Assembly articles from October 2005

Assembly archives from October 2005

New network combines best of Ethernet, SERCOS.(X-Y-Z)
October 1, 2005... When designing the electrical scheme for an automated assembly system, engineers have many options for each level of control. High-level buses connect the machine controller with the enterprise IT system. Device-level buses connect the machine...

Toyota fuels U.S. job growth.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2005... ANN ARBOR, MI -- Turns out that what's good for Toyota is also good for the country. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] According to a recent study by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), the $13.4 billion invested by Toyota Motor Corp. in...

China orders Cessna trainers.(Assembly Lines)
October 1, 2005... WICHITA, KS -- The Civil Aviation Flying University of China (CAFUC, Shanghai) has purchased 42 Cessna 172 Skyhawk aircraft for use as flight trainers. Delivery of the 42 planes is scheduled to begin the first quarter of 2006. The order...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2005... In the August issue of ASSEMBLY, the contact information listed on page 88 for SAS Automation (Xenia, OH) is incorrect. The correct phone number is 937-372-5255. The correct Web address is www.sasgripper.com. We regret the error.

A new generation in drive technology: reliable. easy to use. high performance.
October 1, 2005... Baldor's new H2 Series of Inverter, Vector and Servo Drives deliver a new benchmark for industrial drive performance and reliability. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The H2 Series is designed, tested and manufactured to be the most reliable,...

Stud welding.(ASSEMBLY SPEC SHEET)
October 1, 2005... Looking for studs or stud welding equipment? Complete this form and fax it to your potential suppliers! [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Supplier Contact Information Acro Automation Systems Inc.--Fax: 414-352-1609 ARCON Welding LLC--Fax:...

Workbenches mesh with company philosophy.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2005... Cirtronics Corp. (Milford, NH) is a full-service contract electronic manufacturer, offering prototype through end-product builds of electronic and electromechanical assemblies--with an emphasis on custom circuit boards. In addition to...

Tilt table simplifies testing.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2005... Established in 1974, E-One Inc. (Ocala, FL) employs more than 1,300 people and manufactures fire and rescue vehicles used by fire departments, rescue and EMS squads, and airport emergency crews. One of the requirements for E-One's aircraft...

Curtains provide flexible clean room conditions.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2005... The liquid crystal display (LCD) rear-projection televisions and plasma-based direct-view televisions assembled at the Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh (STC-P, Mt. Pleasant, PA) contain very precise components. Along with rendering a clear,...

Software cuts tuning times.(Assembly in Action)
October 1, 2005... Tuning hydraulic systems can be a frustrating trial-and-error process. It is not always clear how changing one control parameter will affect the function of the system. Often, tweaks to tuning parameters can make things worse rather than...

The Assembly Top 50: investors who are bearish on manufacturing should take another look at the Assembly Top 50.(Special Report)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2005... Examining this year's Assembly Top 50, 11 companies moved up two or more positions, while seven companies moved down two or more spots. Yet, the most significant move may be that one company managed to inch its way up just one notch. Small...

Force monitoring: a pressing issue.(AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS)
October 1, 2005... At ATC, we constantly seek to provide our clients with innovative solutions. A frequent requirement in the assembly process is pressing applications, which require critical press force or distance monitoring to assure product quality. ...

Work with light.
October 1, 2005... Provides the speed of a light cure adhesive on a non-light-emitting substrate. Meet the newest light cure adhesive that enables you to dispense directly onto parts, expose them to light and then assemble--all with the advantages of an...

Robotic screwdriving: flexible systems help drive down production costs.(Fastening)
October 1, 2005... No one ever accused William Sellers of "having a screw loose." Sellers was a 19th century mechanical engineering genius who developed the concept of standardized screw threads. His simple idea ushered in the era of interchangeable parts and...

Machine vision dos and don'ts: small tips on how to avoid big headaches.(Automated Assembly)
October 1, 2005... For some people, learning how to ride a bike or swim comes naturally. For others, it's one of the hardest things they ever do. Implementing machine vision technology can often be a similarly easy or difficult scenario. [ILLUSTRATION...

Avoiding microvoids; Several variables interact to create microvoids: flux chemistry, plating thickness, surface roughness, and reflow temperature.(Electronics Assembly)
October 1, 2005... Microvoids are numerous small voids at the interface of a solder joint. Also known as champagne voids, microvoids are less than 40 microns in diameter. They are typically found just above the inter-metallic layers between the copper from the...

Hot website & literature review.
October 1, 2005... This special section offers you a convenient way to keep informed about assembly equipment, tools, components and services through quick access to catalogs and brochures. To receive literature on a specific item, just write the corresponding...

