Robots are becoming nearly as common in assembly plants as nutrunners and conveyors. The advent of collaborative robots is only furthering that trend. However, as robots play a greater role on the line, engineers must ensure that workers remain safe around the technology.
Medical doctors have increasingly become specialized during the last 25 years or so. But, industrial robots have been specialists by design since they began being used for manufacturing in the early 1960s.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put unprecedented strain on manufacturers of medical devices and pharmaceuticals to deliver life-saving products. Automation will play a key role in fighting the disease.
Today's printed circuit board assembly line is highly automated. Board loading, paste printing, pick-and-place, reflow, test and inspection - every process is covered by a standard machine, and assemblers have many brands to choose from.
Some Tier II suppliers provide a wide range of parts to the automotive industry, while others are better suited to focus on only one type of part. Grand Rapids, MI-based Erwin Quarder Inc. (EQI) specializes in making plastic-injection overmolded, two-shot-molded and insert-molded parts.
In November, Cook Group Inc. announced plans to invest $7 million to build a 40,000-square-foot assembly plant on the northeast side of Indianapolis, creating 100 jobs for residents in an impoverished neighborhood.