Assembly Magazine

2020 October

The 2020 October Assembly features our cover story: 2020 Assembly Plant of the Year - There's No Looking Back at Murakami, plus much more. Check it out today!

2020 Assembly Plant of the Year: There’s No Looking Back at Murakami

The Campbellsville, KY, plant excels at continuous improvement and workforce development

Austin Weber

October 6, 2020

Every motorist uses rearview mirrors whenever they get behind the wheel. In fact, most people look at them every few seconds as they drive. However, few ever give those ubiquitous devices much thought.

The Ergonomics of Wire Harness Assembly

Manual tasks pose numerous risks to assemblers

Austin Weber

October 15, 2020

When it comes to assembling wire harnesses, humans still do it better than automation. That's why wire processing remains a largely manual process. However, it also poses a number of ergonomic issues and concerns, including the risk of back, finger, neck, shoulder and wrist injuries.

Harness Design at Nordex

Software aids design and assembly of control cabinets and wire harnesses for wind turbines

John Sprovieri

October 16, 2020

Can the length of a wire harness routed in a wind turbine tower 394 feet tall and connected to a control cabinet in a nacelle be precisely determined by a computer? Yes, it can.

Ultrasonic Welding of Wire to Metal

Manufacturers have multiple technology options for ultrasonically welding wire to small metal parts

Jim Camillo

October 14, 2020

One of the main goals of an artist is to help others see things in a different light and use them in a new way. Manufacturers often provide a similar benefit to their equipment suppliers.

Blue Lasers for Welding Copper

The blue laser produces rapid, high-quality welds for a wide range of part geometries

Jean-Michel Pelaprat

October 13, 2020

Conventional automobiles contain 20 to 50 pounds of copper. Electric vehicles, in contrast, contain about 180 pounds of copper, and 27 million of them are expected on the road by 2027.

Adhesives Assemble Motors for Electric Bike

An anaerobic adhesive provides many advantages for assembling a compact, efficient bike motor

Karl Bitzer

October 12, 2020

In Europe, the electric bicycle market is booming. For every bike on the road, one in three is an e-bike. The United States is starting to see more e-bikes on the market and currently has more than 350,000 in circulation.

Simple Test Determines Cause of Loose Fasteners

The type of loosening affecting a bolted joint can be determined by examining the position of the torque stripe after testing and retightening

Jon D. Ness

October 8, 2020

Bolted joints are widely used to assemble components. That is not surprising, since they are cost effective while being relatively easy to assemble and disassemble.

Leak Testing Batteries

A new technology accurately tests cylindrical, prismatic and pouch cells for electric vehicles

John Sprovieri

October 1, 2020

Sales of electric vehicles (EVs), particularly plug-in hybrids and full battery electrics, are growing faster than expected, according to a study released earlier this year by the Boston Consulting Group.

The 1936 GM Sit-Down Strike Changed Labor History

Tim Trainor

October 7, 2020

On July 1, 1930, 200 metal trimmers and polishers at GM’s Fisher Body No.1 (Fisher One) in Flint, MI, laid down their tools and stormed off the job, hollering for others to follow.

Little Things Mean a Lot to Maker of Small-Parts Inspection System

Jim Camillo

October 14, 2020

There is no doubt that little things can make a big difference in electronics manufacturing. For example, using out-of-spec micro screws and bolts on commercial smart phones can wreak havoc on their assembly quality and performance reliability.

Laser Efficiently Drills Rivet Holes in Composites

Jim Camillo

October 13, 2020

Drilling rivet holes in composite materials has been a challenge for many years. Traditionally, using standard tools has resulted in rapid tool wear and material damage, including integrity, surface quality and delamination.

Sheet Forming Machine Advances Capabilities of Aerospace Parts Maker

Jim Camillo

October 12, 2020

Based in Wichita, KS, H&R Parts Co. Inc. has been producing aluminum parts and assemblies for the aerospace industry since 1955.

Gripper Automates Tube Handling

John Sprovieri

October 12, 2020

Based in Ilshofen, Germany, Bausch+Ströbel (B+S) manufactures filling and packaging equipment for the pharmaceutical industry.

Flex feeder handles heavy castings

John Sprovieri

October 9, 2020

A construction equipment manufacturer needed a way to feed a family of large, heavy castings. The castings range in weight from a few ounces up to a few pounds and come in many geometric shapes.

Five Things: Automatic Screwdriving

John Sprovieri

October 9, 2020

Visumatic Industrial Products has built a robotic cell for installing clips in large automotive parts.

GM, Honda Put White-Collar Workers on the Assembly Line

John Sprovieri

October 8, 2020

After sitting idle for weeks or even months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. assembly plants have finally restarted production, albeit with the occasional hiccup.

Local for Local Pays Off for U.S. Automotive Assembly

Harry Moser

October 8, 2020

Growing sustainability and resilience concerns brought about by trade war uncertainty and the COVID-19 pandemic have companies looking for ways to mitigate risk and increase agility.

As more companies automate their screwdriving processes with collaborative robots, there are many factors to consider to ensure employee safety, consistent required torque high degree of repeatability and zero defect products. Join Universal Robots and screwdriving experts Atlas Copco for this joint webinar featuring the latest developments in automated screwdriving.

Few business leaders in the world have applied lean strategy as successfully as Art Byrne—and none has the ability to explain how to do it with such succinctness and clarity. Famous for turning around the wire management company Wiremold, where he rethought every aspect of operations from the customer’s standpoint, Byrne has successfully implemented lean strategies at more than 30 companies in 14 different countries.

Assembly Magazine

2020 October

The 2020 October Assembly features our cover story: 2020 Assembly Plant of the Year - There's No Looking Back at Murakami, plus much more. Check it out today!

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Assembly Magazine

2020 October

Cover Story

2020 Assembly Plant of the Year: There’s No Looking Back at Murakami

Features

The Ergonomics of Wire Harness Assembly

Harness Design at Nordex

Ultrasonic Welding of Wire to Metal

Blue Lasers for Welding Copper

Adhesives Assemble Motors for Electric Bike

Simple Test Determines Cause of Loose Fasteners

Leak Testing Batteries

The 1936 GM Sit-Down Strike Changed Labor History

Columns

Little Things Mean a Lot to Maker of Small-Parts Inspection System

Laser Efficiently Drills Rivet Holes in Composites

Sheet Forming Machine Advances Capabilities of Aerospace Parts Maker

Gripper Automates Tube Handling

Flex feeder handles heavy castings

Five Things: Automatic Screwdriving

GM, Honda Put White-Collar Workers on the Assembly Line

Local for Local Pays Off for U.S. Automotive Assembly

Assembly Magazine

2020 October