Assembly articles from October 2003

Assembly archives from October 2003

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October 1, 2003... CLICK ON Torque Calculator What torque should be applied to a standard 1/4-20 bolt to get a clamp load of 25 pounds? Find out with our online torque calculator! Adhesive Selector Guide What adhesive is best for binding rubber...

Foundation for the future.(Editorial)
October 1, 2003... From defense to infrastructure to telecommunications to consumer gadgetry, it is the technical workforce, principally engineers, who transform technology into products that enhance the quality of our lives. Thus the increasing popularity of...

Stealth and speed will propel future Navy.(Down the Line)
October 1, 2003... Throw those anchors away, because this ain't your uncle's navy. To keep up with evolving military strategies, the U.S. Navy is developing a variety of high-tech tools that emphasize speed, stealth and maneuverability. A new class of...

Biofuel cell may replace batteries.(Down the Line)
October 1, 2003... A team of chemists at St. Louis University have developed a battery that runs off of alcohol and enzymes. Some day, it could replace rechargeable batteries. Instead of plugging into a fixed power outlet and waiting for a recharge, these new...

Underwater power plant.(Down the Line)
October 1, 2003... The world's first tidal stream power plant is producing electricity in Kvalsundet, Norway. The unique underwater facility will produce 32 GWh per year. Power is generated by a series of windmill-like devices located 50 meters under the sea...

Battery power hits the rails.(Down the Line)
October 1, 2003... It has been 50 years since American railroads began phasing out steam locomotives and replacing them with more efficient diesel power. A similar evolution may be about to occur. The Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Omaha, NE) has been testing a...

Friction heat welds aluminum car parts.(Down the Line)
October 1, 2003... Mazda Motor Corp. (Hiroshima, Japan) claims it has developed the world's first process for joining aluminum body parts using friction heat. The friction stir welding technology was first used to assemble the hood and rear doors of the new Mazda...

New polymer creates flexible medical devices.(Down the Line)
October 1, 2003... Researchers at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) have discovered how to transfer the optical properties of silicon crystal sensors to plastic, an achievement that could lead to the development of flexible, implantable devices...

Belt drives are a cinch.(X-Y-Z)
October 1, 2003... There are many ways to move a part or tool from point A to point B in a straight line, including ballscrews, linear motors, and rack-and-pinion systems. But, for applications requiring high speeds, long travel lengths and high duty cycles, it's...

Engine powers team to win in solar challenge.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... CLAREMONT, CA-In the spirit of the Jamaican bobsled team, the Sunsetters, a solar race team from North Dakota State University (Fargo, ND), crossed the Southern California finish line first in the stock class of the American Solar Challenge....

Loctite offers workshops on electronic materials.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... INDUSTRY, CA--Henkel Loctite Corp. is hosting electronic materials technology workshops. These free seminars educate participants about the key materials used in electronics manufacturing. Henkel Loctite engineering and technical...

Fisher Gauge becomes FisherCast Global Corp.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO, CANADA--Fisher Gauge Ltd. and its Fishercast Division have changed their name to FisherCast Global Corp. "FisherCast Global Corp. better reflects the international scope of the company's position in molten metal...

AWS and GAWDA combine trade Shows.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... MIAMI--The Gases and Welding Distributors Association's (GAWDA) Spring Management Conference will join with the American Welding Society's (AWS) Welding Show, which will be held on April 6 to 8. 2004, in Chicago. Two new attractions at the...

DVT offers product training and sessions.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... DULUTH, GA--The Seventh Annual DVT Global Business meeting--to be held Nov. 2 to 6 at Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix-will focus on end-users and their system integrators. The annual business meeting will be followed by 3 days of product...

Welding PSA wins award.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... MIAMI--The public service announcement "Welding Holds the World Together" won "Best Public Service Announcement by a Local Company" at Media Communications Association International (MCAI) Cleveland chapter's North Coast Video awards. AVID...

Skilled worker shortage will be problematic.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... WASHINGTON--The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) told a high-level interagency roundtable that the retirement of baby boomers in a few years will lead to a critical shortage of workers with the necessary skills to compete in a...

Ergonomics seminars scheduled for fall.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... ANN ARBOR, MI--Humantech has announced its upcoming ergonomics seminars for fall 2003. During these ergonomic seminars, health and safely staff, engineers, facilities managers and ergonomics committees will learn to maximize the benefits of an...

