Dublin, VA, is well known for being named after Ireland’s most famous city. But it is best known as home to the largest Volvo Trucks manufacturing facility in the world.

 Some manufacturers do more than just practice lean manufacturing. They help other manufacturers achieve it. A good example is Hamilton Caster & Manufacturing Co., which recently helped Cummins Inc. improve lean practices at one of its engine manufacturing plants in South Carolina. 

Using software to optimize assembly processes is passé. Manufacturers now have the tools to ensure error-free production, increase line flexibility and minimize PC dependence.

Follow-up is rarely fun, but it is often necessary to verify an assembly process. The most important follow-up to threaded-fastener installation is a static torque audit.

A couple weeks ago, I took part in the second annual Manufacturing Day, visiting a contract manufacturer of components and a cutting tools supplier.

Letters matter to welders. A, B and C, for example, are grades that employers use to determine a welder’s current ability, work assignments and pay scale. Letter A is the highest grade, followed by B and C.

Like soldiers, rows of BalTec Corp. manual assembly presses stand ready to work at electronic manufacturing plants throughout North America. Workers there use the presses to crimp wires to terminals and connectors.

Strange as it may sound, LED digital billboards and displays have much in common with icebergs. All of them are large, eye-catching and often serve as landmarks for countless passersby.

To the general public, a washer is just a cheap metal disc that keeps screws, bolts, and nuts tight. But to manufacturers, a washer is a vital fastening component, specially designed to perform unique functions and ensure a reliable bolted joint.

Designing, assembling and testing aerospace wire harnesses present unique challenges to harness manufacturers.