A case in point is the nonsynchronous automated assembly system Owen recently built for Eaton Corp. (Cleveland). The system, used to build locking differentials for light-duty trucks, uses a pressing operation in Station 5 to install two critical bushings that control the torque transfer from the slipping wheel to the traction wheel.

"The bushings have to be positioned precisely," Burtka notes. "If they’re too loose or too tight, the locking feature doesn’t work. That means an unhappy customer and a warranty claim. This is an extremely lean system. We use a number of manual presses at other stations to install various components. Eaton can vary the output of the system by using more or fewer operators as demand fluctuates."