Assembly articles from September 2002

Assembly archives from September 2002

Close the loop. (Editorial).
September 1, 2002... Manufacturing companies have traditionally been much more focused on making and marketing products than on what to do with them at the end of their useful lives. Disposing of old cars, dead appliances and obsolete electronics products was, for...

These actuators turn heads. (X-Y-Z).
September 1, 2002... Rotary actuators have many uses in automated assembly systems. They orient parts. They operate chutes, close cardboard boxes, or route pallets on a conveyor. With the addition of a gripper, rotary actuators, or "rotaries," are commonly used in...

Safeguarding equipment market will recover. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... NATICK, MA--Currently, many expect the automatic safeguarding equipment market to not make a significant market recovery in 2002. However, pent-up demand is expected to lead to significant growth in 2003. Growth will slow thereafter over the...

IBM to offer contract manufacturing. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... ARMONK, NY--IBM has created a new business unit to sell manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers. Its range of offerings will include design, test, certification, prototyping and manufacturing for chips, cards, boards and...

Loctite changes its name. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... ROCKY HILL, CT--Loctite Corp. in the United States has officially changed its name to Henkel Loctite Corp. In the near future, Loctite companies worldwide will follow suit. The brand name "Loctite" will remain the same. "By renaming...

SMTA offers market research on electronics. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... SAN JOSE, CA--Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) members will now have extensive access to Frost & Sullivan's in-depth analyses and strategic information for the electronics manufacturing industry. Frost & Sullivan reached an...

Manufacturing drives capital spending. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... WASHINGTON--The U.S. manufacturing sector accounts for only 13 percent of all employment, but it is the largest sector of the U.S. economy investing in capital equipment. According to a U.S. Census Bureau's report, capital equipment...

Where have all the PhDs gone? (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... ARLINGTON, VA--The number of doctorate degrees earned in engineering and physics is dropping fast. Since hitting an all-time high of 1,548 in 1994, the number of physics doctorates awarded annually declined by 22 percent to 1,205 in 2000....

Political unrest helps domestic suppliers. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... NEW YORK--According to Thomas Register's Industrial Purchasing Barometer Survey, 56 percent of survey respondents are increasing their domestic purchasing this year. Thirty-six percent expected no increase and 8 percent were undecided. ...

New off-road engine has low fuel emissions. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... SAN ANTONIO--A new engine, created by engineers at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) demonstrates that requirements for off-road vehicle emission levels scheduled for 2008 can be met. Reducing emissions from off-road vehicles can be...

Toyota awards Textube. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... GREER, SC--Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Canada has recognized Textube Corp. as an outstanding supplier for the third consecutive year. Textube supplies Toyota with its Creform material handling system. This system helps improve workflow,...

IGRIP selected for NOMAD project. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... TROY, MI--NOMAD, which is funded by the European Commission, seeks to develop technologies to replace the assembly line-based approach to welded fabrication. The technology being studied will allow constraints-free manufacturing. This...

Meikle Automation opens systems division. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... KITCHENER, ON, CANADA--Meikle Automation, a supplier of factory automation, has announced plans for a new 15,000-square-foot facility in Kitchener. This expansion will bring the company's facility space to over 75,000 square feet. The new...

Findings show unions have a negative impact. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... ATHENS, OH--According to Richard Vedder and Lowell Galaway, professors at Ohio University, unions have had a deleterious impact on the U.S. economy--especially on the economies of states in which union membership is the highest. "Unions are...

Industrial buyers plan to increase purchasing. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... NEW YORK--Fifty-five percent of industrial buyers are increasing purchasing this year compared with last year according to the Industrial Purchasing Barometer Survey by Thomas Register. The survey was conducted randomly among Thomas...

CD-ROM shows how to save energy. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... NEW YORK--Motors and transformers are two major types of energy-consuming devices used in manufacturing plants. In most instances, these devices do not provide energy efficiency and economical operating costs. Consequently, many manufacturing...

