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Home » Blogs » Assembly Blog » Jim Smith

Assembly Blog
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ASSEMBLY Blog
The ASSEMBLY Blog is written by our team of editors and industry experts. It provides thought-provoking opinions on issues and trends in manufacturing, as wells tips, tricks and suggestions for implementing assembly technology.

Blog Topics

Austin Weber

Assembly Automation

Ergo Corner

Hoffmann on Testing

Jim Camillo

Jim Smith

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Recent Comments

Helpful for Trainees

Cable Assembly Manufacturers

Huawei for manufacturing?

should have a scanner and then 3D print the repair

IPC-A-610 and IPC-j-std-001

Science Of Soldering© Class At Georgia Tech

Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
August 23, 2019
Georgia Tech is offering an open registration Science of Soldering© course for individuals as part of its Professional Education Program.
Read More
737 max

We Are All John Glenn

Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
May 17, 2019

John Glenn, the famous astronaut and politician, wrote about his history-making earth orbit flight, “As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind: Every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.” Today, we are all John Glenn.


Read More
circuit board assembly

Are Avionics Manufacturers Resistant to Change?

Our electronics industry commentator expresses frustration at the "that's-how-we've-always-done-it" culture among avionics manufacturers.
Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
March 20, 2019

The news about the 737 MAX has got me thinking about my own experience with the aerospace industry. There’s something cultural about the avionics and aerospace industries, the Defense Department and the FAA; they are impervious to ideas. The status quo cannot be unseated.


Read More
kia assembly plant

Can Quality Be Saved?

Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
November 24, 2014

While manufacturers agree that the quality revolution that began in the 1980s is a good thing, quality does not seem to have improved as a result.


Read More
apple imac

Apple, Outsourcing and Tax Law

Arcane policies allow multinational corporations to avoid paying billions in U.S. taxes.
Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
May 28, 2013

Multinationals are using overseas subsidiaries to avoid paying billions in federal taxes. Is that a problem? How would you fix it? Should the federal government provide a tax break for repatriated corporate earnings?


Read More
hand soldering

Your Employees Are Smarter Than You Think

Manufacturers can do much better than "train" their employees.
Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
April 2, 2013

Manufacturers often fail to recognize the ability of their employees to learn and think.


Read More
787 assembly line

The Dreamliner Nightmare, Part 2

The lithium-ion battery fiasco has cost Boeing and its customers millions.
Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
March 13, 2013

Several respondents to my original blog say the 787's battery problems are a minor blip that Boeing will correct quickly. My impression is that the battery is becoming aviation’s equivalent of the Ford Pinto.


Read More
Boeing assembly plant

The Dreamliner Becomes a Nightmare

How could a really great company get so many things wrong?
Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
February 12, 2013

Did cost-cutting strategy jeopardize the production of what should have been an engineering triumph?


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apple imac
Reshoring

Apparently, We Can...

No company has been under more pressure than Apple to bring back jobs that were shipped overseas.
Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
December 10, 2012

Our guest blogger wonders whether Apple's recent decision to invest $100 million to manufacture iMacs in the United States is a token gesture or a sign of things to come.


Read More
robotics.jpg
Assembly Automation

Working With the Lights Out

In their attempts to avoid costly labor, engineers can overinvest in machines.
Jim Smith Ph.D. ABD
November 26, 2012

Automation is wonderfully economical—except when it’s not. Time and again, I’ve seen smart engineers make dumb automation decisions, some of them ruinous.


Read More
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