Assembly articles from September 2006

Assembly archives from September 2006

Innovation and ATExpo.(Editorial)
September 1, 2006... After a decade or more of obsessive focus on slashing costs, many manufacturers are looking to innovation for a competitive edge. GE CEO, Jeffrey Imelt, is telling managers that no matter how efficient their work processes are, they won't...

Flying cars: one step closer to reality?(Down the Line)
September 1, 2006... People who drive on the Dan Ryan expressway in Chicago, one of the busiest roads in the world, often wish they could press a button and hover above all the congestion. Motorists have fantasized about flying cars for many years. In fact, the...

Brain-trained robots.(Down the Line)
September 1, 2006... Some day soon, human brains and robots may be able to interact seamlessly. Traditionally, brain-machine interface (BMI) has required invasive surgical procedures, such as electrode array implants. But, scientists in Japan have discovered a more...

Sails propel ships once again.(Down the Line)
September 1, 2006... For hundreds of years before the dawn of steam power in the mid-1800s, ships moved across the world's oceans by wind power. Today, engineers in Germany are harnessing the wind again, combining age-old propulsion principles with 21st century...

Parking this car is no problem!(Down the Line)
September 1, 2006... First there was the Mini. Then the Smart Car. Can automobiles get any smaller? Quite a bit smaller, according to scientists at Rice University (Houston). They recently produced the first nanoscale vehicle with an internal motor. The...

A new way to hear.(Down the Line)
September 1, 2006... Aribbon-like implant could greatly improve hearing for deaf people and simplify insertion to help surgeons minimize damage to healthy ear tissue. A team of engineers led by Kensall Wise, director of the National Science Foundation's engineering...

Nanotech goes airborne.(Down the Line)
September 1, 2006... Engineers at Lockheed Martin Corp. (Bethesda, MD) are developing a tiny remote-controlled device that will be able to collect military intelligence indoors and outdoors. The aircraft will be similar in size and shape to a maple tree seed. ...

Vibration control ensures accurate positioning.(X-Y-Z)
September 1, 2006... Automated assembly systems are alive with robots, linear actuators and cam-driven mechanisms moving up and down and side to side at high speeds. An unfortunate byproduct of all that starting and stopping is vibration, and the Beach Boys to the...

Boeing projects $2.6 trillion airplane market.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... CHICAGO -- Boeing Co. is forecasting a $2.6 trillion commercial airplane market over the next 20 years. The new airplanes will be necessary to accommodate a forecast 4.9 percent annual increase in passenger traffic and a 6.1 percent annual...

Ford launches production of hydrogen engines.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI -- Ford Motor Co. has begun producing a line of dedicated hydrogen-fueled V-10 engines, making it the first automaker in the world to do so. The supercharged 6.8-liter, V-10 engine will be used to power Ford E-450...

Staubli Robotics, Cognex join forces.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... DUNCAN, SC -- Staubli Robotics and machine vision manufacturer Cognex Corp. (Natick, MA) have agreed to collaborate on the development and sale of vision-equipped automation systems. "This agreement formalizes years of casual cooperation...

AWS publishes plastic welding standard.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... MIAMI -- The American Welding Society (AWS) has published a new standard on plastic welding, which details the ultrasonic equipment and processes used in fabricating thermoplastic parts. This first edition of the standard, Guide to...

PACCAR is on a roll.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... BELLEVUE, WA -- Times may be tough for U.S. automakers, but life is good for truck builder PACCAR Inc. Thanks in part to strong global demand for its latest models, the company reported that revenue and net income during the first half of 2006...

U.S. Acura sedans going to China.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... TORRANCE, CA -- Honda Motor Co. has begun shipping U.S.-made Acura sedans to China, with plans to make the vehicles available for sale this month. The first shipment of Acura TL vehicles--the No. 1 selling Acura model in the United...

Robot sales fall 38 percent.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... ANN ARBOR, MI -- New orders received by North American based-robotics companies fell 38 percent in the first half of 2006, according to the Robotic Industries Association (RIA). Most of the losses were the result of a drop in sales to the...

ITW acquires Kester Inc.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... GLENVIEW, IL -- Illinois Tool Works Inc. has acquired high-performance solder and electronics materials company Kester Inc. (Des Plaines, IL). Kester's products are used to assemble printed circuit boards and microelectonic subassemblies....

Singapore firm to make Kodak cameras.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... ROCHESTER, NY -- Eastman Kodak Co. is joining forces with electronics manufacturing company Flextronics International Ltd. (Singapore) to build Kodak consumer digital cameras. Under the agreement, Kodak will divest its entire digital camera...

