Austin Weber, Senior Editor

GoFly Prize Inspires New Forms of Personal Mobility

September 7, 2018

In the early days of commercial aviation, thousands of inventors and tinkerers developed multiple schemes for flying machines. A few ideas worked, but many others never got off the ground.

Collaborative Robot Do’s and Don’ts

Cobots are the hottest trend in factory automation

Austin Weber

September 4, 2018

Collaborative robots are an important element of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing initiatives. Many engineers are intrigued by these next-generation machines that can control force and work safely next to people on assembly lines without traditional safety guarding.

GE Stays on Track by Rebuilding Locomotives

Flexible assembly lines turn tired workhorses into modern machines

Austin Weber

August 1, 2018

In the Chicagoland area, the home of ASSEMBLY Magazine for the past 60 years, freight trains are a daily fact of life. It's hard to drive anywhere without encountering at least one long train with numerous cars pulled by powerful locomotives.

MIT Engineers 'Float' Idea for Autonomous Boats

Austin Weber

July 10, 2018

Most major cities in the world are located on or near a major body of water, either a coast, a large lake or a river. That's because they originated as water-borne trading posts centuries ago.

Quiet Please! NVH Is Becoming More Important Than Ever

Austin Weber

July 9, 2018

Automakers spend a lot of time focusing on noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). That’s because many consumers demand vehicles that are as quiet as possible.

State of the Profession 2018: Smart Factories Demand Smarter Engineers

Staying ahead of the curve is more important than ever

Austin Weber

July 9, 2018

Increasing demand for smart devices and embedded intelligence is driving manufacturers in a variety of industries to invest in new production tools and technologies. Additive manufacturing, advanced sensors, augmented reality, cloud-based computing, collaborative robots and digital twins are just a few of the many trends transforming factory floors today.

Assembling 3D Printed Parts

Engineers don’t need to rethink traditional joining techniques

Austin Weber

July 5, 2018

Additive manufacturing is no longer just for prototyping. More and more, the technology is being used to make production-ready parts. That's forcing engineers to begin thinking about joint designs and assembly processes.

Lightweighting Is Top Priority for Automotive Industry

Lightweighting is the No. 1 challenge facing automotive engineers today

Austin Weber

June 7, 2018

If it rolls, floats or flies, lightweighting is one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today. The push for new materials is forcing engineers in a variety of industries to explore cost-effective alternatives and develop new assembly processes.

Lockheed Martin, NASA Team Up to Tackle Sonic Booms

Austin Weber

June 6, 2018

A new generation of supersonic aircraft could dramatically change commercial flight. While the basic technology has been around for decades, it's been plagued by noise issues. Due to sonic booms, supersonic jetliners are unable to fly over land.

3D Printing Holds Potential for White Goods

Additive manufacturing is slowly catching on in the appliance industry

Austin Weber

June 5, 2018

Additive manufacturing has already transformed the way that products are designed and produced in a wide variety of industries. The technology is now starting to be used by appliance engineers to assemble coffee makers, ovens, refrigerators and other household products.