Test and Inspection Assembly

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According to many experts, 3D printing promises to revolutionize the way numerous products are designed and mass-produced.

Making sure every crimp is a quality crimp is a critical function of all harness manufacturers. So critical, in fact, that many manufacturers mandate it within their own facilities or those of their suppliers to make sure each crimp meets all customer specifications.

When high-voltage cable assemblies and their connectors fail, it is generally catastrophic. This is because a dielectric breakdown has occurred.

NORTHBROOK, IL—Although 84 percent of manufacturers believe that consumer confidence in product safety is increasing, 58 percent of consumers believe manufacturers value sales over product safety, according to a new study by United Laboratories.

CHICAGO—Workers at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant have checked the quality of a vehicle’s paint job basically the same way since the plant opened in 1924—by eye. But the factory is now getting a new 3D imaging system that uses 16 computer-controlled cameras to detect the most microscopic grains of dirt in the paint.

Vision system integration has come a long way. With increased processing power, more powerful algorithms, and lighting and optics designed for more demanding requirements, more applications can be solved today than ever before.

To boost the energy output of wind turbines, manufacturers are developing taller structures with longer blades. That’s because the wind at 100 meters blows more steadily and 4.5 percent faster than it does at 80 meters, with an energy gain of about 14 percent.

EVANSVILLE, IN—Systems integrator Evana Automation recently received a contract from a Tier 1 automotive supplier to provide a multistation system to assemble and test a lane departure warning system.

CARLSBAD, CA—Systems integrator Automation GT has built a multistation automated assembly system to make syringes. Designed for use in a Class 10,000 clean room, the system includes robots, vision systems and dispensing equipment.

Sitting under the hood of every new car—and many older cars made since 1990—is the engine control module (ECM). Often referred to as “the car’s computer,” it usually employs the most powerful and expensive microcontroller in the vehi-cle.