Bosch Group acquires Telex Communications.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... STUTTGART, Germany -- Bosch Group is acquiring communications equipment manufacturer Telex Communications Holding Inc. (Minneapolis) for $420 million. Telex Communications provides audio, wireless and safety systems used in a wide range of...

NAM launches manufacturing radio program.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is launching a public-affairs radio program as part of its continuing efforts to promote manufacturing in the United States. Titled "America's Business," the program is hosted...

CL Automation takes on Cincinnati name.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... MACHESNEY PARK, IL -- Automotive assembly and test systems manufacturer CL Automation has been renamed Cincinnati Automation & Test, to reflect the fact that it is now part of the Cincinnati Technologies group of companies, a subsidiary of MAG...

DENSO expanding Kentucky plant.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... MT. STERLING, KY -- Automotive supplier DENSO Corp. (Kariya, Japan) will spend approximately $27 million to more than double the size of its 80,700-square-foot Mt. Sterling pump and filter plant. The company hopes to add another 150 jobs at the...

Ohio Rod acquires R.I. Fabricators.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... VERSAILLES, IN -- Ohio Rod Products, a member of the Elgin Fastener Group, has acquired Rhode Island Fabricators (West Warrick, RI). Ohio Rod manufactures small-diameter, long-length special headed and threaded fasteners, and has been in...

Chris-Craft opening NC plant.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... SARASOTA, FL -- Powerboat manufacturer Chris-Craft is opening a production facility in Kings Mountain, NC, to complement its existing plant in Florida. The 215,000-square-feet plant will be used to produce boats in the 33- to 40-foot range and...

Indian motorcycle setting up shop.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC -- Iconic motorcycle manufacturer Indian Motorcycle Co. hopes to stage a comeback from a new headquarters and 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Cleveland County, NC. Founded in 1901, the company stopped...

Honda taking orders for new jet airplane.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... OSHKOSH, WI -- Honda Motor Co. will officially enter the aviation market with its new HondaJet airplane, when it begins accepting orders this fall. Positioned to compete in the budding "very-light jet" market, Honda hopes to complete type...

Universal, Dover technology parting ways.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... BINGHAMTON, NY -- Dover Technologies International Inc. (New York) is spinning off electronics assembly equipment manufacture Universal Instruments. A buyer had not yet been named at press time. As part of the restructuring, Universal...

Cummins, auto maker to partner on engine effort.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... COLUMBUS, IN -- Cummins Inc. has reached an agreement with one of the Big Three domestic auto maker to begin manufacturing fuel efficient, light-duty diesel engines for use in standard pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Cummins is...

Caterpillar Inc. to build new loader plant in China.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... PEORIA, IL -- Caterpillar Inc. will build a new wheel-loader manufacturing facility in the Suzhou Industrial Park in China's Jiangsu province. The new plant will be wholly owned and operated by Caterpillar. "This facility will... provide...

4,700 Mazdas stuck on freighter.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... HIROSHIMA, Japan -- Mazda Motor Corp. recently fell victim to one of the physical dangers of globalization as nearly 5,000 new vehicles became stranded on a disabled freighter. In late July, Mazda was advised that the 625-foot, car-carrying...

Study: appliance demand growing in China.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... CLEVELAND -- A recent study indicates that household appliance demand in China reached 110.9 million units in 2005, and that Chinese sales will continue to outpace the rest of the world in the coming years, growing to 138.2 million units by...

EWI, Oak Ridge to work on Welding research.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... COLUMBUS, OH -- The Edison Welding Institute (EWI) is teaming up with the Materials Science and Technology Division at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN) to work on new welding technologies. "EWI...

Assembly to 'air' webcasts this fall on lean manufacturing.(Assembly Lines)
September 1, 2006... BENSENVILLE, IL -- ASSEMBLY magazine will produce three, free webcasts on lean manufacturing this fall. The 45-minute webcasts will be broadcast live and feature professors from three of the top business and engineering schools in the...

Laser trackers enable production precision.(Assembly in Action)
September 1, 2006... Pico Europe (Solihull, UK) manufactures and installs automotive production lines worldwide for major manufacturers such as Ford (Dearborn, MI), Scania (Sodertalje, Sweden) and Volvo (Goteborg, Sweden). As part of this process, Pico Europe...

Workstations meet operators' needs.(Assembly in Action)
September 1, 2006... Nonin Medical Inc. (Plymouth, MN) manufactures precision devices for the medical, veterinary and consumer markets that measure physiological variables such as oxygen levels and pulse rates. Given this background, it should come as no surprise...

