Several months ago, I wrote my first article for ASSEMBLY magazine. The topic was product teardown and its many benefits for assemblers. This past summer I was required to do a little product teardown of my own in order to better understand the inner workings of a couple electronics devices.

A rod end bearing, also known as a heim joint or rose joint, is a mechanical articulating joint. Originally used in aircraft, these bearings can be found in cars, trucks, lawn tractors, boats, industrial machines and other applications. This article explains how they work and how to specify them.

This article compares the myriad ways to mark wire, including labeling, hot stamping, ink-jetting and lasers. What are the benefits and limitations of each technology? When would one technology be used over another? This article provides the answers.

Autoliv has been manufacturing seat belts since 1956, and was first in the world with three-point belts in 1959. Nevertheless, Autoliv recently faced a new challenge related to its seat belts.

Saia Burgess, a manufacturer of motion control components, recently implemented lean-manufacturing initiatives at the warehouse of its Vandalia, OH, manufacturing facility. To “lean” the order completion process, Saia Burgess has replaced the stockroom shelving with four horizontal carousels that are integrated with pick-to-light technology. 

The second generation of Ford SYNC was recently introduced and appears on 2010 model year vehicles. Ford uses the MMTS Moving Video Test System from VI Technology to perform functional tests on the SYNC system’s electronic components. 

Northrop Grumman Corp. has been one of the largest suppliers to the U.S. military for many years. Recently, the company sought a way to achieve higher accuracies on large-volume machine tools used to produce the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Automaker PSA Peugeot Citroën faced two challenges when welding the body of the Peugeot 3008, which is made at its assembly plant Sochaux, France. It wanted to achieve high body stiffness and develop new design options.

Hill PHOENIX Inc. used helium leak detectors to ensure that all welded joints, mechanical joints and externally supplied components were tight and would not allow any refrigerant to escape. Unfortunately, the rising price and limited supply of helium presented a challenge for the company: Find a way to cut leak-testing costs without sacrificing quality.

For many years, EZ FX has made camera jibs for the film and video production industries. The company’s EZ Jib and Junior Jib are used to create sophisticated moving camera shots and also add production value to film sets. Although both units are portable and set up quickly, EZ FX’s customers had wanted the company to make them lighter-weight, less expensive and maintenance-free.