Robot sales increase in first half of 2003.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... ANN ARBOR, MI--According to the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), 7,005 robots valued at $446.2 million were ordered by North American manufacturing companies through June. An additional 211 robots valued at $19.5 million were ordered from...

Michigan governor challenges governors to preserve manufacturing.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... LANSING, MI-Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has vowed to enlist her fellow governors in the fight to maintain the country's manufacturing industry. The governor made this promise at the opening session of the Center for Automotive Research...

Manufacturing receives shot in the arm.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... WASHINGTON--The U.S, economy got two more shots in the arm, with better-than-expected news concerning manufacturing and consumer confidence. According to the Commerce Department, durable goods orders jumped 1 percent in July, marking the...

Vantico's restructuring is complete.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK--Huntsman now has full operational and financial control of Vantico and has renamed it Huntsman Advanced Materials. It will be managed as part of Huntsman's Polyurethanes and Specialties Division. Huntsman Advanced Materials...

SMTA and Asymtek partner for meeting in Costa Rica.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... CARLSBAD, CA-The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) opened a new chapter Costa Rica, and held its first meeting that included a technical conference on August 13. Held at the Costa Rica Investment Board in La Uruca San Jose, the...

"Twinning" phenomenon found in nanocrystalline aluminum.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... BALTIMORE--Using a powerful electron microscope to view atomic-level details, Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a "twinning" phenomenon in a nanocrystalline form of aluminum that was plastically deformed during lab experiments. The...

Robot tested at Johns Hopkins.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... BALTIMORE--A robot being tested at Johns Hopkins Hospital could be used to link patients with their physicians in a whole new way. The robot sports a computer screen for a head, a video camera for, eyes and a speaker for a mouth. It can...

PCB market is improving for fabricators.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... EL DORADO HILLS, CA--The printed circuit board industry is improving, according to the Printed Circuit Board Resource Center. According to the survey, all regions reported improving conditions. Of the fabricators surveyed, 91 percent were...

Primer answers RFID questions.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... PITTSBURGH--AIM Inc. has released RFID FAQs, Not Fiction. Tile primer addresses commonly asked questions and misconceptions about radio frequency identification (RFID), its applications and recent privacy questions. "RFID is a well-known...

Applying translational friction welding to engine components.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... COLUMBUS, OH--The Navy Joining Center (NJC) is studying the use, of translational friction welding to produce titanium bladed-disk (blisk) components for turbine engines. This project is a cooperative effort with Naval Air Systems Command,...

Car sales hit new high in August.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... DETROIT--Record high gasoline prices and the blackout that darkened much of the eastern Untied States did little to dim U.S. new vehicle sales in August, which are expected to hit their strongest level of the year. Steve Lyons, the head of...

"Moonshine" elevates assembly line.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... CHICAGO--Assembly innovations sometimes originate in unusual places. In the spring of 2001, Bob Harms and Larry Larson stumbled upon an idea in a barnyard in rural Washington state. The two men are part of a factory team called the "moonshine...

Christopher Group acquires EPC Corp.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2003... SANTA ANA, CA--Christopher Group Inc. has purchased EPC Corp. (Dallas) and will relocate EPC's manufacturing to Christopher's California headquarters. EPC is a manufacturer of verification and repair software, and workstations for the...

Workbenches contribute to lean manufacturing.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2003... Hamilton Sundstrand's Phoenix facility is an integral part of the electronics manufacturing operation within the company's Aerospace Power Systems business. Products manufactured at the Phoenix facility are found on most aircraft. Challenged to...

Design firm helps bring analyzer to market.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2003... Candela Instruments (Fremont, CA) supplies optical surface analyzers (OSAs) to the data storage industry. The company needed to quickly move its disk surface scanning technology into full production. The company had proven the technology with a...

Car seat fittings benefit from robots.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2003... Lanz Industrietechnik AG (Wolfwil, Switzerland) specializes in metal extruding and joining techniques, such as welding, riveting and extrusion joining. The company uses conveyors and robots from Bosch Rexroth AG (Lohr am Main, Germany) to...

UV lamps provide speed and consistency to needle assembly.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2003... One could say that Futura Medical Corp.'s (Solana Beach, CA) main focus is furthering "sharps safety" to users of syringes, lancets and scalpels. One of the company's newest safety solutions is the Futura Safety Syringe, which incorporates...

Automation allows adaptation for gear production.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2003... Shorter innovation cycles are leading to modifications in production processes at the DaimlerChrysler facilities in Gaggenau, Germany, and Rastatt, Germany. The Gaggenau and Rastatt facilities manufacture gearboxes for light-, medium- and...

