Automated Assembly Systems

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Manufacturing had a great year in 2018, and 2019 promises to be as good. However, clouds are on the horizon.

Lightweight Innovations For Tomorrow (LIFT) recently launched its third round of technology projects.

Global demand for robots shows no signs of stopping. A recent report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) claims that a record 381,000 units were shipped globally in 2017. That’s a 30 percent increase over 2016.

The past year brought blockbuster headlines for U.S. manufacturing. Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn unveiled plans to build a $10 billion assembly plant in Wisconsin that would make liquid-crystal display panels and employ as many as 13,000 people.

Nexen's new CRD MR (Compact Ring Drive Motor Ready) products build on the company's successful CRD line of precision rotary indexers.

Assembling an acoustic guitar of world-class caliber requires more technology than you might realize. Hand craftsmanship is still the hallmark of Taylor Guitars, which has been in business nearly 45 years.

Ordinarily, parts are presented to a robot for pick up at fixed locations, the escapement of a feeder bowl, for example, or the pockets of a thermoformed tray. To save space and eliminate the cost of trays and feeders, manufacturers would like a robot to pick randomly oriented parts out of a bin, box or tote.

Businesses increasingly recognize the growth opportunities offered by digitalization and interconnectedness. These technologies are enabling new business models, efficient use of resources, and cost-effective production of highly customizable products. These developments are collectively referred to as "Industry 4.0."

The No. 1 application for robots, be they Cartesian, SCARA, delta or six-axis models, is also the easiest: pick up a part from one location and place it in another.

The World Economic Forum recently named the best factories in the world. Five facilities are in Europe and three are in China. Only one is in the United States, UPS Fast Radius in Chicago.