"Scratch-resistant plastic parts" is more than a phrase with great appeal to car buyers. It also presents a great challenge to automotive Tier 1s to make sure these parts perform as promised in the real world.

Manufacturers love established assembly line technologies not only because they produce expected results. But, also because they occasionally provide an unexpected benefit.

Some automotive enthusiasts get their fix by building a car themselves. Others thoroughly enjoy watching the pros do it; i.e., assemblers on the production line.

With wearable devices increasingly being used on the assembly line, it's definitely time to update the old expression that 'What you wear says a lot about you.' A more appropriate thing for manufacturers to now say about their assembly line workers is, 'What you wear tells us a lot about your productivity.'

Denmark is famous for being the home of Hamlet, The Little Mermaid and Lego. The nation is also well-known for its thriving robotics industry, thanks in no small part to Universal Robots A/S.

Some assembly technologies evolve too fast or too slow, while others change at a pace that's just right. Hydraulic presses belong in the latter category, according to some suppliers, and that's a good thing.

As the miniaturization trend in electronics continues, rigid-flex PCBs grow in popularity. This is because they require up to 60 percent less space than standard PCBs.

For many years, pet food manufacturers have used machine vision software to verify the presence of unique characters, codes, colors and graphic shapes on packaging for dog and cat food. Today, however, these companies can complement this process by also verifying the presence of a dog or cat image on the packaging using deep learning vision software.

Manufacturing high-quality products is always serious business, even when the products are used for fun. KTM AG, for example, builds each of its off-road motorcycles with top-notch and thoroughly tested parts so that each model is "ready to race."

Direct-fired heaters are popular with manufacturers because they quickly warm large areas in plants, while taking up limited floor space.