Bearings are small and tough.(Products)
October 1, 2005... Miniature bearings--less than 1 inch in diameter--can be used in demanding high-speed applications, like those found in the medical, aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing industries. All bearings are class 10,000 clean room suitable, with...

Platform makes applications possible.(Products)
October 1, 2005... The Tubing Robotic Gripper Platform makes it possible to mount components in multiple directions, providing greater flexibility. Platforms can be used with cross mounting clamps, parallel mounting clamps and swivel mounting clamps. Tubing end...

Scale resists thermal expansion.(Products)
October 1, 2005... The RELM linear scale works with the SiGNUM range of intelligent encoders to provide accuracies of [+ or -]1 micrometer and resolution of 20 nanometers with speeds of 10 meters per second at temperatures up to 85 C. The scale is fabricated from...

Fastener is cordless and precise.(Products)
October 1, 2005... The Cleco 17B provides torque and angle control features for use by assembly line workers performing critical fastening duty in confined or hard-to-reach areas. Specific applications include the final assembly of automobile interiors, airframes...

Valve keeps air and fluids apart.(Products)
October 1, 2005... The DV509 diaphragm valve is lightweight and can be used for dispensing low- to medium-viscosity fluids in applications where it is important to keep wetted parts away from the operating air supply. Examples include the dispensing of...

Display and manage lean data.(Products)
October 1, 2005... The Visual Manager continuously collects, analyzes and displays real-time lean production metrics using a small operator touch panel and highly visible LED Andon scoreboard. The system automatically calculates and displays metrics such as...

Software streamlines quality, document control.(Products)
October 1, 2005... Version 5.6 of the PACT suite of software products--which includes the DPACT design planning and control tool, the MPACT manufacturing planning and control tool, and the OPACT operator planning and control tool--streamlines the quality planning...

Wire processor adjusts automatically.(Products)
October 1, 2005... The EcoStrip 9320 automatic cut-and-strip machine can process wire from 8-30 AWG and cables up to 0.35 inch in diameter. The transport system features belt drives that offer high traction, and yet are gentle on the wire. Other features include...

Ultrasonic press is ultra-rigid.(Products)
October 1, 2005... The 30/40 ultrasonic precision press system includes ultra-rigid support for use with larger, heavier actuators. A square-welded, steel H-frame style column eliminates any deflection, making the machine more repeatable and precise for use in...

Four fingers grip better.(Products)
October 1, 2005... PZV four-finger centric grippers offer high positioning accuracy when gripping coplanar cylindrical workpieces. Grippers are available in four sizes with grip forces from 580 to 7,100 newtons and stroke distances ranging from 6 to 25...

Three gripper styles for different apps.(Products)
October 1, 2005... B-Series industrial parallel grippers come in three styles to handle a wide range of applications involving bigger and heavier parts and assemblies. The BPW style features a wide body with jaws supported throughout the length of the body for...

Studs live on the edge.(Products)
October 1, 2005... Self-clinching, flush-head studs can be installed up to 50 percent closer to the edge of a metal sheet than standard self-clinching studs, without causing the edge to bulge. Type FHL (steel) and type FHLS (stainless steel) studs mount...

Motors offer power in a small package.(Products)
October 1, 2005... The BLMFS5 series of flat linear motors provides power in a small working envelope. Moving forcer coil assemblies contain Hall-effect devices and a thermal sensor. The forcers use steel laminations to produce more force for a given forcer coil...

Couplings are flexible in many ways.(Products)
October 1, 2005... Flexing couplings are available in two styles: six-beam couplings for extra flexibility; and three-beam couplings for applications requiring greater torsional rigidity. Both styles are reversible, offer no backlash, come in inch and metric...

Kit can solder, cut and dry.(Products)
October 1, 2005... The UT-100SiP Ultratorch kit is built around the self-igniting, butane-powered, UT100Si soldering iron and flameless heat tool. The kit includes three oxygen-free, copper-based chisel and needle tips, a heat tip, shrink attachment, hot knife,...

Solder is reliable, easy to clean.(Products)
October 1, 2005... S63-OA water soluble solder paste is stable, offering extended shelf and stencil life, while providing excellent results in a lead-free reflow environment. The solder is available in most common alloys. An anti-tombstoning formula is also...

Ready to relocate? Bet not!(Uncommon Sense)
October 1, 2005... Many firms today are relocating, planning to relocate or thinking about it. The impetus varies, but generally it includes reducing labor costs, getting out of high tax areas and, in some cases, competitors are doing it so it must make sense....