Austin has been senior editor for ASSEMBLY Magazine since September 1999. He has more than 21 years of b-to-b publishing experience and has written about a wide variety of manufacturing and engineering topics. Austin is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI) has created a new laboratory for testing materials used to assemble and package radio frequency (RF) components and chips.
It's fitting that the Boeing 717 is assembled with innovative production techniques, such as a continuously moving assembly line, because the airplane broke a long-standing tradition at the 85-year-old company.
Building airplanes with moving assembly lines is not a brand new concept. In fact, the process was successfully used during World War II to mass-produce military aircraft.
Layoffs have become a fact of life in the manufacturing industry. Being prepared is the best defense against the threat of downsizing, which often occurs with little or no advance warning.
Several leading manufacturers are experimenting with employee evaluation rating systems to determine pay raises and promotions. However, the job new review practice is extremely controversial.