Assembly - December 2008 - (Page 29) assembly plants with million-dollar equipment budgets. Indeed, the 2009 median budget for our largest plants is $1 million—almost twice the 2008 median. In all, these plants will spend $1.41 billion on assembly technology in 2009, up 51 percent from 2008. The spending forecast for midsized facilities is mixed. Plants with 251 to 500 employees will account for 13 percent of total spending in 2009. That compares with 28 percent in 2008, and it’s the lowest percentage for plants that size in the history of our survey. The median budget for these plants is $250,000, or half the 2008 median. All totaled, they will dish out $374.7 million on assembly technology next year, which is 53 percent less than what they spent in 2008. At the same time, plants with 100 to 250 employees will represent 23 percent of total spending next year, compared with 17 percent in 2008. The median budget for this group is $200,000. That compares with $130,000 in 2008, and it’s the highest median for this group since 2002. All totaled, these plants will spend $374.7 million on assembly technology, which is 38 percent more than what they spent in 2008. All Products Large and Small For the first time, manufacturers of very large products will spend more on assembly technology than all other assemblers. In 1997, producers of assemblies that are bigger than a 6-foot cube accounted for just 11 percent of total spending. Since then, however, these manufacturers have gradually increased their share. In 2008, they represented 30 percent of total spending, and next year, they will account for 40 percent. That’s quite a feat considering that, on average, only 21 percent of ASSEMBLY’s readership manufactures such large products. Some 27 percent of large-product assemblers will spend more than $1 million on assembly technology next year. That compares with 18 percent for all U.S. plants, and it’s the highest percentage for this group in the history of our survey. The median budget for these manufacturers is $187,000. That compares with $75,000 in 2008, and it’s an all-time high for this group. All totaled, these manufacturers will increase spending on assembly technology by 36 percent, from $848.7 million in 2008 to $1.15 billion in 2009. Compared with all U.S. plants, these manufacturers are not looking to assemble new products (32 percent vs. 42 percent for all plants), but they do need to cut costs (55 percent vs. 50 percent) and improve safety (23 percent vs. 16 percent). In addition, these manufacturers are much more likely to perform welding (79 percent vs. 55 percent), brazing (26 percent vs. 20 percent), and metal forming operations (78 percent vs. 56 percent). They are also more likely to use manual assembly methods (91 percent vs. 85 percent) and less likely to use fixed automation (20 percent vs. 24 percent). It’s more than a It’s more than a 42mm TOOL CART WORK STATION it’s a 48% reduction in tool loss. A visual inventory of tools during shift handoffs and job completion is easy with Creform built tool carts. Every tool has a home on a cart outfitted with shadowboards, drawers, hooks and bins. Strong organization promotes use of shared tools while improving ergonomics and efficiency. Plus, inventorying tools after each shift will dramatically reduce tool loss. A Creform sales engineer can help you meet your lean manufacturing goals for material handling structures. it’s a 171% increase in capacity without complicating the structure. This 48" wide workstation is rated to hold 1000 pounds without complicated crossbracing or doubling up on pipes. Built with Creform 42mm pipes and joints, it demonstrates how you can simplify your structures while increasing capacities and lowering assembly time using less components and possibly less floor space. A Creform sales engineer can help you meet your lean manufacturing goals for material handling structures. www.creform.com • 800-839-8823 www.creform.com • 800-839-8823 www.assemblymag.com December 2008 / ASSE M B LY 29 http://www.creform.com http://www.creform.com http://www.creform.com http://www.creform.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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