Assembly Magazine

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2011 December

Capital Spending Report: Spending on Hold

November 18, 2011
Bothered by lingering economic uncertainty, assemblers are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward capital equipment investment next year.
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Plastics Assembly: Good Vibrations

November 30, 2011
Vibration welding uses heat generated by friction at the interface of two thermoplastic parts to produce melting in the interfacial area. The molten materials flow together under pressure and bond, forming a weld upon cooling.
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Sensors for Pneumatic Cylinders

November 29, 2011
Engineers have developed several ways to detect extension or retraction of a pneumatic cylinder. Anisotropic magnetoresistive and giant magnetoresistive sensors are smaller, faster and reliable alternatives.
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Workstations: Going Mobile

November 29, 2011
Wireless technology has created a new class of devices that easily move about the plant floor. Mobile powered workstations improve efficiency, eliminate waste and boost productivity.
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Assembly In Action: Automated Feed System Heats up Production of Cold Forming Press

November 28, 2011
Automotive components are increasingly being manufactured in smaller lot sizes. Aware of this trend, German Tier 1 automotive supplier Neumayer Tekfor GmbH recently automated the feed system for a cold forming press used to form drivetrain components.
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Assembly In Action: Implant Fastener Keeps Aging Baby Boomers Moving

November 29, 2011
This past year, baby boomers began turning 65. Because these individuals tend to live more active lives than previous generations, some medical device companies, like Skeletal Dynamics, are developing implants to withstand up to 1 million load cycles without loosening or backing out.
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Assembly In Action: Solar Heating System Saves Money, Lowers Emissions

November 28, 2011
Canadian manufacturers such as Plastech Inc. have high natural gas bills, especially in the winter. Over time, Plastech’s natural gas bill has increased to $6,000 annually (Canadian) just to heat its shipping area. So the company began looking into solar technology to lower its heating costs and learned about Lubi solar air heaters.
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Assembly In Action: Spot Welder Expands Foil-Layering Capability on Capacitors

November 30, 2011
Cornell Dubilier is a leading manufacturer of capacitors for the power electronics market. For the past several years, the company has used ultrasonic spot welders to weld multiple layers of foil to capacitor posts.
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Medical Device Assembly: Laser Welds Plastic Parts for Infusion Pump

November 18, 2011
A European medical device manufacturer uses a laser welding system from Leister Process Technologies to assemble a new infusion pump.
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Shipulski on Design: The Bottom-Up Revolution

November 18, 2011
The No. 1 reason initiatives are successful is support from top management. Unfortunately, there’s never enough to go around, but that’s the way it should be.
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The Editorial: OEMs Reap What They Sow

November 18, 2011
In October, three class-action lawsuits were filed against several major automotive suppliers, alleging the companies engaged in a “massive, decade-long conspiracy to unlawfully fix and artificially raise the price” of wire harnesses. As shocking and disappointing as the allegations are, I can’t say I’m surprised.
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Assembly In Action: Dispensing System Joins Winners Circle at Academy Awards

November 28, 2011
Orion RED has fabricated several sets for the Academy Awards. For the 2011 ceremony, the company was asked to create an elegant, crystal-studded “Winners Circle” in which the honorees would receive their Oscars. The project involved building a 15.5-foot circular stage studded with more than 40,000 Swarovski Elements crystals.
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Aven Inc.-Mighty Scope Aids Medical Device Design, Assembly

November 18, 2011
Aven introduces a compact digital microscope for medical device engineering, precision manufacturing and quality control inspections.
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Multimedia

Videos

Image Galleries

Wire Harness

AssemTech Inc. is a busy and growing harness assembly shop in West Chicago, IL. The company has a 12,000-square-foot assembly area and employs 20 full-time harness assemblers - far cry from its early days back in 1986, when founder Chuck Hall and various family members assembled harnesses in his garage.

Podcasts

Lighting and 3D: Their Impact on Vision Inspection
Cognex Corp. makes vision inspection systems for manufacturers worldwide. Recently, John Stamos, sales engineer for Cognex, spoke with Jim Camillo, a senior editor of Assembly magazine, about the impact of lighting and 3D technologies on current and future vision inspection systems. The interview was conducted after a small-group presentation by Stamos in Chicagoland.
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Welding: Principles & Practices

This text introduces students to a solid background in the basic principles and practices of welding.

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