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COMPONENT UNIFORMITY AND product quality often go hand in hand. Knowing this, manufacturers do all they can to find the right equipment that ensures such uniformity batch after batch, day [...]

For years, harness manufacturers only used 3D printing for basic jigs and tooling, prototyping applications or the connectors needed to perform continuity testing of finished harnesses. Now, though, 3D printer [...]

A GENTLE NUDGE IS often a more effective way to bring out the best in a worker than a firm push. Two common scenarios where this approach applies are just-hired [...]

ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS OF AN artist is to help others see things in a different light and use them in a new way. Manufacturers often provide a similar [...]

Most people would agree that the proverb, 'The squeaky wheel gets the grease,' is not meant to be taken literally. To them, the expression the most important problems are the [...]

LUBRICITY IS MORE than a just a cool word. It is the slipperiness needed on a fastener to achieve controlled torque during assembly. A wide variety of lubricants are specifically [...]

FEW TECHNOLOGIES ACHIEVE widespread manufacturing acceptance in their original form. Most require some sort of modification before they begin to be regularly used on an assembly line. A good example [...]

Maybe the greatest benefit of a new technology is its lack of historical baggage, thereby enabling industry professionals to approach it with an open mind and a clean slate. Edge [...]

'Out with the old, in with the new' is a catchy idiom. But, it can also be costly advice, especially for a manufacturer. Replacing its numerous older machines can cost [...]

Sir Humphry Davy did more than just invent electric welding in 1800 when he created electric arcs between two carbon electrodes using batteries. He set a precedent for welding innovation [...]

LIKE ANY ASSEMBLY SKILL, MANUAL soldering of wire can be learned through proper training. This training begins by teaching the person how to cleanly strip, tin and solder the wire [...]

There are many way ways to linearly move an object from point A to point B on an assembly line. But, not all of them are designed to optimize speed, [...]

Flexible feeders are great at helping manufacturers accommodate product variants on the assembly line. After the feeder presents parts to a vision-guided robot, one or more cameras take images of [...]

Keeping an assembly process simple is always a smart approach to manufacturing any product. And one of the simplest ways to implement linear or rotary motion into an assembly process [...]

EVERY MANUFACTURER HAS one want and many needs. The want is universal--to be the leader in its industry or area of specialty. The needs are individual, and may concern issues [...]

Noted horror writer Clive Barker once claimed that nothing ever truly begins or ends; rather, current things are just continuations of past things, and future things are continuations of present [...]

Rebooting old TV shows with famous characters is all the rage in Hollywood these days. Should this movement ever take hold in manufacturing, Rosie the Riveter would be a perfect [...]

Conveyors do more than simply move parts from point A to point B. They serve as the backbone of an assembly line, and, as such, help manufacturers move forward on [...]

Every assembly technology has its advantages. But, it's hard to top the variety of fasteners and fastening methods available to manufacturers. The challenge, as always, is determining which fastener and [...]

There is a big difference between squeaky products and leaky products, especially in manufacturing. The former simply require a little grease, whereas the latter cause a lot of grief-to both [...]

MJM Industries serves manufacturers worldwide with high-quality wire and cable harnesses, control panels, electromechanical devices and engineering services. It is a typical day at Fairport Harbor, OH-based MJM Industries Inc., [...]

Despite its advanced capabilities, automation equipment used on assembly lines remains susceptible to failure. This presents manufacturers with the ongoing challenge of preventing unplanned equipment downtime, which is always disruptive [...]

When people say that two foods are better together than separately--like peanut butter and jelly, or macaroni and cheese--they're giving simple examples of the benefit of synergy. A similar type [...]

Whenever the 1920s are discussed in documentaries, they are first referred to as roaring and then as depressing. Too often, too little attention is paid to what happened in between [...]

Load cells and sensors used with presses measure several key variables, such as ram force, distance and time, and help ensure they stay within allowable tolerances. Too bad these technologies [...]

