Traditionally, commercial and military aircraft are assembled with large gantry machines. However, those device are expensive. And, they typically have limited throughput and require a large amount of space on the plant floor. Unlike gantry systems and other large, heavy pieces of fixed automation, robots are more flexible, less expensive and can be quickly deployed.

The aerospace industry has talked about using robots for many years. However, until recently, most efforts were hindered by accuracy issues.

Traditionally, aircraft assembly has been a labor-intensive, manual process. But, robots are slowly becoming a key part of military and commercial aircraft production lines as the aerospace industry adopts new materials, grapples with throughput issues, and addresses ergonomic concerns and skilled labor shortages. Within the next three years, demand for robotic equipment will increase dramatically.

General Motors can be salvaged and resurrected. But, it won’t happen unless the folks in Washington do a couple of simple things that probably should have been done earlier: Take GM private and let manufacturing engineers run the company.

Automakers and suppliers are using plastics, such as nylon, polyphenylene sulfide and polypropylene, in engine compartments to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel efficiency. Many different grades of material are available to choose from. Ultimately, the application and its requirements will dictate what materials are suited for use under the hood.

Ford Motor Co. has spent $200 million to retool its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville. In addition to F-Series pickup trucks, the flexible factory will assemble Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator sport utility vehicles, which were previously assembled at a plant outside Detroit.

Whenever engineers think about flexibility, aluminum-framed modular conveyors and workstations often come to mind. Most people don’t think of an entire automotive assembly line. But, Volkswagen AG recently opened a new line in South Africa that highlights the benefit of flexible assembly equipment.

Automakers and Tier One suppliers will be assembling more oil sumps and oil pans from plastic in the near future. They are eager to replace steel and aluminum components with nylon.

Contrary to popular belief, automobiles have not become lighter during the last 15 years. In fact, they have become 30 percent heavier. But, plastics under the hood help shed excess weight without compromising the comfort and safety features that are mainly responsible for the upward weight spiral.

While plastic continues to turn up in more and more engine compartments, aluminum use is also increasing. In fact, a recent study claims that the use of automotive aluminum in North America is at an all-time high.