All Assembly & Handling articles
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Article
High-speed screw-fastening system
Engmatec offers a high-speed screw-fastening station for inline operation as part of an assembly line system. It uses a fastening method based on the pick-and-place principle incorporating vacuum suction units. It also includes a Mitsubishi Electric RP-5ADH robot with corresponding CR1D robot controller. The company claims this screw-fastening system ...
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ArticleAutomatica preview: Handling with care
Beckhoff, Hall A2, Stand 103 Carl Zeiss, Hall A2, Stand 309 Cloos, Hall B2, Stand 329 DSM Messtechnik, Hall A1, Stand 506 EWAB, Hall B1, Stand 117 Festo, Hall B1, Stand 309 Fronius, Hall A2, Stand 308 Matrix Vision, Hall B2, Stand 303 Schmersal, Hall A2, Stand 303 Automatica 2010, ...
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ArticleAGVs stray from the fixed path
Multi-functional AGV solution Compressor maker benefits from new routes Layout and software AGVs have been rather a Cinderella technology; invented some 50 years ago and known as ‘driverless systems’, they have seen advances in electronics start to catch up with their potential for autonomous material handling. Technological developments may have ...
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ArticleRaising the roof at Jaguar
Expert partners Too smooth for a vision system The new Jaguar XJ features among its generous list of standard equipment the first full-glass roof on a Jaguar. This toughened Webasto glass roof is a defining feature of the new model, adding an ‘architectural lightness’ to the car’s exterior. A special ...
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ArticleSustainability on show
ArcelorMittal Automotive EuropePepperl+FuchsDassault SystèmesEuchnerPilz AutomationThe 2010 Hanover Fair, themed with the headline ‘Efficiency - Innovation - Sustainability’, runs from 19-23 April, 2010, and, as in previous years, will be showcasing innovations, new developments, technologies and materials from many manufacturing areas. The three main display categories are Factory Automation, Process Automation ...
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ArticleProduction systems return competitive edge
Virtual assemblyFord plans for global modelLean machine: GMS propels the new GMFord’s flexible bodyshopNissan flexes in TennesseeChrysler goes commonJapanese firms build on past successFlexible plants across the USFlexible production now lies at the heart of global automotive manufacturing. Using reprogrammable tooling in bodyshops, standardized equipment in paintshops and common build ...
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ArticleLightweight vehicles mean longlife conveyors
Need for flex – small platform sharingGM’s commodity approachMasters of global material movementConsider the changes in vehicle sizes and weights over the last few years. The Mercedes-Benz W140 (1991-1998) S-Class saloon weighed approximately 2,000kg, depending on specification; the W220 (1999-2006) around 1,800kg, and the latest model, the W221, has remained ...
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ArticleRemote handling by radio control
Fixed routes and flexibility Control systems – the devil is in the digital If there was ever a ‘Cinderella’ technology that has suffered at the hands of tough economic times, it is the automated guided vehicle (AGV). Unmanned, remote-controlled material handling by AGV was mooted by many as the answer ...
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ArticleRobots flex their muscles to multi-task
Softly, softly Welding – man or machine? Robots have traditionally been a single-task tool; in the earliest days of robot usage, engineers designed tasks and tooling for one robot carrying out one operation, be it welding, heavy (and light) lifting, machine tool changing, etc. Empowered by increasingly sophisticated control systems, ...
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ArticleAMS 10th Anniversary: Conveyors & robotics
Beyond welding Lending a robotic hand What goes up must come down Getting it there Improving functionality No other application in automotive production is, or will ever be, as robot-intensive as welding. In 2000, AMS reported that both GM and Ford were purchasing robots in their hundreds for the production ...
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ArticleAMS 10th Anniversary: Assembly & testing
Interviewed by AMS in 2000, Henrik Hakonsson, CFrom clay to CraySilence is goldenEngine and part testingMeeting the targethief Executive of Bruel and Kjaer, called for ‘intelligent’ tools which would make sound and vibration testing equipment both easier to use and better at data collection.“There is a definite need for innovation ...
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ArticleRobots extend their reach
With production levels under close scrutiny in the current credit squeeze, OEMs that have already invested in automation are well placed to manage the challenges ahead.Flexible vehicle assembly‘Welds’ apartReasons to be cheerfulThe automotive industry is the world’s biggest user of industrial robot technology. The automation of such operations as welding, ...
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ArticleOne for all integrators
Rising quality expectationsResistance to changeVirtual design and buildGetting it right from the startFactoryTalk – optimising manufacturingAVL’s growing ambitionsPreparing staff for global demandsHow integrators and suppliers are adapting to ensure they keep up with the changing demands facing carmakersAs the automotive industry flattens in mature economies and emerging countries play catch ...
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ArticleSee the light
Colour verification Traceability focus Pass the glass Picked and placed A wide range of applications Powerful and user-friendly vision systems are making this technology increasingly popular for assembly line tasks. AMS assesses the benefits of the latest technology While vision equipment is not considered emerging technology, until recently the systems ...
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ArticleSafety comes first
Different safety needs for automationSelf-installation systemWithout the right level of protection, assembly can be a hazardous place. Thankfully there is a plethora of barrier-free innovations designed to make even the most automated lines safe for all workersFor all its benefits, it is easy to forget that with automation comes the ...
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ArticleQuality at any cost?
Measuring suitable for varied model mixesNotifying staff when tolerances are outComparing absolute data with CAD dataHigher accuracy levelsVerifying sub-assembly buildsThe latest measurement innovations for assembly line environments and an assessment of whether ‘quality at any cost’ still holds trueNot so long ago, the remit for production engineers was to remove ...
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ArticleKeep on rolling
Conveyors should be seen as fixturesCapacity issues caused problemsSkid system used as a bufferHigh flexibility and rapid cycle timesConveyors can seem a humdrum type of factory equipment - a moving track transporting a load from one place to another within a production environment. The operational variables also seem straightforward – ...
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ArticleAll things automatic
From June 10 for four days, the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany will put everything in automotive manufacturing to the test at Automatica 2008. We preview a show that promises to attract 30,000 visitors to 900 exhibitors Automatica offers international coverage of assembly and handling technologies, robotics, machine ...
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ArticleMakers mark
Automated identification Aesthetic application Flexible installation Desktop systems Marked improvement Light applications for lasers SMD applications Potential drawbacks While manufacturers have long seen the light when it comes to lasers, some are still in the dark when it comes to their use in parts identification. AMS finds an industry hiding ...
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ArticleCarrying the can
Flexible systems Peugeot in China Legacy worries Moving bodies and parts from A to B demands a flexible conveyor system and it’s a case of mix and match for most OEMs There are a number of options available when it comes to conveying work in progress in automotive facilities but ...