Additive manufacturing is no longer just for prototyping. More and more, the technology is being used to make production-ready parts. That's forcing engineers to begin thinking about joint designs and assembly processes.
If it rolls, floats or flies, lightweighting is one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today. The push for new materials is forcing engineers in a variety of industries to explore cost-effective alternatives and develop new assembly processes.
Error proofing, quality control and flexibility are essential on today's assembly lines. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly investing in DC electric fastening tools. These tools allow engineers to adjust tool speed to match various applications and control more aspects of the fastening process, including key parameters such as torque and angle.
A typical assembly plant will invest a good deal of money in electric and pneumatic tools to install fasteners. Given the sophistication of today's power tools, engineers might be tempted to discount the most critical component of the fastening process: the bits and sockets that drive the fastener.
DALLAS—The future of the global automotive fastener market looks promising with opportunities in the passenger car and light commercial vehicle segment.
Problems related to improper manufacturing, selection and installation are just as likely to cause fastener failure as hydrogen embrittlement and loosening
There are many ways to perform destructive testing. The most helpful, and preferred by manufacturers, is to intentionally destroy an assembly in a controlled environment to determine the performance capability of one or more of its components. Another way, done unintentionally and all too often by consumers, is to simply misuse a product.
Fixtures are essential to most assembly and machining processes. Their design is vital, as they have a direct effect on productivity, cost and quality. It is estimated that 40 percent of rejected parts stem from inappropriate fixturing.