Every year, millions of people worldwide buy and use household appliances made by AB Electrolux. These products include microwave ovens, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, stoves, vacuum cleaners and water heaters sold under brand names like Westinghouse, Chef and Electrolux.

The needs of the imaging world are continuously evolving, requiring lenses to be less expensive, higher resolution and more versatile than ever.

FAIRFAX, VA—Software supplier InfinityQS International Inc. has published a free new e-book, the Zen Guide to Manufacturing Intelligence, which discusses how to use reporting, statistical analysis and visual summaries to attain more value from operational data.

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.