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.
To ensure just-in-time parts availability at every automotive assembly station, along with orderly interfacing with computerized inventory activi-ties, DaimlerChrysler Corp.'s South St. Louis, IL, assembly complex installed Interroll's (Wilmington, NC) modular flow storage.
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.
Trianon Industries Corp. (Yvelines, France), a Tier One supplier of automotive sheet metal components and assemblies, was faced with increasing the manufacturing efficiency of its welded automotive underbody assemblies. The company contacted Rofin-Sinar Inc. (Plymouth, MI), and together, they collaborated on the design, specification and test stages of new, high-speed remote laser welders.
Based in Kronach, Germany, manufacturer Dr. Franz Schneider Kunststoffwerke makes plastic parts for automobiles. The company specializes in functional trim elements, such as fresh-air grills, produced using various injection-molding processes. Modular conveyors ensure efficient flow of product throughout the assembly plant.