BMI Inc. celebrates 30 years. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... SCHAUMBURG, IL--During its 30 years in business, Boldt Metronics International (BMI) Inc. has evolved from a metal stamping job shop to a manufacturer of electromagnetic interference shields packaged for surface mount applications Today,...

Machine tool consumption shows growth. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... ROCKVILLE, MD--U.S. machine tool consumption in May totaled $135.67 million, according to figures compiled through the U.S. Machine Tool Consumption (USMTC) program. This total was up 7.7 percent from April, but down 29.8 percent from the...

Prototype meets welding process needs. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... NASHVILLE, TN--Each welding process yields a characteristic surface morphology, and the inspection methodology must be tailored to the particular welding process. A prototype vision-based quality inspection system, developed by the...

CableTest incorporates additions. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... MARKHAM, ON, CANADA--CableTest Systems Inc. has made F. Camarena Inc. (Scottsdale, AZ) the exclusive representative of CableTest MPT bulk wire testers in the western United States, Mexico and Venezuela. F. Camarena provides measurement and...

Minnesota center helps small manufacturers. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... MINNEAPOLIS--Minnesota Technology Inc. (MTI) provided assistance to 1,070 manufacturing companies in 2001. The center was created to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers, and with a budget of $9.7 million, the center's work with...

Ford applauds AVK's quality and innovation. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... VALENTIA, CA--AVK Industrial Products has been awarded Ford Motor Co.'s subtier quality supplier certificate. AVK Industrial Products manufactures blind-installed threaded fasteners and installation systems. This certificate indicates that...

DEK acquires Acumen Technology. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... ZURICH, SWITZERLAND--DEK has expanded its stencil and custom tooling capabilities by acquiring Acumen Technology (San Jose, CA), which operates stencil and fixture manufacturing facilities throughout the United States, Mexico, Singapore and...

TL Feeding and MGS consolidate operations. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... MAPLE GROVE, MN--TL Feeding Inc.'s bowl feeding and MGS Machine Corp.'s pick-and-place product lines have combined to form the MGS Product Handling Group. This group will be located in a separate facility near the main MGS plant. MGS Pick...

Laser welding builds cancer therapy devices. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... RUGBY, ENGLAND--Also known as internal radiation therapy brachytherapy is a popular treatment for prostate cancer. By confining and targeting the therapy directly to the cancer site, side effects to the rest of the body can be reduced. ...

Universal Instruments increases commitment in China. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... BINGHAMTON, NY--Universal Instruments Corp. is opening a 6,000-square-foot research and training technology center in Suzhou, China. This technology center will provide hands-on process and manufacturing training support for existing and...

Fanuc celebrates 20 years. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... ROCHESTER HILLS, MI -- Fanuc Robotics North America Inc. recently celebrated its 20th anniversary at its 375,000-square-foot headquarters and customer technology center. On June 23, 1982, GMFanuc Robotics was formed as a joint venture...

U.S. military tests robots. (Assembly Lines).
September 1, 2002... QIQAY, AFGHANISTAN--The war in Afghanistan is the first time robots are being used by the U.S. military as tools for combat. Proponents believe sending robots into caves, buildings or other dark areas ahead of troops will help prevent U.S....

Workbenches endure ups and downs. (Assembly in Action).
September 1, 2002... Hamilton Sundstrand (Windsor Locks, CT) is a frequent flyer of sorts. The company's products have accumulated hundreds of thousands of air miles, traversing the globe for almost 60 years. However, Hamilton Sundstrand is not your typical...

Stainless steel hollow sections measure up. (Assembly in Action).
September 1, 2002... Tetra Pak (Lund, Sweden), a food packaging machinery manufacturer, has selected Stalatube Oy's (Lahti, Finland) stainless steel hollow sections for the framing structures of its packaging machines. Economical feasibility and flexible...