Inventors of manufacturing technology have many sources of inspiration. One is human anatomy, which has led to the development of things like hand-like grippers and collaborative robots. Another is commercial [...]

There are good and bad aspects to repetition. On one hand, it's a proven way to learn to expertly perform a task. On the other, it can lead to physical [...]

Manufacturers love established assembly line technologies not only because they produce expected results. But, also because they occasionally provide an unexpected benefit. Noncontact laser sensors, for example, are great for [...]

With wearable devices increasingly being used on the assembly line, it's definitely time to update the old expression that 'What you wear says a lot about you.' A more appropriate [...]

For many years, pet food manufacturers have used machine vision software to verify the presence of unique characters, codes, colors and graphic shapes on packaging for dog and cat food. [...]

Some assembly technologies evolve too fast or too slow, while others change at a pace that's just right. Hydraulic presses belong in the latter category, according to some suppliers, and [...]

Most people take gravity for granted. But, manufacturers know better, especially when it comes to moving large items through a plant for assembly, finishing, storage and order-fulfillment purposes. The proof [...]

Matchmaking is a unique skill, and in the world of assembly, few people do it better than equipment suppliers. Day after day, these experts use their extensive experience and knowledge [...]

February 1, 2022 Management theory and practice don't always match, and few people know this better than the individuals who oversee assembly lines. Their real-world experience has taught them that [...]

February 17, 2022 Above all else, electronic products for aerospace and defense equipment must be durable and reliable. Based in Gloucestershire, England, Ultra Electronics Precision Control Systems (UPCS) has been [...]

February 17, 2022 It is safe to say that the debate about the environmental impact of plastic will continue. But, it is also a fact that many manufacturers of plastic [...]

February 17, 2022 Gentherm Inc. has been assembling a wide range of thermal management products for the automotive industry since 1991, when it was known as Amerigon. In 1996, the [...]

When it comes to automotive assembly, sometimes a one-solution-fits-all approach is the best one. Just ask the designers and assemblers at Local Motors, an American motor vehicle company located in [...]

Manufacturers looking to take their operations to the next level often look to automation and robotics to make it happen. This is understandable, for such technology can cost-effectively increase throughput, [...]

Affirmation is a great thing for the person or organization being affirmed. But, it can be just as beneficial for the affirmer, in the right situation. Wire harness maker Chief [...]

A manufacturer never achieves success completely on its own. Every company, to some extent, needs help from equipment suppliers, machine builders and integrators. Cyalume Technologies Holdings Inc. (CTHI) has effectively [...]

In the celebrity world, the price of being well known is the public knows too much about a star's private life. But, in the assembly world, the price of being [...]

More than 3,000 manufacturing professionals saw the latest robots, fastening tools and automation at the ninth annual ASSEMBLY Show, which was held Oct. 26-28 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention [...]

Every process change made by a manufacturer brings with it one or more unique challenges. Consider, for example, the challenges involved when switching from manual or pneumatic presses to servo [...]

On the water, yachts and superyachts are wonderful to look at and be aboard. But, in the factory, these vessels present a major assembly challenge: Accurately positioning, aligning and joining [...]

An increased concern for personal appearance is leading to an increased need for razors in a big way. In fact, researchers are projecting the global razor market to surpass $22 [...]

Bottlenecks can occur anywhere on the production line. A common place for this problem to occur is the 90-degree corner, where products usually fail to move as efficiently and quickly [...]

People are imperfect, but, on occasion, they can perfectly perform a complex task. A pitcher can toss a perfect game in baseball. A gymnast can earn a 10.0 in international [...]

For many automotive Tier 1 suppliers, tracking their inventory is sometimes as challenging as manufacturing the parts themselves. Westin, WI-based Precision Replacement Parts (PRP) can attest to this statement. Founded [...]

Nearly every assembly process can be performed in several ways. Which option a manufacturer or integrator chooses for the best result is usually the one that matches a proven technology [...]