Multistation automated assembly systems are a wonder to behold. A well-designed system can mass-produce hundreds of assemblies per minute with minimal human intervention.

When an assembly press supplier meets with a manufacturer to discuss its next purchase, both parties focus on one question: Which type and model of press is best for the current application? Mike Brieschke, vice president of sales at Aries Engineering Corp., recalls how two such meetings in 2006 with automotive OEMs led the supplier to ask itself another question: Which type of press is best for the future of assembly?

Some 45,000 manufacturing engineers and managers from 47 countries attended Automatica 2016, which took place June 21-24 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany.

Wire stitching for book binding has been an industry standard since Thomas Briggs invented the wire stitcher in 1896. Over the years, manufacturers began adapting the process to other industrial applications.

A surveillance camera in a retail store is designed to zoom in with laser-like precision to focus on people and merchandise. A race car is designed to handle crowded straightaways and steep turns with speed and agility.

Once a lagging market segment, automotive electronics has gained significant importance in recent years, as the industry, the culture and consumer expectations have changed. Safety and regulatory requirements for vehicles have increased, manufacturers have new warranty requirements, and what used to be “luxury” features are now expected to come standard with a new car.

Engineers at a major manufacturer of portable electronic devices had a problem. They needed to rivet a small, thin electrical contact to the device’s charger subassembly, but how could they head the tiny rivets—0.02 to 0.03 inch in diameter—without crushing the assembly?

Most people never think about the electrical grid when they turn on their TV, charge their smartphone or surf the Internet. But, without it, none of those things would work.

Manufacturing today is leaner and greener than ever. Many engineers are focusing on lightweight materials and sustainable production initiatives. In addition, additive manufacturing is transforming how a wide variety of products are designed and assembled.

A key component of any electronic or electrical system is the cable assembly or wire harness—and yet it is typically one of the last components to be addressed.