Consultant helps tire pressure sensor maker increase volume.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2003... Currently, Schrader Electronics Ltd. (Antrim, Northern Ireland) is the only volume manufacturer of tire pressure sensors in the United Kingdom. And even though the company is experienced in manufacturing tire pressure sensors in high volume, it...

Are your specs raising the cost of automation? Standard specifications can save time, but without the right precautions, they can drive up the cost of automation.(Automated Assembly)
October 1, 2003... Manufacturing engineers and project managers who are charged with acquiring special factory automation for their plants usually use some variation of a "standard machine specification." These standard specs can be great timesavers. However,...

The new shape of manufacturing: today, the most direct path to profit is a U-shaped curve.(Cellular Assembly)
October 1, 2003... In basic geometry class, students are all taught the same rule: The most direct route between two points is a straight line. However, manufacturing engineers at Applica Inc. (Miami Lakes, FL) have discovered a different truth by applying...

Danger: low voltage: low-voltage components are difficult to accurately, reliably and safely test using conventional in-circuit testers.(Electronics Assembly)
October 1, 2003... Low-voltage electronic devices have enabled engineers to design products with lower power consumption requirements, reduced cooling requirements, and faster processing speeds. These benefits have made it possible for the performance of the PC...

"Curing" low yields in photonics assembly: microwaves safely and reliably cure adhesives used to bond optical fibers to components.(Photonics Assembly)
October 1, 2003... Adhesive bonding is the method of choice for assembling high-performance photonic components. Adhesives enable the process of active alignment, in which measurements of part function are used to guide the actuators as they position those parts...

Line shafts and belts: mechanical power transmission required a maze of whirring devices.(Assembly Then & Now)
October 1, 2003... In the mid-19th century, manufacturing engineers considered mechanical power transmission to be state-of-the-art technology. Before the advent of individual electric-drive motors in the early 20th century, a mind-boggling maze of overhead line...

Polypropylene syringes.(Products)
October 1, 2003... Polypropylene syringes are available in six sizes, ranging from 1 to 50 cc. They come in three colors: black, for blocking visible light; yellow, for blocking ultraviolet light; and clear, for dispensing fluids that are not light-sensitive. The...

System monitors orbital forming.(Products)
October 1, 2003... WatchDawg is a process monitoring and control system for orbital forming machines. It ensures that parts are assembled consistently and uniformly. The system measures the force, speed and position of the forming tool. This enables the machine...

Rework array packages.(Products)
October 1, 2003... The APR-5000 rework system safely removes and replaces ball grid arrays, chip-scale packages, land grid arrays and micro-lead frames. It handles boards as large as 8 inches by 10 inches, and lead pitches as small as 0.0118 inch. Its placement...

X-Y gantry.(Products)
October 1, 2003... This X-Y motion gantry has a resolution of 0.0025 micron and an overall positioning repeatability of 1 micron. It provides a peak acceleration of 1 G and a velocity of 1 meter per second. The typical move and settle time for a 40-millimeter...

Adhesive bonds metal parts.(Products)
October 1, 2003... Metal Welder II is a two-part methacrylate adhesive for bonding metals to plastics, composites or other metals. It has a 10-to-1 mix ratio and a working time of 14 to 16 minutes. It fully cures in 2 to 4 hours at room temperature. It does not...

Gallows-mounted robot.(Products)
October 1, 2003... The MotoSweep consists of a single-axis, servo-driven gallows and a six-axis robot. The gallows allows the robot to tend two or more machines at the same time. The positional repeatability of the robot is 0.06 millimeter, and its maximum...

Epoxy preforms.(Adhesives)
October 1, 2003... Uni-forms epoxy preforms can seal or pot electromechanical components. The preforms are one-part epoxy resins that are solid at room temperature. But when heated, they melt and cure, forming a seal. They are available in various shapes, sizes...

Activated epoxy.(Adhesives)
October 1, 2003... Bond-It 7050 activated epoxy adheres to most metals, plastics, high-performance composites, glass, ceramics and combinations of dissimilar materials. It cores at room temperature for 400 F service. No special surface preparations are needed. It...

Conductive Adhesive.(Adhesives)
October 1, 2003... Cho-Bond 584-29 conductive adhesive comes in a syringe for easy mixing and application. The adhesive cures at room temperature in 24 hours. It can be used in place of soldering or welding. It has a minimum lap shear strength of 1,200 psi. With...

