The Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB factory in Finspang, Sweden, is one of the leading suppliers of steam turbines to the solar energy industry worldwide. In fact, two out of every four steam turbines made there will be used in the solar industry.
Cornell Dubilier is a leading manufacturer of capacitors for the power electronics market. For the past several years, the company has used ultrasonic spot welders to weld multiple layers of foil to capacitor posts.
This past year, baby boomers began turning 65. Because these individuals tend to live more active lives than previous generations, some medical device companies, like Skeletal Dynamics, are developing implants to withstand up to 1 million load cycles without loosening or backing out.
Orion RED has fabricated several sets for the Academy Awards. For the 2011 ceremony, the company was asked to create an elegant, crystal-studded “Winners Circle” in which the honorees would receive their Oscars. The project involved building a 15.5-foot circular stage studded with more than 40,000 Swarovski Elements crystals.
Canadian manufacturers such as Plastech Inc. have high natural gas bills, especially in the winter. Over time, Plastech’s natural gas bill has increased to $6,000 annually (Canadian) just to heat its shipping area. So the company began looking into solar technology to lower its heating costs and learned about Lubi solar air heaters.
Automotive components are increasingly being manufactured in smaller lot sizes. Aware of this trend, German Tier 1 automotive supplier Neumayer Tekfor GmbH recently automated the feed system for a cold forming press used to form drivetrain components.
The need for clean water worldwide has become much more important in light of increasing water scarcity and extreme weather occurrences. These realities, combined with the ongoing desire to improve product quality and production efficiency, have led the Elster Group to augment the 300-psi hydraulic testing it has always done on its water meters with dry air testing.
Orbita Corp. manufactures high-end watchwinders for automatic watches in regular production runs in the hundreds. Nevertheless, the company sought more company growth through reduced part handling and increased output. A low-cost conveying system helped Orbita reach its goal.
Hydro-Air manufactures elements for terminal HVAC equipment. Their focus on product customization has brought with it two challenges: make sure production engineers always provide machine operators on the factory floor with the right CAD drawings, assembly instructions and programs; and that the operators follow those assembly instructions.
Suppliers to the Chines automotive market, like Cummins China, use vision inspection systems. In late 2008 the supplier replaced its current vision system used to ensure that bushings on engine subassemblies were assembled correctly.