Assemblers in the United States will spend $2.83 billion on new assembly equipment and tools in 2007, according to ASSEMBLY magazine’s 11th annual capital equipment spending report.

Quality professionals in the United States will spend $3.4 billion on test, measurement and inspection equipment, quality services, and software, according to Quality magazine’s 7th annual capital spending survey.

Historically, engineers would have to travel to two or three different venues, at different times, to check out the latest assembly, quality and electronics assembly equipment. But this year you can see it all in one place, at one time. For the first time, Assembly Technology Expo, Quality Expo, National Manufacturing Week (NMW), the Electronics Assembly Show and PlasTec Midwest will be your one-stop source for everything you need in manufacturing! You’ll find it all at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL, from Sept. 25-27.

The Big Show

ATExpo, as always, is your one-stop source for state-of-the-art automated assembly equipment, adhesive and solder dispensing machines, robots, conveyors and parts feeders, electronic product assembly equipment, machine vision systems, power and hand tools, presses, workstations, test and inspection equipment and everything else you need for product assembly.

Plus-the new Electronics Assembly Show, formerly ATExpo’s Electronics Assembly Pavilion, will be greatly expanded to include the latest in component insertion and placement equipment, board soldering machines and everything else you’ll need to manufacture and package printed circuit boards.

Similarly, Quality Expo is your one-stop source for gages, measurement and calibration equipment, CMMs, nondestructive test equipment, software and everything else you need for ongoing quality improvement.

The major new feature is National Manufacturing Week-the source for CAD, CAM and CAE software, computer hardware and peripherals, contract manufacturing services, linear motion devices, material handling systems, plant engineering products, motors and drives, and all the rest of the manufacturing support equipment and services. NMW is also the leading event for plant engineering professionals.

Rounding out the range of services to manufacturers, PlasTec Midwest includes primary processing machinery, molds and mold components for producing plastic parts.

In all, more than 1,300 exhibitors will be waiting for you to challenge them with your assembly and quality issues, whether they relate to general manufacturing programs, electronics assembly, medical device assembly, plastic parts, or any combination of projects.

Conference Highlights

Stay at the forefront and remain competitive in the fast paced world of manufacturing. For 2007, a comprehensive conference program brings you the knowledge you need to make your assembly process, quality program and overall manufacturing operations work better from design to end-of-line packaging. Industry leaders will share practical insights and techniques that are critical in gaining a competitive advantage. Create your own curriculum from a broad range of management and technical presentations.

The conference runs from Sept. 24-27, and with many session choices available, it’s easy to learn a new skill or adjust an old one and still have time to visit the show floor. Here’s a small sampling of sessions and workshops; you can check out the complete conference program at www.atexpo.com. Register by Aug. 30 to take advantage of early-bird conference rates! If three people from your company register for the conference, then the fourth registration of equal or lesser value is complimentary. All four forms must be received at the same time to take advantage of this group conference discount.

• Career Enhancement for Engineers
• Lean Production-Less is More
• Design for Six Sigma
• Surface Mount Technology
• Statistical Process Control
• Offshore Outsourcing
• Manufacturing in Asia
• Medical Manufacturing
• Quality Management
• Failure Analysis
• Successful Lead-Free Wave Soldering
• Strategic Manufacturing Management
• Planning for Lean Manufacturing
• Beyond RFID
• Joining Processes
• Performance Improvement Initiatives
• SMT Inspection and Testing
• Enterprise Resource Planning
• Automotive Design and Manufacturing
• Ball Grid Arrays
• Plastics-Designs and Systems

Visit the Technology Pavilions

The Medical Device Assembly Pavilion will feature leading assembly automation suppliers to the nation’s $104 billion medical device industry. U.S. medical device manufacturers currently produce 50 percent of the medical products consumed worldwide. Heavy R&D investment, constant innovation, and regulatory and liability issues keep medical manufacturing a dominant U.S. enterprise.

The Wire Harness Pavilion, now in its fifth year and endorsed by the Wire Harness Manufacturers Association, will feature new products and services for assembling electronic cables, cord sets, wiring harnesses and other products used throughout the automotive, appliance, medical, aerospace and electronics industries.

Registration Information

The good news is that one badge gets you into all five shows, and if you preregister on-line or bring show material with you on-site, admission to the shows is FREE! Otherwise, you will be charged the expo-only registration fee ($55) in order to register on-site. Online registration is available throughout show days. Preregister by Aug. 30 and you’ll receive your badge by mail before the shows. For more information, current exhibitor lists and to register for FREE show admission, visit the show web site: www.atexpo.com.

Sidebar: Check Out the EASi Line

Visitors to the Electronics Assembly Show will be able to watch a live assembly line manufacture a heart monitor, package it in a see-through case, and take one home as a souvenir of the show. Making its 12th appearance at ATExpo, the Electronics Assembly Suppliers Initiative (EASi) Line is the centerpiece of the Electronics Assembly Show. Coordinated by Electronics Manufacturing Solutions Inc. (Mooresville, IN), the EASi Line for 2007 will demonstrate double-sided surface mount technology and microcontroller programming.

The conveyorized manufacturing line will feature state-of-the-art equipment for material handling and transport, stencil printing, component pick and place, selective soldering, reflow soldering, X-ray inspection, automated optical inspection, laser marking, robotic point-to-point soldering, rework, depaneling, packaging and microcontroller programming. This live “real-world” demonstration makes the EASi Line a perennial favorite of ATExpo attendees.