Manufacturing high-quality products on a consistent basis is never easy. This is especially true for complex products used in consumer, business and industrial electronics.
Electric vehicles have been a vital element of the green-energy revolution for the past several years. Nonetheless, producing key EV components continues to present great technical challensges for many large and established manufacturers.
The first wheeled suitcases appeared 50 years ago. Before 1970, luggage was lugged and shoved through airport terminals around the world. By adding casters, the humble invention transformed travel and eventually led to the carry-on bag trend.
When it comes to assembling wire harnesses, humans still do it better than automation. That's why wire processing remains a largely manual process. However, it also poses a number of ergonomic issues and concerns, including the risk of back, finger, neck, shoulder and wrist injuries.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been the largest disruption to the manufacturing in modern history, causing even the largest global manufacturers to stop production. The pandemic forced factories to minimize or stop production for the safety of the employees and often at the demand of local and federal governments.
Looking for stuff, whether it be keys, wallet, phone, meeting notes, spices in a kitchen cabinet, or pencils in my woodworking shop, is the bane of my existence. Some days, I feel as if I spend more time looking for stuff than I do actually using the stuff I was looking for.
Nobody's perfect. Even the best trained, most experienced assemblers can make mistakes on the line, especially in high-mix production environments. Fortunately, a variety of software products are available to help prevent assembly errors.
There are good and bad aspects to repetition. On one hand, it's a proven way to learn to expertly perform a task. On the other, it can lead to physical problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, and bad arthritis in the hands, arms, legs and back.
At the Components and Logistics facility in Gastonia, NC, Daimler Trucks fulfills orders and sub-assembly of thousands of parts. The plant provides parts for North American truck and school bus manufacturers, as well as auto parts stores.