For many years, American automakers have talked about how “flexible” their factories are. But, now that the industry is shifting its gears to produce fuel-efficient cars, why can't the same factories that assembled pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles in the past be used to produce subcompact sedans?
Structural adhesives are typically associated with automotive and aerospace applications. But, many appliance manufacturers are examining the pros and cons of bonding, because it offers numerous benefits. Despite those advantages, screws, bolts and rivets still remain popular with appliance engineers.
Manufacturing is still a vital cog in the U.S. economy. But, how individual states ranks when it comes to local gross domestic product may raise a few eyebrows.
In 2008, ASSEMBLY magazine is celebrating the 5th anniversary of its Assembly Plant of the Year award. The first four recipients of the award were each involved in diverse industries and were located in different parts of the country. However, they each shared something in common: a keen embrace of lean manufacturing and a desire for continuous improvement.
Several years ago, everyone was crying about all the American manufacturers closing their doors and shipping production to China, Brazil and other countries with low-cost economies. But, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (Tokyo, Japan) has announced that it will soon begin exporting vehicles made at its plant in Normal, IL, to China. When the Eclipse sports car goes on sale in Shanghai later this year, Chinese consumers will be eyeing a car that was assembled in the middle of an Illinois cornfield.
Recent quality glitches at Boeing Commercial Airplanes (Renton, WA) and Toyota Motor Corp. (Nagoya, Japan) have raised quite a few eyebrows in the manufacturing world.
