Making Parts for Next-Gen Vehicles August 18, 2020 Tesla and the march to all-electric cars and trucks may get most of the press. But the reality is that most U.S. automakers need to tackle the twin challenges of building both new components unique to electric vehicles while also building internal combustion engines (ICEs) that are ever-more fuel efficient.
Gages Step Up the Tech July 27, 2020 Sophisticated metrology equipment, like coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and laser scanners, are increasingly seen outside quality labs. “Many companies have cut costs by moving inspection from the lab to the shop floor,” said Matteo Zoin, head of marketing and new market development for Marposs Corp., Auburn Hills, Mich.
Auto Industry Gets Back Into Gear Following COVID-19 Shutdown August 17, 2020 The North American auto industry slammed on the brakes in March because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The sector already had been forecast to slow down in 2020, with lower light-vehicle demand. That turned into a sudden stop as the coronavirus spread.
Adaptive Robots: BFFs for Small-Batch Automation August 18, 2020 Manufacturing engineers, information technologists, and “smart” robots in flexible manufacturing cells are working ever more closely in manufacturing companies around the world.
QA Advances as Gage Management Improves July 23, 2020 Any manufacturer operating under quality management system mandates, such as ISO9001, ISO13485, or AS9100, must at the very least maintain a measurement tool library database.
CMMs: More Than Precision August 20, 2020 The makers of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) spent a long time in competition to reach the highest levels of repeatable measurement accuracy.
Making Robots Smarter and Safer August 19, 2020 COVID-19 has taught manufacturers a valuable lesson: when humans fall ill, machine tools and equipment sit idle. Granted, they already knew it, just as they knew that employees take lunch breaks and vacations, arrive late because their car won’t start, and go work at the shop down the street for fifty cents more an hour.
Pandemic makes case for more automation, robotics September 21, 2020 CEO Jason Walker and part of his team at Waypoint Robotics had just returned from the Modex 2020 show in Atlanta when the governor of his company’s home state imposed a stay-at-home order because of COVID-19.
Transmission Manufacturer Upgrades QA, Partners with OEM on New Heavy-Duty CMM August 25, 2020 Lean thinking focuses on ways to add value without wasting resources. Benjamin Franklin captured the idea in “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” when he said, “He that idly loses five shillings worth of time, loses five shillings and might as prudently throw five shillings into the river.”
A Playbook for Manufacturers Fighting COVID-19 August 26, 2020 When an unanticipated global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts national economies in a domino-like effect, a rapid response is required to mitigate supply chain disruptions.