Until recently, Alger Manufacturing was using an aqueous parts cleaning system that, although environmentally safe, often failed to meet customers’ cleaning requirements. The system trapped impacted chips and water in the parts’ small cavities and blind holes, so the parts would have to be recleaned.

From March to November 2009, a small robot designed to operate in close association with human co-workers was used by Daimler AG at its Mercedes-Benz plant in Untertürkheim, Germany, as a pilot project for series production.

The European Space Agency is expected to launch BepiColombo, Europe’s first spacecraft mission to Mercury, in 2014. In the meantime, QinetiQ is manufacturing the spacecraft’s advanced solar-electric propulsion system.

In the past few years, many automakers-including Jaguar, Adam Opel AG, BMW, Audi, and Volvo-have discovered that a crash-durable epoxy adhesive can make their cars safer without sacrificing performance.

A small but determined group of manufacturing professionals and policymakers are trying to stem the tide of offshoring.

The FDA's new Medical Device Innovation Initiative aims to facilitate the development and evaluation of new medical devices; strengthen the nation’s research infrastructure; and respond quickly to scientific breakthroughs.

Recently, Triumph Aerostructures-Vought Aircraft Div. assessed ergonomic injuries at each of its manufacturing facilities. One area of concern was cumulative trauma disorders related to handheld power tools.

Innovative Automation Inc., a certified systems integrator for Cognex Corp., recently was presented with a challenge by one of its long-standing automotive supplier customers. The supplier needed Innovative Automation to design and build an assembly line for a new actuator. 

Recently, four customers in the telecommunications, construction and office supply industries came to Dura-Pack seeking solutions for their material-handling problems. For all four applications, Dura-Pack used a Model TM conveyor. 

In late 2009, tabletop games company Bastion began using the FreeForm 3D modeling system to create detailed models of miniature figurines for its initial product, the Ex illis medieval fantasy war game. The system created molded plastic miniatures that look exactly like their digital counterparts.