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Case histories and technological information from leading industry experts.

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Assembly in Action

Short items explaining how manufacturers are using assembly technology to solve problems or improve processes.

Automation Profiles

Detailed profiles of real-world multistation automated assembly systems.

Fastening Threads

Our nationally known expert discusses issues and trends in assembly with threaded fasteners.

Medical Device Assembly

Short reports on issues affecting medical device manufacturers.

On Campus

Articles about manufacturing research being conducted at the nation's top engineering schools.

Shipulski on Design

Our nationally known expert offers his unique take on how to improve assembly designs.

The Editorial

Commentary on issues and events of interest to manufacturers.

XYZ

Articles about technologies and trends in motion control systems for assembly automation.

Editor’s note: Harry Moser’s column will appear every other month. Has your company reshored production? Are you thinking about it? We’d like to hear from you. We would love to report on your successes or opportunities in future issues. Contact harry. moser@reshorenow.org.

Assembly Innovations

The latest on recent innovations in our industry.

We Fed It

“We Fed It” is a regular series profiling parts feeders for automated assembly. Whether it’s a vibratory bowl, a tray feeder or a flexible robotic system, if you’ve solved a parts-feeding challenge, we’d like to hear about it. Send an e-mail to John Sprovieri, editor of ASSEMBLY, at sprovierij@bnpmedia.com, or call 630-776-0924.

21st Century Assembly

ASSEMBLY magazine is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, we are conducting a series of interviews with manufacturing executives from various industries. “21st Century Assembly” will look back on the technologies and strategies that have made a big impact on manufacturing and—more importantly—look ahead to the future.

Mind Your Ps and Qs

Quarterly column from Jon Quigley, Jon has held engineering and management positions at Volvo Trucks, PACCAR and other companies.

Five Things

ARTICLES

A Bright Idea for Feeding Lightbulbs and Other Delicate Parts

John Sprovieri

April 7, 2020

Consumers spend some $1 billion to buy 2 billion lightbulbs each year in the U.S. That’s more than 6 million every day. High-speed automated assembly is the only way to meet that kind of volume.

Five Things: Robotics

John Sprovieri

April 6, 2020

Ford Motor Co. has begun testing a human-like robot, called Digit, with two arms and two legs for loading and unloading delivery vans.

Pandemic Disrupts U.S. Manufacturing

At best, the pandemic has been an inconvenience. At worst, it has led to part shortages and plant shutdowns

John Sprovieri

April 2, 2020

How quickly things change. On March 1, I was one of 15,000 people watching the Chicago Cubs play a spring training game at a ballpark in Mesa, AZ. It was warm and sunny, the beer was cold, and I had not a care in the world.

Community College Trains Workforce for Local Manufacturers

Austin Weber

March 13, 2020

THE CITY OF ROCKFORD, IL, is located 90 miles northwest of Chicago. It has a long, proud history of making machine tools and metal parts, such as nuts and bolts.

Gripper Rapidly Removes Plastic Parts From Eight-Cavity Mold

Jim Camillo

March 12, 2020

For any plastic-injection-molding tooling company, nothing is more important than making sure its molds allow for consistent, quick and clean demolding of just-made parts. So anything that helps the company achieve this crucial goal is worth pursuing.

Test Chamber Ensures High Performance of Small-Engine Equipment

Jim Camillo

March 11, 2020

In the small town of Wauwatosa, WI, sits the state-of-the-art noise, vibration and harshness laboratory operated by Briggs & Stratton. Within the lab are two anechoic chambers outfitted with sound-absorbing acoustic wedges.

With Composite Panels, Chinese-Made Buses Reduce Emissions in Finland

Jim Camillo

March 10, 2020

Countries around the world share a common goal of reducing carbon emissions. Finland, for example, aims to reduce its level of emissions by 5 percent (5 million kilograms) each year by investing in green technology for public transportation.

Jabil Improves Production Yield With Manufacturing Apps

Jim Camillo

March 9, 2020

Building complex assemblies is now a standard practice for electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies. This reality applies to firms that do work locally, nationally or internationally.

Shaker Table Sorts Parts for Thermoelectric Cooling Devices

John Sprovieri

March 6, 2020

Thermoelectric coolers are great for day trips, tailgating, boating or even overnight camping trips. Instead of ice, these coolers rely on a thin, flat electronic assembly called a Peltier device.

8D and A3 Formalize Problem-Solving

Jon Quigley

March 5, 2020

If you have been around for a while, you may recall the "Parts is Parts" commercial from the Wendy's fast-food chain. As bad as the "parts is parts" idea is for chicken sandwiches, it's equally bad for manufacturing.