Screwdriving and Riveting Assembly | Assembly

All About Blind Riveting

The benefits of blind riveting go way beyond the ability to install a fastener from only one side of a part or structure.

Jim Camillo

January 6, 2022

In the celebrity world, the price of being well known is the public knows too much about a star's private life. But, in the assembly world, the price of being a well-known technology is end-users sometimes know too much about one process benefit and too little about its other benefits.

Spirol Receives 2020 GM Supplier Quality Award

December 16, 2021

DANIELSON, CT—Spirol International Corp., a leading producer of coiled spring pins, slotted spring pins, disc springs, inserts, shims and other fastening components, has received the 2020 General Motors Supplier Quality Excellence Award.

Capital Spending Survey: Assemblers Gear Up for Recovery

Capital Spending Survey 2021: Assemblers Gear Up for Recovery

With the pandemic subsiding and consumer spending on the rise, manufacturers are investing in their assembly operations.

December 7, 2021

In February 2020, U.S. manufacturers employed nearly 12.8 million people. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. In an instant, the country lost 1 million manufacturing jobs as governments and businesses scrambled to figure out how best to stop the spread of the disease.

Optimizing VMI and Kitting Processes

The success of vendor-managed inventory programs hinges on better collaboration.

Todd Grzych

November 9, 2021

Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) programs have been around for decades. But, not all programs are created equal. The difference between good and great programs involves a host of variables.

Error-Proof Screwdriving

Technological advances in manual and power tools make repeatable error-proof screwdriving an achievable goal for manufacturers.

Jim Camillo

November 8, 2021

People are imperfect, but, on occasion, they can perfectly perform a complex task. A pitcher can toss a perfect game in baseball. A gymnast can earn a 10.0 in international competition. A student can ace an exam.

Manufacturing History Comes Alive in Pullman

Pullman perfected rail car production processes and pioneered the use of new materials.

Austin Weber

November 2, 2021

America's newest national park recently opened on the South Side of Chicago. The Pullman National Monument celebrates the unique history of a company that mass-produced freight and passenger rail cars at the site from 1881 to 1981.

2021 Assembly Plant of the Year: GKN Drives Transformation With New Culture, Processes and Tools

A two-year-long continuous improvement initiative pays off in Newton, NC.

Austin Weber

October 13, 2021

All-wheel drive (AWD) technology has taken the automotive world by storm in recent years, because of its ability to effectively transfer power to the ground. Today, many sport utility vehicles use AWD for better acceleration, performance, safety and traction in all kinds of driving conditions.

Dürr Helps Volkswagen Go All-In on EV Assembly

Flexible automated equipment drives screws, dispenses adhesive and fills refrigerants.

John Sprovieri

August 6, 2021

Preparing existing automotive factories to assemble electric cars requires comprehensive modernization. Certainly, this was the case at Volkswagen's assembly plant in Zwickau, Germany.

Injection Lap Riveting

A new process, injection lap riveting, is showing promise for joining dissimilar metals.

John Sprovieri

August 3, 2021

Bus bars are an essential component of electric vehicles. This metallic strip or bar efficiently distributes electrical power from high-energy battery packs to electric motors and other devices.

Automating Carbon-Fiber Composite Fuselage Assembly

Austin Weber

August 2, 2021

Traditionally, aircraft manufacturers have been reluctant to adopt robots and other types of automation. One of the main challenges is that large plane parts come with relatively high geometry deviations, so robots need sensor guidance.