Composite materials are used in a variety of industries due to their unique properties of high strength, high stiffness, light weight and corrosion resistance. Composites consist of a polymer, such as epoxy or nylon, reinforced with fibers, such as carbon, glass or aramid.

When designing plastic parts to be assembled by ultrasonic welding, engineers have several options: a butt joint, a step joint, a tongue-and-groove joint, and a shear joint.

On July 15, the United Auto Workers formally began talks with Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler on a new four-year contract. It was all smiles and handshakes to start, but negotiations will surely get testy before the current contract expires Sept. 14.

Flow and leak testing are required for any medical device that brings a substance to or from the body. Flow testing ensures that there are no blockages and the substance being delivered can make it through.

Even in a good economy, most governors would welcome plans by a Fortune 100 corporation to build a new factory in their state, and create more than 500 manufacturing jobs. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, however, was not so sure.

About 2 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide in 2018, a whopping 57 percent increase over 2017, according to consulting firm Research and Markets. Some 69 percent of those were battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 31 percent were plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

Adhesives are widely used throughout an aircraft. Jet engines contain structural adhesives, threadlockers, retaining compounds and thread sealants for hydraulic components.

In April, Ford Motor Co. announced that it would stop selling the Taurus, Fusion, Fiesta and C-Max passenger cars, leaving only the Mustang to be sold in North America.

Organizations spend billions of dollars on tools to bolster employee engagement, but the return on those investments is unclear.

Whether it's a car or a computer, a toy or a toaster, almost every assembled product has at least a few threaded fasteners. In-deed, 62 percent of ASSEMBLY's readers use threaded fasteners of one form or another to assemble their products.