Ultraviolet curing technology facilitates CD, DVD printing.(Assembly in Action)
September 1, 2006... Werner Kammann Maschinenfabrik GmbH (Kammann, Bunde, Germany) manufactures automated printing and cutting machines, which are used to produce a wide range of consumer products. This past year the company introduced a digital printer that...

Switch from steel to aluminum saves both time and money.(Assembly in Action)
September 1, 2006... KASS Automation Systems (Carrollton, TX) manufactures blowmolding machines, takeaways, spin trimmers and deflashers, which are used throughout the plastics industry. Recently, the company switched from using welded structural steel framing...

Modular conveyors facilitate flexibility, process control.(Assembly in Action)
September 1, 2006... Continental Automotive Systems (Auburn Hills, MI), a division of Continental AG (Hannover, Germany), produces electronic control modules, including steering and brake systems, for the automotive industry. To cut production costs and the cost of...

RFID system ensures quality, traceability.(Assembly in Action)
September 1, 2006... Reliance Electric (Greenville, SC) is required by government regulation to have cradle-to-grave traceability for every electric motor it produces. It also competes in an increasingly global marketplace where the quality of its products is...

Threaded joint pitfalls: comparison tests reveal that not all machine screws are the same.(Screwdriving)(Cover story)
September 1, 2006... Screwdriving is one of the most popular, and most commonly abused, joining techniques. Engineers must understand common threaded joint design shortcomings and how to avoid them. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] No matter the type of fastening...

Lean Barrier Busting: Assembly-sponsored session at ATExpo will reveal practical lean tips.(Lean Manufacturing)(Company overview)
September 1, 2006... George W. Bush probably won't be making an appearance at this month's Assembly Technology Expo in Rosemont, IL. But, by attending the event, you can find out something that he already knows: Lean manufacturing really works. [ILLUSTRATION...

Step up to the bar: hot-bar soldering attaches flex circuits to printed circuit boards.(Electronics Assembly)
September 1, 2006... Flex circuits are used in a wide variety of products, including automotive assemblies, digital cameras, cell phones, calculators, flat-screen displays, printers and disk drives. According to the market research firm BCC Research (Wellesley,...

Transmission plant plugs pesky production problem: color area sensors contribute to a cost-effective inspection system.(Machine Vision)
September 1, 2006... Transmissions are one of the most critical subassemblies in automobiles. Unless clutches, gears, recoil inserts, transfer cases and hundreds of other components are installed correctly, even the sportiest vehicle in the world won't get too far...

Hold still! Even the most accurate welding robot will perform poorly if the fixture can't keep the parts in the same location time after time.(Robotics)
September 1, 2006... Watching a six-axis robot flawlessly weld one assembly after another, it's hard not to think of the machine as intelligent--almost human, even. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The truth, however, is far different. Bob Ellig, president of Bluco...

Use ATExpo to boost your career: Assembly Technology Expo 2006 is a unique opportunity to get a close-up look at new assembly equipment, and learn about the latest assembly methods.(ASSEMBLY EVENTS)
September 1, 2006... Assemblers in the United States will spend $2.73 billion on new assembly equipment and tools in 2006, according to ASSEMBLY magazine's 10th annual capital equipment spending report. It's worth noting that this is the highest total spending...

ATExpo conferences.
September 1, 2006... MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2006 9 to 11:50 a.m. Lean Production-Less Is More Pascal Dennis, P.E., M.E., CRSP, and Erik Hager, partner, Lean Productivity Network This workshop will introduce, refresh or sharpen your knowledge of...

ATExpo exhibitor index.
September 1, 2006... A 3M Electronics 1560 A.C.E. Production Technologies 5214 ABS Vabsco Electronic Components Ltd. 1550 Ace Controls# ...

Assembly Technology Expo product showcase.
September 1, 2006... 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 600 exhibitors will display the...

Assembly Technology Expo product showcase.
September 1, 2006... Workstation Provides Heavy-duty Performance Workstation incorporates 42-millimeter, heavy-duty pipe, providing added load capacity, and the versatility to build stronger structures requiring minimal bracing and support members. In all, the...

Lead yourself to lean.(Leading Lean)
September 1, 2006... Lean is continuous improvement, so it's no surprise that the body of lean knowledge has evolved by leaps and bounds, and will certainly continue expanding indefinitely. Where is lean headed? Examining three current trends in lean will shed...