Method to trace parts.(Bar Coding & Auto ID)
October 1, 2003... Mark'n Read combines marking parts with a 2D Data Matrix code, verification and automatic reading by vision cameras. Parts can be marked with a dot peen or laser, Data read in the 2D code is transmitted and recorded in a database in real time...

Portable printer.(Bar Coding & Auto ID)
October 1, 2003... The Spirit 2100 portable printer creates durable thermal transfer printed labels. A roll of labels prints continuously at 1.5 inches per second. An LCD screen allows users to configure different text sizes, graphics, bar codes and serial...

Technology drills nano-diameter holes.(Contract Manufacturing)
October 1, 2003... This company offers micro and nano machining services and equipment. The company uses high-energy liquid jets to cut and shape features with sizes below 50 nanometers in a wide variety of materials. No harsh chemicals are required to support...

Pneumatic conveyor.(Conveyors)
October 1, 2003... The 316SS Line Vac conveyor converts hose or tubing into an in-line conveyor. By ejecting a small amount of compressed air, a vacuum on one end with high output flow on the other is produced. Regulating the compressed air controls the conveying...

ESD-safe turntables.(Conveyors)
October 1, 2003... These turntables are electrostatic discharge-safe and have a low profile of 0.5 inch. The base of the turntable is conductive plastic, and the top is a rubberized conductive material. The turntables come in three sizes, and oath can hold up to...

Conveyor with adjustable height.(Conveyors)
October 1, 2003... The Intermediate Dyna-Lift features a four-cylinder system with a 12-inch stroke. Lifting capacity is 3,000 pounds. It can raise or lower workbenches, welding fixtures and specialty machines for user comfort. Kits are available for easy...

Vacuum tube lifter.(Conveyors)
October 1, 2003... The VT100 vacuum tube lifter handles metal chassis and can swivel 360 degrees. It has handles with adjustable up and down controls for attaching to, maneuvering and releasing bulky loads. Vacuum heads have quick-disconnects and multiple pads to...

Break-to-length flat headers.(Electrical Components)
October 1, 2003... Break-to-length flat headers have custom pin lengths in straight and fight-angle configurations. Custom pin sizes come in a wide range of mating lengths and tail lengths 71--from 0.105 to 0.685 inch for mating and 0.12 to 0.14 inch for tail....

Cable ties.(Electrical Components)
October 1, 2003... Magic cable ties comprise a hook and loop with wide-ranging bundle diameter adjustment The ties are made of nylon and polypropylene and come in five lengths ranging from 125 millimeters to 310 millimeters. Micro Plastics Inc. ...

Motion control card.(Motion Control)
October 1, 2003... The NPMC6045A-4104 is a four-axis motion control card that allows the user to control stepper motors and digital servomotors. It incorporates a PCL6045A motion control chip and comes with a C language library. It has a maximum output frequency...

Photoelectric sensor.(Sensors & Vision)
October 1, 2003... Called the S60, this photoelectric sensor comes equipped with a standard M12 connector that can be rotated in a 90-degree arc, allowing the sensor to be mounted in straight and right angle positions. Standard models feature a potentiometer, and...

High-speed wire bonder.(Wire Processing)
October 1, 2003... The Model 8000 high-speed thermosonic ball-and-stitch wire bonder can handle large hybrids, multichip modules or several smaller devices at one time. It can place eight wires per second with a table repeatability of +5 millimeters. It combines...

Hard wire cutter.(Wire Processing)
October 1, 2003... This hard wire cutter has a jaw design that holds the wire perpendicular to the jaws and uses bypass shearing to produce a square cut on both ends of hardened and tempered wire. The 2193F can cut 0.064-inch music wire. Rubber hand grips, a...

Grant orbital riveters.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... Available in 3MM to 16MM capacities, Grant pneumatic orbital riveters fasten precisely to a specific depth or to a 4-psi accuracy with five adjustable preset backpressures. 0 to 45MM stroke. Upgrades to 100% real-time data output system. See...

Automation solutions.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... POWER Engineers' Automation Group provides complete systems automation, integrating manufacturing plant floor controls with enterprise business systems. POWER is a leading provider of engineering services, including instrumentation and...

The world of clamping.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... DE-STA-CO, the worldwide leader and innovator in toggle clamping technology, introduces its revised 2003 World of Clamping catalog. The catalog includes 60 new product releases and dozens of product enhancements highlighted as our "Design Xtra"...

