Assembly - December 2008 - (Page 25) the first year of our survey, 69 percent of respondents purchased equipment to cut costs. Other reasons cited for buying equipment in 2009 include: replace old machinery, 45 percent. increase capacity, 44 percent. reduce cycle time, 33 percent. boost quality, 18 percent. improve safety, 16 percent. The No. 1 target for cost reduction in 2009 remains direct labor. However, assemblers are growing more concerned about the cost of scrap and materials. Some 44 percent of plants will buy equipment to reduce the cost of scrap. That compares with 42 percent in 2008 and 37 percent in 2007. Similarly, 30 percent of assemblers are investing in technology to lower material costs. That’s the highest percentage in the history of our survey. Perhaps this is an indication of the growing value of components, such as sensors, microcomputers, lead-free materials and fuel cells, that go into even the most mundane products. Less Is More 60 50 44 45 43 Percent of plants 42 43 31 31 24 32 34 30 23 22 20 19 31 23 30 26 40 30 23 20 10 0 1997 1998 1999 2000 Year Will spend more 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20 18 21 19 24 24 Will spend less If there’s cause for concern next year, it’s that 26 percent of respondents will spend less in 2009 than they did in 2008. That compares with 23 percent in last year’s survey, and it’s the second highest percentage since the recession year of 2001, when 31 percent of respondents expected to spend less in the coming year. Other costs targeted by assemblers next year include: indirect labor, such as setup, maintenance and material handling, 44 percent. work-in-process inventory, 25 percent. warranty and field service, 14 percent. One sign that the credit crunch is already affecting assemblers can be seen in how quickly they expect to see a return on their equipment investments. Last year, half our respondents could ROBOTIC END EFFECTORS Why ATI sells more Robotic Tool Changers than anyone else in the world. Specially Tapered Cam—second taper produces high locking strength Locking Balls—Low-friction locking balls extend the life of the unit Lock Ring—Wide footprint of lock ring creates high moment capacity in locking mechanism Superior Fail-Safe—springless design maintains lock position in event of air pressure loss • Wide-diameter locking mechanism and specially tapered cam produce high coupling strength and large moment capacity, which eliminates gapping. • Superior mechanical fail-safe keeps tool locked to master plate in the event of air pressure loss—without a spring. This no-spring design eliminates unlock problems. • Engineered for long life—patented double-taper lock wears in, not out. Million-cycle tested for high repeatability. www.ati-ia.com/qc/ 919.772.0115 www.assemblymag.com December 2008 / ASSE M B LY 25 http://www.ati-ia.com/qc/ http://www.assemblymag.com
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