Torque is an imperfect measure of how tightly a bolted joint has been fastened. Friction, torsional stress and other variables can obscure what engineers really want to know: the clamp load on the joint.
The PSA Peugeot Citroën Group assembles the Citroën C3 and two other models at its factory in Madrid, Spain. The bodies-in-white for the vehicles are produced on an automated welding line. Forty programmable logic controllers from Siemens AG (Berlin) govern the assortment of robots, conveyors, welders and other equipment on the line.
The hands of a wristwatch are joined to their pinion shafts with an interference fit. However, before the hands can be installed, the precise location of the watch face must be determined.
Remember when the 0402 was the smallest passive component you had to worry about? That part's dimensions-1 millimeter long, 0.5 millimeter wide, and 0.35 millimeter thick-were cake compared with the latest chip to come off the reel, the 01005.
You can find a lot of cutting edge technology stuffed into cell phones, handheld computers, MP3 players and other pocket-sized electronic devices. Ironically, you can also find an assembly technology that dates back to the Stone Age-adhesives.