Assembly - December 2008 - (Page 30) Capital Spending What Tasks Are Performed at Your Plant? Testing Packaging Screwdriving Metal forming & fabricating Welding Soldering Process Adhesive bonding Pressing & clinching Riveting PCB assembly Wire processing Brazing 0 20 20 40 Percent of plants 60 80 28 33 31 40 40 39 56 55 59 68 66 Whether large or small, metal or plastic, electronic or mechanical, automotive or medical, almost all assemblies have two things in common: They receive some form of functional testing on the line, and they get put into boxes, bags, trays or other package. Not surprisingly, the two most common processes at all assembly plants are testing (68 percent) and packaging (66 percent). Spending by manufacturers of small products will also increase significantly. Producers of assemblies that fit inside a 12-inch cube will account for 39 percent of all equipment spending next year, up from 34 percent in 2008. Nineteen percent will spend at least $1 million on capital equipment next year, and the median budget is $150,000. Both figures are record highs for smallproduct assemblers. All totaled, these manufacturers will spend $1.12 billion on assembly technology in 2009, an increase of 17 percent from 2008. Compared with all U.S. plants— and in stark contrast to large-product assemblers—manufacturers of small stuff need to assemble new products (52 percent vs. 42 percent for all plants) and boost capacity (51 percent vs. 46 percent), but they don’t need to improve safety (8 percent vs. 16 percent). These assemblers would rather bond parts (46 percent vs. 40 percent) or solder them (53 percent vs. 40 percent), than use threaded fasteners (51 percent vs. 59 Quality Endures. We shipped the first Alpha Series Cam Indexer on September 29, 1997. ZERO replacement cam followers have yet been shipped. FR BH Series Base Machine EE 2-Y WARRANEAR T Y! NEW! Alpha Series Table Indexer GY Series Pick & Place ED Series Shaft Output ServoDex Roller Gear Technology Largest cam follower sizes in the industry with unmatched accuracy. 10655 State Route 47 • PO Box 4338 • Sidney, Ohio 45365 Phone: (937) 498-4901 • sales@sankyoamerica.com www.sankyoamerica.com 30 ASSEMBLY / December 2008 www.assemblymag.com http://www.sankyoamerica.com http://www.sankyoamerica.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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