Traditional rivets aren’t as common on plant floors as they once were. But, they’re still a cost-effective fastening alternative for many assembly applications.
When we published the results of ASSEMBLY's fifth annual capital equipment spending survey last December, consumer confidence was at near historical highs and unemployment was at a 30-year low.
Fiber optics technology uses microscopic strands of glass or plastic to transmit data. Light is emitted through a central core that is 0.005 inch in diameter and looks very similar to a monofilament fishing line.
Würth Adams Nut & Bolt Co. has acquired McAllen Bolt & Screw Co. (McAllen, TX), a distributor of fasteners and industrial supplies to southern Texas and northeastern Mexico.Würth Adams Nut & Bolt Co. has acquired McAllen Bolt & Screw Co. (McAllen, TX), a distributor of fasteners and industrial supplies to southern Texas and northeastern Mexico.
To keep pace with higher production throughput and tighter precision assembly requirements, manufacturers of fiber optic devices are turning to a new generation of production-oriented automated assembly platforms as an alternative to earlier lab-oriented assembly methods.
Nuts and bolt aren't the only types of fasteners used in product assembly. Retaining rings, Speed Nuts and a variety of other specialized metal and plastic fasteners have been developed. These specialty fasteners can often save time in the assembly process, eliminate the need for additional fastening components, lower manufacturing costs and maximize holding power.
Fiber optics is one of today's hottest industries. But, manufacturers can't supply enough optical components to keep up with demand. One of the biggest challenges facing the industry is finding a way to automate the assembly process.
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE 21st century, the role of the manufacturing engineer is very difficult to define. It's a role that grows more complex day in and year out.
Trianon Industries Corp. (Yvelines, France), a Tier One supplier of automotive sheet metal components and assemblies, was faced with increasing the manufacturing efficiency of its welded automotive underbody assemblies. The company contacted Rofin-Sinar Inc. (Plymouth, MI), and together, they collaborated on the design, specification and test stages of new, high-speed remote laser welders.
