In the fast-paced world of manufacturing, optimizing assembly processes to reduce training and rework costs while maintaining product quality is essential for any business looking to stay competitive.

Contrary to widespread public concern about robots taking away jobs, people still play a key role on assembly lines. In fact, people still perform 72 percent of manufacturing tasks.

On an assembly line, a fastening tool is typically set up to install specific fasteners at a specific workstation. While an assembler might be tempted to use that tool to help a colleague down the line, such good intentions could actually lead to fastening errors. To keep that from happening, several companies have developed a variety of ways to ensure that fastening tools stay put.

The notion of making products close to where you sell them may be coming back into vogue among manufacturers worldwide, but it’s nothing new to Japanese tractor manufacturer Kubota. The company started manufacturing here in 1988, and it has continued to invest heavily in its U.S. presence ever since.

Sometimes, when a product has been around for many years, the best way to gain market share in a crowded field is to completely rethink the design.

Manufacturers of complex products, such as engines and transmissions, have long been using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to error-proof their processes, document quality, and deal with high-mix production.

Construction equipment, farm tractors and other off-highway machines need more than just diesel engines, big tires and metal tracks to operate. They require hydraulic mechanisms to steer, raise booms, open buckets or tilt blades.

Multistation automated assembly systems are a wonder to behold. A well-designed system can mass-produce hundreds of assemblies per minute with minimal human intervention.

The DEPRAG manual work station combines manual operations with processing reliability that is on par with automated production.

Delta Regis Count-Verify Controllers help to identify and eliminate costly screw-fastening errors during the assembly process.