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Picking the Low-Hanging Fruit

Picking the Low-Hanging Fruit

Assemblers that are new to automation are well-advised to start with a simple project and grow from there.
John Sprovieri
March 23, 2022
Does this sound familiar? Management envisions "a sea of robots" on the shop floor. They haven't deployed robots before, and they don't have a specific goal in mind. They just want "automation." The next thing you know, there's a collaborative robot on the loading dock. Your job: Find something to do with it.
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Assessing the Current State

Assessing the Current State

Before attempting to automate an assembly process, engineers should have specific goals to achieve or problems to solve.
John Sprovieri
March 22, 2022
Poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou wrote, “You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.”
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Capital Spending Survey: Assemblers Gear Up for Recovery

Capital Spending Survey 2021: Assemblers Gear Up for Recovery

With the pandemic subsiding and consumer spending on the rise, manufacturers are investing in their assembly operations.
December 7, 2021

In February 2020, U.S. manufacturers employed nearly 12.8 million people. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. In an instant, the country lost 1 million manufacturing jobs as governments and businesses scrambled to figure out how best to stop the spread of the disease.


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2021 Assembly Plant of the Year: GKN Drives Transformation With New Culture, Processes and Tools

2021 Assembly Plant of the Year: GKN Drives Transformation With New Culture, Processes and Tools

A two-year-long continuous improvement initiative pays off in Newton, NC.
Austin Weber
Austin Weber
October 13, 2021
All-wheel drive (AWD) technology has taken the automotive world by storm in recent years, because of its ability to effectively transfer power to the ground. Today, many sport utility vehicles use AWD for better acceleration, performance, safety and traction in all kinds of driving conditions.
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ASSEMBLY Capital Spending Report: Capital Spending to Increase

ASSEMBLY Capital Spending Report 2019: Manufacturers Continue to Invest in Technology

Despite some headwinds, manufacturers will continue to invest in assembly technology
John Sprovieri
December 9, 2019
In September, Toyota announced that it will invest $391 million in its truck assembly plant in San Antonio. Hyundai announced that it is investing nearly $300 million in its factory in Montgomery, AL. Brake manufacturer Bendix Spicer began construction on a $65 million expansion of its assembly plant Bowling Green, KY. And, automotive supplier Hirotec Group said it will invest $48 million to build a new assembly plant in Fayetteville, TN.
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Refrigerator Production Heats Up at GE Appliances

2019 Assembly Plant of the Year: Refrigerator Production Heats Up at GE Appliances

Lean manufacturing and vertical integration thrive in Decatur, AL.
Austin Weber
Austin Weber
October 1, 2019
Refrigerators are one of the only appliances found in nearly every type of home, whether it's an apartment in suburban Atlanta, a high-rise condominium in downtown Chicago, a beach house in Hawaii or a trailer in Texas. The humble refrigerator is also the hardest working household appliance. Day and night, it's constantly running to keep all types of food and beverages cool, fresh or frozen.
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