Austin has been senior editor for ASSEMBLY Magazine since September 1999. He has more than 21 years of b-to-b publishing experience and has written about a wide variety of manufacturing and engineering topics. Austin is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
Getting the right part in the right place, in the right orientation, and at the right time is vital to time- and cost-efficient assembly. This article provides tips and techniques for effectively feeding and positioning parts for both manual and automated applications.
George Jetson would be ecstatic. First there was a robotic lawn mower. Then a robotic vacuum. Now comes the latest gizmo for dreary domestic duties: a robotic iron.
Two scientists at Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA) have developed a polymer-aluminum interface whose adhesion strength can be controlled by temperature.
Ink-jet printers will mature into automated manufacturing machines to mass-produce fully functional toys, radios and other devices if a research program at the University of California (Berkeley, CA) is successful.
Approved vendor list (AVL): a listing of all approved sources, in addition to part descriptions and part numbers. Bill of materials (BOM): a comprehensive listing of all components and subassemblies