North America's first multishell, vibration-welded intake manifold debuted on Ford's 5.4-liter, two-valve engines on the 1999 Ford F-series 150 and 250 light trucks, Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators. This manifold also marks the first use of Zytel welding-enhanced PA 6,6 nylon resin.

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) continue to find use among manufacturers of power tools and other industrial applications. An example of this is an overmolding application for a palm-sized sanding tool from National Detroit Inc. (Rockford, IL), a manufacturer of pneumatic hand-held sanders for industrial, autobody and woodworking applications.

For nearly a century, a four-faced, wooden clock had stood in front of Thorpe & Co. Jewelers (Sioux City, IA). However, after surviving natural wear and tear, two fires and a truck smashing into it, the clock needed refurbishing.

In-Sink-Erator (Racine, WI) follows the old adage that when your company name is synonymous with your product, you not only own a place in your customers' mind, you own a piece of the market. To serve this market, you must stay productive in spite of production challenges.

A company we know is sending its executives and managers back to school to learn accounting. Why? Because those execs and managers were making decisions without understanding the financial implications.

When we published the results of ASSEMBLY's fifth annual capital equipment spending survey last December, consumer confidence was at near historical highs and unemployment was at a 30-year low.

When Polaris Pool Systems (Vista, CA), a manufacturer of automatic pool cleaners, was experiencing gear jam-ups due to loose-fitting bearings, they turned to the SureWeld 20 ultrasonic plastic welder from Sonobond Ultrasonics (West Chester, PA) to weld the bearing securely in place.

No longer do robot-based automation systems permanently replace employees. Their ideal role is to extend the capability of humans while simultaneously increasing productivity and reducing overall costs.

When Orthodyne Electronics (Irvine, CA), a manufacturer of electronics assembly equipment, adapted its ultrasonic wire bonders to a new market, it installed compact feeders driven by a motion control package from Rexroth Star (Charlotte, NC) on its Model 360CH and 360CHD robotic wire bonders.

Located in northern Germany, Miele & Cie GmbH Co.'s Bielefeld factory covers 108,000 square meters (with 29,500 square meters for production) and employs 1,550 staff members.