Assembly articles from March 2004

Assembly archives from March 2004

Too much productivity?(Editorial)
March 1, 2004... "Can we have too much productivity improvement?" At first glance, of course not; the goodness of productivity improvement is a given in U.S. manufacturing culture. We are driven by the "obvious" need to continuously improve productivity. But...

The ABCs of XYZ.(X-Y-Z)
March 1, 2004... This month marks the 25th installment of ASSEMBLY's X-Y-Z column. During my interviews with suppliers of motion control technology over the past 2 years, I often heard the same complaint: Many manufacturing engineers are confused about certain...

Solder dispenser connects the dots.(Assembly in Action)
March 1, 2004... Evergreen Solar (Marlboro, MA) manufactures photovoltaic modules for residential and commercial use. Two series of modules are offered. One has 72 cells, and the other has 36 cells. Applications for the modules can range from a 50-watt system...

Software helps distributor manage expensive inventory.(Assembly in Action)
March 1, 2004... Few people knew the definition of the word "ergonomic" in the mid-1980s when Productive Tool Products (St. Louis) started selling tools designed to reduce repetitive stress and job-related injuries. "We actually had a plaque in our lobby...

Center incorporates X-ray inspection.(Assembly in Action)
March 1, 2004... The Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT, Rochester, NY) Center for Electronics Manufacturing and Assembly (CEMA) is one of the most advanced of any university in the world. It provides facilities, equipment and technical expertise to help...

Robots provide guidance for medical device assembly system.(Assembly in Action)
March 1, 2004... Prodosyst Automation (San Diego) is using Adept Technology Inc. (Livermore, CA) robots, vision systems and controls for its TrueFlex automated medical device assembly system. With frequent product changes and new product introductions,...

Automation simplifies difficult project.(Assembly in Action)
March 1, 2004... DT Industries Inc. provides automation systems for assembling, testing and packaging various consumer and industrial products. DT's Assembly and Test division in Dayton, OH, was commissioned to provide an assembly system to an automotive...

Six-axis robots add value.(Assembly in Action)
March 1, 2004... Holloid Plastics Ltd. (Basingstroke, England) is a family business that began its life with only one injection molding machine. Today the company operates more than 30 molding machines of up to 650 tons in capacity, producing a wide range of...

Laser diode assembly cell advances precision automation.(Assembly in Action)
March 1, 2004... Bookham Technology has purchased Palomar Technologies Inc.'s (Vista, CA) laser diode assembly cell (LDA) to complement its automated equipment for volume manufacturing and new product development at its facility in Paignton, England. The...

[C.sub.pk] process monitoring conventional air presses & ServoPress Systems.(Assembly Solutions)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2004... SCHMIDT Technology's line of intelligent pressing systems can provide you with unique assembly solutions as well as high quality process verification. To meet your specific needs and budget, we offer either Servo Motor Powered Press Technology...

Build it in the USA: a new government study addresses the challenges faced by American manufacturers.(State of Manufacturing Report)
March 1, 2004... Author Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) once remarked, "reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." The same can be said for American manufacturing. Despite losing almost 3 million jobs over the past 3 years, manufacturing is still alive. ...

Old game, new rules: automation players adapt to change as new projects start to ramp up.(Assembly Planbook)
March 1, 2004... "No Child Left Behind" is a controversial topic that is sparking a heated nationwide debate. Proponents want to ensure that all children receive an equal education. Opponents argue that it's impossible to apply the same rules to everyone,...

How the winners keep winning: being a world-class manufacturer means being successful against your competition.(Assembly Planbook)
March 1, 2004... Everyone has heard the saying, "It's a poor mechanic who blames his tools." That is certainly a dangerous attitude for a manufacturer to have during good economic times. It's even more fatal during recessions, because everyone knows that during...

Technology showcase in Munich: a thriving European market for robotics and automation inspires a new trade show.(Automatica)
March 1, 2004... In 2003 the turnover of the robotics and automation business in Germany grew 7 percent, reaching 6.5 billion Euros ([euro]). Despite stagnation of the German economy in 2003, the turnover of this sector of industry has tripled since 1994 and...

Robots aid gear shafts under fire: a robot-based production cell surface-finishes gear shafts at OPEL Powertrain GmbH.(Automatica)
March 1, 2004... With a new robot-based production cell in place for surface-finishing gear shafts, OPEL Powertrain GmbH in Ruesselsheim, Germany, has started production on six-speed F40 gearboxes. The new plant is designed for a capacity of 230,000 gear units...

New car seat gets new transfer system: a transfer system assembles a line of new car seats.(Automatica)
March 1, 2004... When car manufacturers build new cars, they usually build new production lines. And their suppliers often do the same. To meet increasing expectations, automotive supplier Faurecia (Stadthagen, Germany) installed the TS 4plus transfer system...

Circumventing Murphy: to err is human; to prevent errors is the engineer's job.(Assembly Planbook)
March 1, 2004... "The best laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft agley," wrote Robert Burns in To a Mouse. Assemblers who aren't familiar with the works of the 18th century Scottish poet surely know a more contemporary American truism: Whatever can go wrong,...

Waste not, want not: recycling saves assemblers money, while saving the environment.(Assembly Planbook)
March 1, 2004... In grammar school, it's important to learn the three R's: reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic. At assembly plants throughout the country, a growing number of engineers are learning a new set of three R's: reduce, reuse and recycle. Larry...

Do-it-yourself automation: there are pros and cons to in-house projects.(Assembly Planbook)
March 1, 2004... Faced with a "simple" plumbing problem, such as installing a new faucet, many homeowners choose to do-it-themselves. For some people, this can be a cost-effective and personally satisfying experience. For others, it can mean frustration and...

Two-arm fume extraction system.(Products)
March 1, 2004... This portable, two-arm fume extraction system, called the BVX-200, has a one-stage impeller design. The BVX-200 has both pre- and main filters. The filter system has been designed to allow the pre- and main filters to be changed individually....

Wave solder analysis software.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Insight Software monitors wave soldering without a dedicated wave analyzer. The system uses three custom-designed thermocouples to monitor the wave parameter, leaving three thermocouples to monitor the preheat temperatures. Preheat analysis...

Depanelization router.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Final Touch 101 depanelization router comes in a single- or dual-spindle configuration, and in a standalone or inline automated configurations. The system has a split-axis design and can achieve table speeds of up to 1,500 inches per minute....

Static carts push and stop automatically.(Products)
March 1, 2004... These carts can now be equipped with specialized floor stops. The brakes are automatically applied when the operator releases a spring-loaded handle. To move the cart again, the operator squeezes the cart handle and brake handle together. ...

Adjustable needle valve.(Products)
March 1, 2004... The TS5440 adjustable needle valve makes precise deposits of low- to medium-viscosity materials. The minimum shot size is 0.5 microliter, and there is no "dead fluid volume." Consistent shot sizes are achieved using a short opening stroke and a...

Job enrichment ... not.(Uncommon Sense)
March 1, 2004... Here's how clever I'm not! Years ago, I was a foreman in a machine shop, with a mechanical engineering degree and every intention of creating a better world. A seminar on job enrichment inspired me to enrich the jobs of my direct reports by...