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 towns of Elkhart and Warsaw sit less than 40 miles apart in northern Indiana. But, when it comes to the local manufacturing climate, the two communities might as well be located at the North and South poles. The two extremes help illustrate an interesting phenomenon: Today’s crazy economic climate doesn’t always follow standard geographic boundaries.
The energy for the next generation of miniature electronic devices could come from tiny microbatteries about half the size of a human cell and built with viruses. Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA) have developed a battery that could one day power a range of miniature devices, by stamping them onto a variety of surfaces.
After years of development in the research lab, thin-film batteries may finally be ready for widespread commercialization. The devices are appealing to many manufacturers because they feature customizable shapes, flexible form factors and ultra-low weight that enables new functionality to be added to a broad range of products.
Assemblers at the Honda Motor Co. (Tokyo) plant in Sayama, Japan, are using a new contraption to eliminate the risk of repetitive-stress-related injuries. The walking assist device helps support bodyweight to reduce the load on an individual's legs while walking, going up and down stairs, or working in a semicrouching position.
Engineers at Ford Motor Co. (Dearborn, MI) use digital tools and virtual manufacturing technology to simulate assembly tasks. That helps them predict and eliminate repetitive-stress and other on-the-job injuries.
Occupational ergonomics is not a new field. In fact, people have been studying the topic for more than 100 years. This brief timeline tracks some significant milestones.
The field of ergonomics is full of various terms, such as "carpal tunnel syndrome" and "cumulative trauma disorder." Here's a short guide to everything from "accommodation" to "work reach envelope."
Batteries are one of today’s hottest products, with billions of dollars being poured into various R&D efforts around the world. While automotive applications heat up, consumer electronics will continue to drive the market in the near future.
Today, ergonomics is better understood than it was 10 years ago. In recent years, it has become less of a standalone discipline and more of a lean manufacturing initiative.
Batteries contain a wide vaerity of volatile chemicals and inherently unstable materials that can potentially create toxic gases. If a leak occurs, electrolyte can be harmful to body tissue and electronic circuitry.