Hermetic connector catalog & design guide.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... This important desktop reference showcases stock and custom feedthru seals for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, vacuum systems, space simulation equipment, transducers and controls, fluid-filled devices and pressurized devices. Other...

IAC workstation solutions.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... Your most comprehensive selection of workstations, workbenches and related productivity accessories is in our 192-page full-color master catalog. From simple to sophisticated, the selection also includes, LAN stations, clean room products,...

Fasteners catalog #34.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... This new catalog from the leading manufacturer of nylon industrial fasteners covers an extensive product line that includes thousands of fastener items. This newest publication features 11 new product lines with 123 new items added. Free...

New AcraDyne DC Electric catalog.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... This presents our AcraDyne DC Electric hand-held and multiple spindle assembly tools, along with installation shots. The AcraDyne DC electric fine of tools covers the range of 2- 450 Nm in angle, inline, and pistol styles. The AcraDyne DC...

Brazing and soldering automation.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... Find ideas for automating your brazing and soldering application at Fusion's Web site. View complete line of filler metals and fluxes with compositions and temperature ranges. Automatic paste alloy dispensers and machine concepts for rates from...

Fall 2003 optics catalog.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... Edmund Optics" new fall 2003 catalog contains over 10,000 products, including over 300 new products ranging from anamorphic, rhomboid and glan-laser prisms to data acquisition systems to thermal cameras. Choose from our extensive inventory of...

DirectCconnect[TM] double wedge parallel grippers.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... New DPD series, next generation DirectConnect[TM] double wedge parallel grippers offered in 12 sizes covering a range of strokes (1/16-2 inches) and grip forces (12-400 lbs.) in two distinct families--the DPDL for long stroke and the DPDS for...

Grippers and automation components.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... This new 544-page catalog from Techno-Sommer Automatic features over 800 off-the-shelf automation components including over 200 different types of grippers, plus: tool changers, swivel units, pneumatic linear actuators, rotary actuators, vacuum...

Robotic crash protection device.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... The Protector[TM] is ATI Industrial Automation's patented crash protection device designed to prevent costly damage to robotic end effectors resulting from robot crashes. The Protector's features include: automatic reset, high repeatability....

Wire processing changeover in second ... not minutes!(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... The Zeta fully-automated system is ideal for small batches. It holds as many as 36 different wires ready for immediate use (from AWG 24 to AWG 10). Five workstations handle wire marking, crimping, seals, sleeves, testing, and more (expandable...

Expansion to EC-Screwdriver spindles.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... DEPRAG has further expanded the 2nd Generation of EC-Screwdriver Spindles, by adding two new design series. Available with ten different closed-loop tools to cover a torque range from 1.8-1,240 inch pounds at 250-1,200 variable RPM. The...

New! 3D CAD model configurator.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... Robohand's popular, value-added addition to its Web site gives you "hands-on" experience with our complete suite of automation products! Configurable with product options and accessories. Has programmable positioning in 2D or 3D formats....

Catalog features new inch-series aluminum profiles.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... The Linear Motion and Assembly Technologies business unit of Bosch Rexroth Corporation has added new robust, inch-based aluminum framing sizes to its already extensive aluminum structural framing system. The nine new, high-strength profiles...

MMS Modular Magnification System.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... Designed for flexible OEM integration, the MMS Modular Magnification System allows users to mix and match objectives with rear assemblies to meet a variety of working distance and FOV requirements. Working distances vary between 67mm-141mm;...

Service & technical information at your fingertips!(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... All Web inquiries receive a response within 24 hours! AIMCO's new, improved site offers online technical support: trouble shooting guides, maintenance instructions, torque adjustment guides, service center listings, product specifications and...

Linear motion products.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... The new 176-page catalog H834 features a large selection of completed X, X-Y and X-Y-Z linear position systems. This includes gantry tables, belt driven and ball screw driven slides for all types of automation including inspection, dispensing...

Radial rivet-forming.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... AGME introduces the new radial riveting machine, model RR-14. This size riveter is available either as a stand-alone, tabletop riveting machine, a riveting head for integration, or as a component used in our CNC-riveting machines. The RR-14...

Robotic end effectors.(Literature & Website Review)
October 1, 2003... Literature describes ATI's line of robotic end effectors engineered to improve your bottom line. Extensive tool changer line is reliable and includes Adept models. Force and torque sensors verify part placement. Crash protection devices promote...