ASSEMBLY

It’s Time for Just-in-Case

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The chaos in supply chains has manufacturers clamoring for storage space to keep contingency inventory—in other words, the reverse of JIT. The new mania is for “just-in-case” inventories. Welcome to the 1970s.

The N95 Respirator Scandal

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Why on earth are hospital workers still forced to recycle N95 respirators when Detroit automakers with no aircraft experience were able to start turning out dozens of planes daily in less time than we’ve been dealing with the virus?

A Hack for Sterilizing N95 Respirators

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

N95 respirators were intended to be discarded after every use. That’s not happening now, of course, so much research is going into devising methods for sterilizing used respirators for reuse. If that is your situation, the following information may be helpful.

U.S. Manufacturing Had an Opportunity—And We Wasted It

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 00:00:00 -0400

We—manufacturers, government and the public—have failed dismally to capitalize on the opportunity to revamp supply chains and grow U.S. manufacturing.

Cybersecurity and Robotics Systems: Vulnerabilities and Solutions

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

RoboBusiness Direct’s session with Counterpoint Research’s Satyajit Sinha will explore current and future cybersecurity threats to networked robotics systems.

Re-opening Assembly Plants During the Plague Requires New Approaches

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ready or not, those of us in manufacturing are (mostly) all back to work, coronavirus or not. It’s tough to make things via Zoom. While many office workers will be working from home for the foreseeable future, manufacturing personnel are back in the trenches. So, let’s talk about how to ensure that going to work doesn’t turn into a stop on the way to intensive care.

How Robots Are Succeeding and Failing in the World of Logistics

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

In this insightful RoboBusiness Direct presentation, FedEx’s Aaron Prather will review the continuing opportunities for robotics solutions in the logistics sector. Prather has successfully deployed robotics applications within FedEx, and he has seen other initiatives go off the rail.

From 1 to 1,000: Lessons Learned in Scaling a Robot Fleet

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Bossa Nova Robotics is one of the leaders in the retail robotics sector, providing large retailers with inventory-scanning robots that move up and down aisles, tracking inventory supply levels via computer vision and artificial intelligence.

The Automation of Manually Steered Vehicles: Insights, Analysis and Opportunities

Thu, 28 May 2020 00:00:00 -0400

In this RoboBusiness Direct session, you will learn about one of the biggest opportunities for providers of robotics technologies—retrofitting manually steered vehicles used in various industries to support autonomous navigation. The session will include data on shipments and revenues, as well as overviews of well-known providers of autonomous navigation systems, including Brain Corp., BlueBotics, Built Robotics and Outrider.

Pandemic Reveals Rocky State of U.S. Manufacturing

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 00:00:00 -0400

The impact of COVID-19 on this country didn’t need to be this bad. It shouldn’t have been this bad. But this is what happens when a country turns its back on manufacturing. America traded its independence for short-term corporate profits, and recovery is going to take much more than a few trillion dollars in federal emergency loans. A euthanized industrial base can’t magically be brought back to life.

Engineers Take the Spotlight in Chicago and Milwaukee

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 10:30:00 -0500

Museum exhibits highlight some of the many products that were once made in Chicago and Milwaukee factories

See the Latest Fastening Tools at The ASSEMBLY Show!

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

According to ASSEMBLY magazine’s annual Capital Equipment Spending Survey, half of all U.S. assembly plants will purchase electric or pneumatic fastening tools in 2020.

If fastening tools are on your shopping list, then The ASSEMBLY Show is the place to be! Here, you’ll find dozens of suppliers offering cordless nutrunners, pneumatic screwdrivers, screwfeeders, digital torque wrenches and other fastening tools. Here’s just a taste of what’s on the floor.

Four Fastening Tools Among Nominees for ASSEMBLY Product of the Year

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

To draw attention to the breadth and quality of new technologies on display at The ASSEMBLY Show, we’re holding the 2nd annual “Product of the Year” contest at the show, and you—the attendees—will be the judges. We’ve nominated 20 products in five categories that we think are particularly innovative. Among them are four fastening tools.

Science Of Soldering© Class At Georgia Tech

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Georgia Tech is offering an open registration Science of Soldering© course for individuals as part of its Professional Education Program.

One 'Giant Leap' for Manufacturing

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 07:30:00 -0400

Fifty years ago, assembly lines stretching from Long Island to Los Angeles produced millions of complex parts that made the first moon landing possible.

We Are All John Glenn

Fri, 17 May 2019 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Are Avionics Manufacturers Resistant to Change?

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 00:00:00 -0400

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.

No Ice for Bobsledding? No Problem!

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 10:26:00 -0500

A professor at Purdue University believes that icy bobsled tracks could someday be replaced with a lubricated plastic surface.

From Cow Chips to Micro Chips?

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 10:11:00 -0400

Wisconsin has been at the epicenter of U.S. manufacturing this past week, starting with Foxconn's big announcement.

Finally, Some Good News for Flint!

Tue, 30 May 2017 10:20:00 -0400

General Motors recently restored Durant-Dort Factory One, considered to be the company’s birthplace and epicenter of the global auto industry.

Handheld Servo Press Tops Lineup of New Press Technologies at ASSEMBLY Show

Wed, 17 May 2017 00:00:00 -0400

A handheld servo press was just one of many new press technologies that were on display at the 2017 ASSEMBLY Show. More than a dozen press suppliers are exhibiting the latest in hydraulic, pneumatic and electric technologies.

Lasers, Hot Plates, Ultrasonics Among New Technologies for Joining Plastic Parts

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0400

More than a dozen suppliers of plastics assembly technology were on hand at The ASSEMBLY Show last fall. Here are just a few examples of what you could have seen on the show floor.

Automated Dispensing, Curing Technology Saves Money, Boosts Quality

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

More than 30 suppliers of equipment for dispensing and curing adhesives displayed their latest technologies at the 2016 ASSEMBLY Show. Here is a small sample of what you could find on the show floor.

Cartesian, SCARA, Six-Axis and Delta: Robots Wowed Crowds at The ASSEMBLY Show

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

The ASSEMBLY Show played host to more than 30 suppliers of robots and robotic accessories. The following are some of the robotic technology that were seen on the show floor.

New Technology Ensures Error-Proof Fastening

Tue, 10 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Here's a taste of some of the new fastening tools that were seen at the 2016 ASSEMBLY Show.

End of an Era Down Under

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 12:18:00 -0400

Australia's proud auto manufacturing heritage is about to become extinct. Will Canada be next?

Down With Quality? Up With Complaints!

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 09:37:00 -0400

What’s up with product quality lately? Despite recent efforts to address the issue, quality still plagues manufacturers in a wide variety of industries.

Robot History Mystery

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 01:46:00 -0400

Should another company other than GM be credited with the first successful robotic application? Why did Pullman invest in Unimation? When was the first Unimate robot first installed at GM?

Happy Birthday, GM Lordstown!

Fri, 20 May 2016 03:15:00 -0400

Today, GM's Lordstown assembly plant is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Although the facility appears to have a bright future, it also has a checkered past.

Coloring Assembly's Future

Fri, 20 May 2016 03:03:00 -0400

Adult coloring books are a popular fad today. They're touted as an easy, fun way to relieve stress and energize creativity. Some manufacturers are also getting in on the action.