Manufacturing high-quality products is always serious business, even when the products are used for fun. KTM AG, for example, builds each of its off-road motorcycles with top-notch and thoroughly tested parts so that each model is "ready to race."

High-strength threaded fasteners are critical components in the assembly of virtually every form of transportation and industrial machinery. Industry-accepted standards for the measurement and performance of these critical parts have existed for decades, but recent failures of threaded fasteners in service and qualification testing are bringing new focus to the critical area between the head and shank of the fastener.

Traditionally, assemblers use semiautomated or manual tools to drive screws. While that technology is still used for some fastening applications, more manufacturers are investing in robotic screwdriving.

Hot upset riveting is a permanent forming and fastening process that uses precision heat and pressure to form hardened workpieces. This process achieves maximum hole-fill, creating a robust joint. Depending on the part requirements, the result can be a fixed or movable joint assembly.

President Roosevelt stunned millions of listeners when he announced during a May 26, 1940, fireside chat that government must "harness the efficient machinery of America's manufacturers" to produce 50,000 combat aircraft over the next 12 months to confront the "approaching storm" of global war.

More than 5,500 manufacturing professionals saw the latest robots, fastening tools and automation at the sixth annual ASSEMBLY Show, which was held Oct. 23-25 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

When considering a new transducerized direct current (DC) tool system, don't overthink it. It's easier said than done considering today's tech-heavy environment.

Fastening tools are the workhorses of any assembly operation. Consider a high-volume automotive plant. If a vehicle contains 1,000 threaded fasteners and an assembly line is turning out 250,000 vehicles annually, that’s more than 250 million run-downs each year.

Faced with the need to join aluminum to aluminum and aluminum to steel, automakers have been forced to find alternatives to the tried-and-true spot welding technology they had been using for decades to join all-steel assemblies. Flow drill screws are one such alternative.

Many engineers will put great thought into selecting the proper type of fastener for their design, but overlook the importance of finish. When selecting the best finish for fasteners, it is wise to consider the following factors