John Sprovieri

Agile Automation System Assembles Automotive Inverters

The flexible system can produce three variants of the product

November 5, 2019

The automotive industry is at the threshold of a disruption not seen since the Brass Era of the 1900s. Electric vehicles, connectivity, mobility-as-a-service, and autonomous vehicles promise to change the future of transportation in the same way that the "horseless carriage" did a century ago.

Tariffs Have Moved Some Production From China, but not to the US

John Sprovieri

November 4, 2019

Recently, I received an e-mail from a U.S. electrical products company warning me that, on Oct. 15, the tariff on power supplies and power cords imported to the U.S. from China would increase from 25 percent to 30 percent.

Four Fastening Tools Among Nominees for ASSEMBLY Product of the Year

John Sprovieri

October 16, 2019

To draw attention to the breadth and quality of new technologies on display at The ASSEMBLY Show, we’re holding the 2nd annual “Product of the Year” contest at the show, and you—the attendees—will be the judges. We’ve nominated 20 products in five categories that we think are particularly innovative. Among them are four fastening tools.

See the Latest Fastening Tools at The ASSEMBLY Show!

New Fastening Tools Improve Ergonomics, Throughput

John Sprovieri

October 16, 2019

According to ASSEMBLY magazine’s annual Capital Equipment Spending Survey, half of all U.S. assembly plants will purchase electric or pneumatic fastening tools in 2020.

If fastening tools are on your shopping list, then The ASSEMBLY Show is the place to be! Here, you’ll find dozens of suppliers offering cordless nutrunners, pneumatic screwdrivers, screwfeeders, digital torque wrenches and other fastening tools. Here’s just a taste of what’s on the floor.

Automated Assembly System Roundup

Auto parts, plumbing products and medical devices are among the myriad items made on automated assembly systems

John Sprovieri

October 4, 2019

There's nothing quite like a multistation automated assembly system. Watching robots, actuators and indexers go about their carefully choreographed routines with little or no human intervention can seem nothing short of miraculous.

RIP: Lee Iacocca

John Sprovieri

October 1, 2019

Not many CEOs become household names. Looking at the current Fortune 100, I came up with just three: Jeff Bezos of Am-azon, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, and Michael Dell of Dell, the latter only because I stare at a Dell laptop all week.

Joint Design for Ultrasonic Welding

These tips will help you design plastic parts for optimal assembly with ultrasonics

John Sprovieri

September 6, 2019

When designing plastic parts to be assembled by ultrasonic welding, engineers have several options: a butt joint, a step joint, a tongue-and-groove joint, and a shear joint.

UAW, Detroit Three on collision course

John Sprovieri

September 5, 2019

On July 15, the United Auto Workers formally began talks with Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler on a new four-year contract. It was all smiles and handshakes to start, but negotiations will surely get testy before the current contract expires Sept. 14.

Experience is key to leak testing

John Sprovieri

August 6, 2019

Flow and leak testing are required for any medical device that brings a substance to or from the body. Flow testing ensures that there are no blockages and the substance being delivered can make it through.

Culture wars nearly derail factory jobs

John Sprovieri

August 5, 2019

Even in a good economy, most governors would welcome plans by a Fortune 100 corporation to build a new factory in their state, and create more than 500 manufacturing jobs. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, however, was not so sure.