Every electrically-powered machine is filled with wires, connectors and delicate electronics, such as circuit boards and sensors. These parts are subjected to stress from constant vibration, physical strain, abrasion and impacts. These stresses can damage parts and leave them useless without some level of protection.
With standards for wire harnesses getting tighter, harness assemblers are increasingly using crimp force monitors to ensure quality connections. However, that technology can only tell you how well the crimping process is working. It can't make the process better.
It is a common misconception among fabricators that bonding with two-part acrylic adhesives before powder coating cannot be successfully accomplished because high temperatures used in the process raise concerns about possible degradation of the cured adhesive. Engineers believed that their only options were rivet bonding, mechanical fasteners or welding.
Traditionally, some manufacturers have avoided robots because of the cost. However, a new robots-for-hire business model is changing that misperception and enabling many types of companies to benefit from automation.
Problems related to improper manufacturing, selection and installation are just as likely to cause fastener failure as hydrogen embrittlement and loosening
There are many ways to perform destructive testing. The most helpful, and preferred by manufacturers, is to intentionally destroy an assembly in a controlled environment to determine the performance capability of one or more of its components. Another way, done unintentionally and all too often by consumers, is to simply misuse a product.
Arcs and sparks are commonly used to dramatically depict welding in television commercials, photographs and other images. But in resistance projection welding (RPW), such flashes of light indicate poor welding.
Industry 4.0 is the hottest trend to hit the manufacturing world since the Toyota Production System started to transform assembly lines two decades ago. Although most of the talk about digital production systems and smart factories involves things such as augmented reality, collaborative robots or data analytics, conveyors play an equally important role.
Robot sales in North America hit record highs in 2017 in terms of both units sold and total sales. Manufacturers purchased 34,904 total units, representing $1.9 billion in total sales, according to the Robotic Industries Association (RIA).
Simulation software that models airflow can be a boon to engineers when designing a clean room environment. By pinpointing potential problems early, such software can save time and reduce construction costs.
Every action in life involves a trade-off: The gaining of one benefit at the expense of another, to best meet the needs of the situation at hand. When the situation involves high-volume bonding, sealing or gasketing, manufacturers rely on UV-cure adhesives because they allow on-demand and quick curing (1 to 5 seconds after light exposure).