This month marks ASSEMBLY magazine’s 50th anniversary. To celebrate that event, here are some predictions for the future. Share your own comments . . . and don’t forget to check back here in 50 years.
During the last 50 years, ASSEMBLY magazine has witnessed numerous events, trends and issues that have dramatically changed the face of American manufacturing. To celebrate ASSEMBLY's golden anniversary, we have identified 10 mega trends that, for better or worse, have shaped today's manufacturing landscape and will continue to shape the future.
Chrysler LLC scored a coup today when it snatched Jim Press from the top position at Toyota Motor North America Inc. It's the latest in a recent string of announcements aimed at beefing up Detroit's No. 3 automaker. Will Chrysler once again become a formidable player or is it's new investment bank owner, Cerberus Capital Management, just trying to sweeten the pot for an eventual spinoff?
ASSEMBLY has been keeping engineers up to speed on the latest conveyor technology since it debuted. Fifty years ago, most conveyors consisted of belts, chains and rollers. Modular conveyors, skillet conveyors, self-propelled conveyors, automated guided vehicles and other material handling technology commonly found on plant floors today did not exist.
The consumer goods industry is under growing pressure to reduce waste and adopt environmentallly friendly packaging. New paper and plastic materials offer sustainable solutions, but also create new challenges.
Investing in automation requires a major commitment of time, money and other valuable resources. Unfortunately, end users often repeat the same mistakes with automation, because of time constraints and budget concerns.
Manufacturing in the United States is still healthy, but it has been shaken and stirred by recent events in the auto industry. In addition, high energy prices and a slowdown in new home construction have affected the confidence of assembly professionals, who are finding themselves crunched for time and talent. ASSEMBLY's 12th annual State of the Profession survey reveals why fewer workers and more hours at work create extra stress for manufacturing engineers, design engineers and plant management.
Every year, J.D. Power and Associates (Westlake Village, CA) recognizes a handful of automotive assembly plants around the world for their outstanding quality. It honors facilities that produce vehicles with the fewest defects. The winner of the 2007 Platinum Plant Quality Award is Ford’s plant in Wixom, MI. However, the only problem is that Ford management decided to shutter the 50-year-old plant a week before the award was announced!
Responding to legislative pressure and soaring energy costs, manufacturers of large household appliances are developing more energy-efficient products.