Lights-out automation has been a dream of engineers for more than 200 years. The goal is to push a button and let machines work unattended.

At the Components and Logistics facility in Gastonia, NC, Daimler Trucks fulfills orders and sub-assembly of thousands of parts. The plant provides parts for North American truck and school bus manufacturers, as well as auto parts stores.

Optimizing flow and minimizing waste are two of the basic elements of lean manufacturing. Those concepts also play a critical role in laying out assembly lines.

Most people take gravity for granted. But, manufacturers know better, especially when it comes to moving large items through a plant for assembly, finishing, storage and order-fulfillment purposes. The proof is in their use of gravity conveyors to per-form these tasks.

Having multiple options to solve a problem is a great thing for any manufacturer. Having too many options, however, can prove problematic when it prevents a company from deciding on a specific plan of action in a timely manner.

Designing machines is very different from designing parts, yet IronCAD LLC's software is versatile enough to help companies that need to perform either task.

In my first job after I received my engineering degree, I was designing hardware and writing software for embedded products for industrial applications. I had a simulator for the microcontroller.

Your company has just decided to add a new product to the lineup, and now it's up to you to purchase a new assembly line. No worries. It's just like buying something on Amazon, right? You search for a product with at least a four-star rating. You browse a couple reviews. A few clicks later, you're all set.

Automotive manufacturers face several ongoing challenges, such as being able to introduce new products onto an assembly line without long retooling times.

Whether due to a bustling economy, reshoring, better technology or a skilled-labor shortage, manufacturers are automating more than ever.