Orbita Corp. manufactures high-end watchwinders for automatic watches in regular production runs in the hundreds. Nevertheless, the company sought more company growth through reduced part handling and increased output. A low-cost conveying system helped Orbita reach its goal.

Hydro-Air manufactures elements for terminal HVAC equipment. Their focus on product customization has brought with it two challenges: make sure production engineers always provide machine operators on the factory floor with the right CAD drawings, assembly instructions and programs; and that the operators follow those assembly instructions.

Suppliers to the Chines automotive market, like Cummins China, use vision inspection systems. In late 2008 the supplier replaced its current vision system used to ensure that bushings on engine subassemblies were assembled correctly.

Carclo Technical Plastics specializes in contract manufacturing for the medical, optics and electronics industries. At its manufacturing facility in Mitcham, England, Carclo injection-molds the main body of a multicompartment plastic cuvette and delicately inserts a flexible filter strip into it.

The Assembly Top 50 helped to lead the U.S. economy out of recession, but the picture was not entirely rosy.

The University of Tennessee is home to the new Tennessee Solar Institute, a joint-venture with Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Each fire rescue vehicle E-ONE manufactures contains a large amount of parts that must be measured and inspected prior to assembly. For many years, E-ONE assemblers had used various hand tools to measure these parts. Unfortunately, such tools often limited the assemblers’ ability to make sure each part met the company’s design tolerances.

Wagic Inc. is the What A Great Idea Co. Since 1985, it has specialized in designing, prototyping and manufacturing innovative consumer products. Based in Los Gatos, CA, Wagic recently developed the RE:Solve line of handheld multi-tools, which are available to consumers at big box stores like Lowe’s.

In early 2010, Draper Laboratory was in need of a semiconductor platform that met two criteria. First, it had to perform flip chip assembly, in which microelectromechanical systems are connected to circuitry with solder bumps that have been deposited onto the chip pads. Second, the platform had to be adaptable, because Draper develops products for a wide range of applications requiring the latest technology.

SMB Schnekenburger GmbH provides assembly-ready parts made of thin sheet metal to electronics firms, equipment manufacturers, and companies in ventilation and medical technology. For the past several years, SMB has faced increased competition from suppliers in low-wage countries. This situation has forced SMB to make parts more cost-effectively without lessening fastener-insertion accuracy.