It’s time to figure out what we can change to be green.

Although Memphis ranks third in the United States in violent crime and second in property crime, the federal government is seemingly more worried about the wood Gibson guitars uses in its products.

Before Autoliv Electronics America can provide top-notch products to its automotive customers, the company must make sure the equipment at its facility in Southfield, MI, performs top-notch. One type of equipment Autoliv uses there is pick-and-place machines, which are used in the assembly of printed circuit boards that mount onto various electronic safety components.

Many of the 4,300 people who work at Caterpillar’s heavy-equipment manufacturing plant in Gosselies, Belgium, are assemblers who bolt together hydraulic valves and hoses before installing them in medium- and large-sized excavators and wheel-loaders. Until recently, assemblers used a manual torque wrench to tighten the bolts.

German manufacturer Fontaine Engineering und Maschinen GmbH makes hot-dip galvanizing equipment, which several U.S. automakers use for coating metal strips. Since 2010, Fontaine has installed sensors in the equipment’s edge-coating control system to ensure uniform coating.

On April 21, 2011-more than 3-1/2 years after first being unveiled to the world-the Sukhoi Superjet 100 completed its first commercial flight. Assembly for all versions of the Superjet is done at the facilities of Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association in the Russian Far East.

The National Robotics Engineering Center works on a wide variety of real-world projects for both military and commercial customers.

The FDA should develop a new regulatory framework to replace the 510(k) clearance process for moderate-risk medical devices, advises a report issued July 29 by the Institute of Medicine.

A dedication to customer service has enabled one Midwestern electronics assembler to grow sales by more than 10 percent annually.