Five separate groups of amateur aviators are vying to walk in the footsteps of aerospace pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright. The goal of each organization is to build a reproduction of the Wright Flyer, the first aircraft to achieve the age-old dream of controlled and powered flight.

Anne Stevens, vice president of North American vehicle operations at Ford Motor Co. (Dearborn, MI), referred to mass customization during her recent keynote speech at the 2002 Assembly Technology Expo in Rosemont, IL. According to Stevens, "customization" means making products in small lots or batches with volumes as little as one.

A hand-built flying machine will attempt to recreate history next year.

Automakers are forcing suppliers to adopt new techniques, such as modular assembly and inline vehicle sequencing.

Pierce rivets emulate the benefits of spot welding without the risks.

Outsourcing assembly is no longer just a short-term fad.

The cold-welding process can join dissimilar materials, such as aluminum to steel, within a short cycle time.

Don’t let your baby grow up to be a fighter pilot. Thanks to new technology, there may be fewer job openings in the future.

Karl Graff, Ph.D., is a leading expert in the field of high power ultrasonics, including transducers, applications and systems.