THE HAGUE, Netherlands—Researchers here have developed a unique assembly line that combines robotic pick-and-place technology with additive manufacturing.
MARNE, MI—Metal fabrication shop DeWys Manufacturing Inc. has developed a robotic cell that automatically installs up to eight self-clinching fasteners in sheet metal.
ANN ARBOR, MI—Robot orders and shipments in North America set new records in 2015, according to Robotic Industries Association. A total of 31,464 robots valued at $1.8 billion were ordered from North American companies during 2015, an increase of 14 percent in units and 11 percent in dollars over 2014.
There are many ways to run a custom machine building business. Some systems integrators are dedicated to a particular industry, such as auto parts manufacturing. Others specialize in a particular kind of assembly machine, such as high-speed continuous motion systems.
SEATTLE—Boeing has been granted a patent for a fully automated assembly system for making airplane fuselages. The system consists of six assembly cells, a feeder line, and a robot holding area.
At Hitachi Metals Automotive Components USA LLC (HMAC), suspensions, exhaust manifolds and other components are assembled every day for all of the world’s leading automakers.
Not many people can be said to have truly shaped the course of global manufacturing. They include Henry Ford, W. Edwards Deming and Taiichi Ohno. We lost another last month.