool cleaners, was experiencing gear jam-ups due to loose-fitting bearings, they turned to the SureWeld 20 ultrasonic plastic welder from Sonobond Ultrasonics (West Chester, PA)...

Alloy Compound Puts Sanding Tool in Orbit.
March 1, 2001... Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) continue to find use among manufacturers of power tools and other industrial applications. An example of this is an overmolding application for a palm-sized sanding tool from National Detroit Inc. (Rockford, IL),...

3D Models Brought to Life.
March 1, 2001... PTC (Waltham, MA), a collaborative product development company, is using Fakespace Systems Inc. (Kitchener, Canada) for stereoscopic visualization with built-in motion tracking and interactivity for virtual reality application suite...

Nylon Manifold Debuts on Light-Truck Engine.
March 1, 2001... North America's first multishell, vibration-welded intake manifold debuted on Ford's 5.4-liter, two-valve engines on the 1999 Ford F-series 150 and 250 light trucks, Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators. This manifold also marks the first use of...

Stripper Has Different Blades.
March 1, 2001... The Stripmaster Model 45-940 automatically strips wire in sizes 8 to 30 AWG. Strip length can be set from 0.06 to 1 inch. This pneumatic machine has an automatic trigger and can process 2,200 wires per hour. It can be equipped with standard...

Machine Assembles Round Parts.
March 1, 2001... This continuous motion assembly machine handles round and irregularly shaped parts used in pumps, valves, syringes and other products. The machine can assemble more than 500 parts per minute. It holds parts securely as they revolve around a...

Machine Feeds, Installs Standoffs.
March 1, 2001... This electric screwdriver and feeder are used to install standoffs. A vibratory bowl feeds standoffs in less than 1 second via a flexible tube to the front of the driver. Narrow jaws allow access to tight quarters. The operator pushes the...

Terminals for Car Wires.
March 1, 2001... Standard and custom wire terminals are available for spark plugs, wiper motors and other automotive applications. Terminals can be stamped from brass, tinned steel, stainless steel, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze and other alloys in...

Machine Strips Glass Fibers.
March 1, 2001... The FiberStrip 7030 strips buffers and coatings from glass fibers. It has a precision die blade and centering system. Heating temperature and dwell time are adjustable. Grippers are available for use with jacketed cables, and an adapter is...

Foam Tape Retards Flame and Smoke.
March 1, 2001... The F Series line of fire-retardant foam tape resists combustion and helps prevent flame spread and smoke. This tape can be combined with new materials, along with other foams and tapes to meet environmental regulations. It conforms to...

Temperature-Resistant Silicone Encapsulant.
March 1, 2001... This one-part thixotropic silicone paste, 5071, is a reworkable ultraviolet cure silicone encapsulant that masks sensitive fine pitch leads, protecting them from extreme thermal cycling conditions. It is suitable for automotive electronics and...

Premixed and Frozen Epoxy Adhesives.
March 1, 2001... Scotch-Weld 190-PMF, 460-PMF and 2216-PMF epoxy adhesives are weighed, mixed and degassed before freezing. This reduces bubbles and promotes a clean bond. The adhesives are available in 3-, 5-, 10- and 30-cc syringes.

Quick Curing Epoxy.
March 1, 2001... Epoxy Plus 25, 5-Minute epoxy, 2-Ton Clear Coat and HP 250 bond rigid, durable substrates, such as metal, glass, ceramic, concrete and wood. They quickly cure at room temperature to a hard, clear bond. They are applied with a dispenser that...

High-Tack Adhesive Tape.
March 1, 2001... The IB-2130 family of high-tack, double-coated adhesive tape is suitable for gasketing, dust sealing and sound-deadening applications. Its softness makes it easy to bond to a wide variety of materials.

Piston Valve Lubricates Hardware Components.
March 1, 2001... A timed air pulse enables the 725DA-SS to place uniform dots and neat beads of grease on hinges, slides and other hardware with moving components. The pneumatically operated piston valve has no seals to deteriorate, leak or degrade performance....

