Most people take gravity for granted. But, manufacturers know better, especially when it comes to moving large items through a plant for assembly, finishing, storage and order-fulfillment purposes. The proof is in their use of gravity conveyors to per-form these tasks.
Remember Super Bowl XLIV between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts? With the Saints trailing 10-6 at halftime, Saints coach Sean Payton made one of the gutsiest gambles in NFL history, calling for an onside kick to start the second half.
Like other manufacturers, machine builders do all they can to optimize the assembly processes in their plants. Industrial technology specialist Rockwell Automation understands this goal, and has developed several products to help companies achieve it.
Remember the nursery rhyme about the old lady who swallows a fly? She swallows a spider to catch the fly, a bird to catch the spider, a cat to catch the bird, and so on, until she finally swallows a horse and dies.
Hot upset riveting is a permanent forming and fastening process that uses precision heat and pressure to form hardened workpieces. This process achieves maximum hole-fill, creating a robust joint. Depending on the part requirements, the result can be a fixed or movable joint assembly.
Today, robots are capable of handling much larger and heavier payloads than in the past. Those applications require robust grippers that are up to the task.
When lean tools are used effectively every day, manufacturers eventually arrive at a destination: lean culture. All the continuous improvement efforts along the way will drive a cyclical culture that's sustainable.
GENEVA, Switzerland—Details about watchmaker Tudor's manufacturing operations are scant. However, the company recently allowed a writer from GQ magazine inside one section of its campus to see how Tudor assembles its watches.
MOLINE, IL—Aspiring engineer Sabrina Starkweather, 16, got a closer, and virtual, look at what it takes to enter the manufacturing industry Wednesday afternoon.