Pick-and-place machine puts adhesive on bezels for HDTV. (Assembly in Action).
September 1, 2002... When Fralock Corp. (Canoga Park, CA) needed to supply adhesive-backed assemblies for a customer's high-definition television projectors, it had the experience and the relationships, but not the equipment, to successfully pull the job off. ...

Turbine rotor measurements eliminate stacking errors. (Assembly in Action).
September 1, 2002... Circular geometry measurements of rotors for gas turbine generators are important. The rotating parts of a turbine rotor unit range up to 96 inches in diameter, 120 inches in length and weigh up to 25,000 pounds. During assembly, approximately...

Gas cylinders need automated machines. (Assembly in Action).
September 1, 2002... When Suspa Inc. (Altdorf/Nuremberg, Germany), a producer of nitrogen gas cylinders, began looking for a U.S. company to supply assembly equipment to its North American unit, its search stopped with JR Automation Technologies Inc. (Holland, MI),...

Adaptive control aids assembly. (Assembly in Action).
September 1, 2002... The goal at Amerex Corp. (Trussville, AL), a manufacturer of commercial and industrial fire extinguishers, was to automate the assembly of fire extinguisher valves. "Amerex started several years ago to automate parts of our production line...

Software helps develop cars. (Assembly in Action).
September 1, 2002... Proton (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) has invested substantial research and development to ensure the success of its new concept vehicle. Proton believes that passenger comfort, product manufacturability and feasibility of maintenance are key...

Contract manufacturing on the rise: outsourcing assembly is no longer just a short-term fad. (Assembly Trends).
September 1, 2002... As numerous original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) continue to pursue aggressive weight loss programs, outsourcing is the closest thing to an industrial-strength dietary supplement. By shedding plants and equipment, manufacturers hope to make...

Get the most from AOI: automated optical inspection is increasingly necessary on today's electronics assembly lines, but not everyone uses it the same way. (Electronics Assembly).
September 1, 2002... A growing number of electronics assemblers are integrating automated optical inspection (AOI) into their lines, particularly as board density increases and component size decreases. But, it's far from a ubiquitous technology. Even among...

Finding flow: flow testing instruments help automotive supplier satisfy stringent specifications for PCV valves. (Testing).
September 1, 2002... Automotive PCV (positive crank-case ventilation) valves appear to be such simple devices. They're small, with only one moving part and a spring inside. Nevertheless, they must meet surprisingly rigorous performance specifications to win...

Self-piercing rivets: pierce rivets emulate the benefits of spot welding without the risks. (Fastening Technology).
September 1, 2002... At first glance, the sexy little sportscar from Italy and the big brute truck from America appear to have nothing in common. The all-aluminum Ferrari 360 Modena is a sleek two-seater capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds, while...

Auto suppliers move closer to assembly lines: automakers are forcing suppliers to adopt new techniques, such as modular assembly and inline vehicle sequencing. (Lean Manufacturing).
September 1, 2002... Two years from now, a handful of fresh-faced assemblers will step foot on a brand new campus. But, they won't be walking past an ivy-covered library or tailgating outside a large football stadium. Their campus will be a unique industrial park...

Remember when assembly seemed like child's play? (Assembly Technology Expo).
September 1, 2002... You've never been able to resist a challenging assembly project. But with today's rapid innovation, the assembly process is more complex--and more important--than ever. You and your team need specialized knowledge, tools and technologies to...

Assembly Technology Expo. (Product Showcase).
September 1, 2002... ASSEMBLY Technology Expo, sponsored by ASSEMBLY magazine, is focused entirely on the technology and equipment needed to assemble mechanical, electromechanical and electronic products of all kinds. More than 700 exhibitors will display the...

The truth about inventory. (Uncommon Sense).
September 1, 2002... A firm just can't operate efficiently with an empty warehouse, regardless of how hard it wants to practice just-in-time manufacturing. Efficient use of capital requires work-in-process inventory as a buffer between process steps. And carrying...