Bead Dispense System.
March 1, 2001... The Program-A-Bead 995 meter, mixer and dispenser can be used with automated assembly machines. It dispenses a two-component flexible silicone at variable flow rates to make formed-in-place gaskets. A servo drive controls the flow rate. The...

Infrared Spot Curing System.
March 1, 2001... The Novacure infrared light spot curing system allows inline curing of thermal epoxies. Built-in intelligence, thermal sensing and reporting features allow post-curing of ultraviolet and visible light-cure materials. Infrared light is delivered...

Micro Dispenser for Small Amounts.
March 1, 2001... The two-component TAH Plus 9-milliliter micro dispenser is suited for jobs requiring tiny amounts of material and precise material placement. A 1-to-1 ratio cartridge and choice of mixers eliminates measuring.

Post-Reflow Equipment for PCB Inspection.
March 1, 2001... KS 50 allows screening and verification either before or after reflow. Using proprietary Statistical Appearance Modeling software, the equipment performs 100 percent inspection of PCBs at production line speed.

Fastener and Formed Part Inspection Machine.
March 1, 2001... The I-2000 uses machine vision to inspect production part dimensions to print specifications. The equipment can also be configured to inspect assembled products for dimensional conformity, and perform part and feature verification on-line and...

Black Light for Inspection.
March 1, 2001... The UV illuminator can be used wherever black light is needed for inspection. The 2 1/8- by 1 1/4-inch, 1-ounce Con-trol-cure illuminator has an intensity of 1,000 microwatts per square centimeter.

PCB Component Inspection Unit.
March 1, 2001... The Vectoral Imaging unit, for inspecting components on PCBs, can adapt to the shape, size and orientation of every component on the board. By analyzing the geometric information, it can determine the component's position on the board.

High-Speed Laser Sorter.
March 1, 2001... The USS-1000 high-speed laser sorter combines laser technology with optical sensors to inspect small, high-volume components. This unit can be used as a standalone inspection unit or mounted into an assembly process. Sorting rate ranges to 200...

Rodless Cylinder Slide.
March 1, 2001... Series SG slide with rodless cylinder provides high load-carrying capability with up to 50 percent space savings. Units come in four sizes with travel lengths up to 36 inches. Options include adjustable cushions, standard magnetic piston, shock...

Motor Drive With Versatile Mounting Options.
March 1, 2001... The 2.5-amp CY-45 has a footprint smaller than a playing card. Mounting slots permit vertical and horizontal mounting. This bipolar chopper-type drive works with all two-and four-phase step motors in the full- and half-step mode. The module...

Workstation and Dust Collector.
March 1, 2001... The ProCenter combines a workstation plus dust collector. The ergonomic design allows an operator to sit comfortably while performing micro-abrasion-blasting operations. Visibility is also enhanced.

Electronic Counting Scale.
March 1, 2001... Super II electronic counting scale is ideal for material handling, inventory control and packaging applications. It is available in four capacities, ranging from 25.000 to 60,000 grams. Database allows long-term storage of part numbers with...

Industrial Oven.
March 1, 2001... The Shrink industrial oven shrinks heat-shrink tubing. It has electronic temperature control and 99 programs for storing speeds and temperatures. Temperature range is from room temperature to 350 F. Oven's opening is 6 by 12 inches. The...

Heavy-Duty Production Unit Swager.
March 1, 2001... The FP 165 swager is suitable for large swaging operations. It has a 13-inch master die opening and a swaging force of 500 tons. Swaging to an exact dimension and adjustment to 0.001-inch increments are possible. Two control options are...

Cable Resists Moisture and Water.
March 1, 2001... Special jacketing, swelling fillers or tapes, and coating materials give cables resistance to water in underwater or marine environments. Applications range from power and control cables for container ports, to fiber optic systems for...

Good Old Joe and Jane.
March 1, 2001... The fact is, you can never replace a long-tem person, and ironically, that's usually a good thing. A long-time employee has just left the firm. Your first concern is, "What will we do without him or her?" The second is, "How do we find a...