Assembly Planbook - July 2008 - (Page 33)

“I have a wide range of roles and responsibilities that allow me to get involved in all areas of development and production,” says a manufacturing engineer at a transportation equipment manufacturer who is satisfied with his job. “I have the authority to make effective change within my organization,” adds a plant manager in the electrical equipment and appliances industry. “My input is valued in many areas, from process change to lean training.” “I work for a company that is experiencing tremendous growth potential,” notes a design engineer at a medical device company. “I have been given the opportunity to lay out and implement strategic plans to aid us in gaining market share.” “The work related to the technology in the devices we produce is not that rewarding, but developing the process, documentation and controls to manufacture the device is an immense challenge and very satisfying to accomplish,” explains a manufacturing engineer in the computer and electronics industry. However, some respondents are less satisfied with their jobs. “Budget restraints keep us from achieving the innovation levels we are capable of,” laments a design engineer in the plastics and rubber products industry. Cutting the Wire Manufacturers continue to install wireless systems on their assembly lines. More than one-third (38 percent) of the 13th annual State of the Profession survey respondents said they will be implementing the technology in their plants during the next 12 months to control conveyors, fastening tools, parts feeders, robots and other production equipment that has traditionally been tethered to miles of wire and cable. Wireless systems offer numerous benefits for assembly applications, including cost, flexibility and mobility. The biggest advantage is the ability to dramatically reduce cabling, and the numerous headaches associated with it. As cable management costs continue to escalate, the cost of wireless technology keeps dropping. The biggest demand for wireless is in the machinery manufacturing industry, where 42 percent of respondents claim they will use the technology in their plants during the next 12 months. Medical device manufacturers (41 percent) and plastics and rubber products manufacturers (40 percent) are also eager to harness wireless technology on the plant floor. Larger companies appear to be more willing to go wireless. For example, 49 percent of plants with 2,000 or more employees plan to invest in wireless systems during the next 12 months. In contrast, only 39 percent of manufacturers with less than 100 employees expect to commit resources to the technology. ©2008 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All trademarks are the property of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and its subsidiaries’. All rights reserved. Four times faster; twice as precise. Worldwide RoHS regulations continue to impact the manufacturers of electrical and electronic goods and their supply chains. By restricting the use of five commonly found substances, the burden of compliance, also known as “due diligence,” is placed firmly with the brand owners, assembly houses, and PCB manufacturers. Now, both the regulated and the enforcement agencies can screen goods for conformity, verifying compliance at all stages of manufacturing: from components and incoming materials, to subassemblies, to finished products, to packaging with handheld Thermo Scientific NITON® 700 Series XRF analyzers. NITON XL3 Series Analyzers small components Visit www.thermo.com/niton for more information or contact us at Moving science forward www.assemblymag.com July 2008 / ASSE M B LY 33 http://www.thermo.com/niton http://www.thermo.com/niton http://www.assemblymag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Assembly Planbook - July 2008

Assembly Planbook - July 2008 Contents Editorial Quality in Assembly Station to Station Assembly Lines Assembly in Action Surviving the Roller Coaster The Human Side of Manufacturing Do Your Fasteners Need a Preapplied Thread-Locker? Manufacturing Innovation A Century of Progress Trendsetting Plants Pulse Tools Get Smart Plastics: Design for X Product Reviews Products Advertisers Index Classified Leading Lean

Assembly Planbook - July 2008

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