Speed, power and durability are key characteristics of industrial robots. These robots are typically used in applications such as welding or in lifting heavy components for vehicle assembly. Yet despite advanced calibration methods, the positional accuracy of industrial robots has been inadequate for certain tasks. This is now changing thanks in part to highly accurate, output-side encoders from Heidenhain and AMO.
Manufacturers of complex machinery can learn a great deal about product quality and cost by participating in a dedicated teardown process. Almost any product large or small,from appliances to agricultural equipment to medical devices to electrical equipment, can be the focus of a teardown.
YOKOHAMA, Japan--Nissan announced yesterday that the company has sold its 300,000th Nissan LEAF globally since the model first went on sale in 2010. The 100-percent electric LEAF is the world's first mass-produced, and also the world's best-selling, electric car. Nissan launched a fully redesigned version of the LEAF in September 2017.
WASHINGTON--The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that the United States added 196,000 factory jobs in 2017, including 25,000 jobs in December. Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, says that factory jobs are growing at a faster rate than jobs in the overall economy.
Every parent or healthcare worker knows that a fever is a sure sign of an infection. Similarly, an elevated temperature in a roller bearing is a sure sign that it’s about to fail. Just as thermometers are vital instruments in homes, clinics and hospitals, infrared thermal imaging systems have become a critical tool for maintenance and quality assurance personnel at assembly plants and other industrial facilities.
Inserting glass windows into car bodies has been, and remains, a challenge for automotive OEMs. Manual insertion is labor intensive and imprecise, and carries with it the risk of bodily injury to assemblers due to broken glass.
Little things not only mean a lot, they can also explain a lot. Consider a spent blind-rivet mandrel, which is only 1 to 2 inches in length, but has tiny markings that provide a wealth of information to veteran rivet-tool-supplier salespeople like Michelle Donath at Yamazen Inc.
Like a third-string quarterback awaiting his moment in the spotlight, magnesium has been sitting patiently on the light-weighting sideline. But, it may finally get its turn to shine in automotive applications, thanks to several recent breakthroughs.
TOKYO—Kenichi Yamamoto, who led the engineering team that produced a commercially viable rotary engine at the company now known as Mazda Motor Co. and later became its president and chairman, died on Dec. 20. He was 95.
CHARLOTTE, NC—Three manufacturers plan to bring 639 jobs and almost $73 million in investment to the extended Charlotte area. Automotive supplier Tristone Flowtech USA Inc. is investing $23.6 million to build a new assembly plant in Iredell County, creating 302 jobs. Dhollandia Manufacturing, which makes hydraulic lifts, will spend $30 million to open a new assembly plant in Gaston County, creating 150 jobs. And, Sunrise Global Marketing, which makes battery-powered outdoor equipment, will hire 187 people and spend $23.2 million to open an assembly plant in Burke County.