Assembly - December 2008 - (Page 31) percent). They’re also more likely to test their assemblies (76 percent vs. 68 percent) and package them (70 percent vs. 66 percent). They are less prone to use manual assembly methods (79 percent vs. 85 percent) and more apt to use fixed automation (31 percent vs. 24 percent). Transportation Equipment If you only follow the trials and tribulations of the Big Three, you might conclude that capital spending by manufacturers of transportation equipment (NAIC 336) will decline next year. However, this industry encompasses much more than Ford, GM and Chrysler. It also includes manufacturers of military vehicles, planes, buses, motorcycles, trains, missiles, helicopters, boats and trucks, and these companies are doing just fine, thank you. In July, for example, Tiger Truck LLC opened a new assembly plant in Poteau, OK. The company invested $25 million to build the 150,000 square foot facility, which will employ 300 workers and produce 7,500 small, off-road trucks annually. That same month, 1,000 miles eastward, Rolls-Royce PLC began constructing a $100 million facility near Petersburg, VA, for assembling aircraft engines. The plant will employ 500 people within the next few years. So it’s not too surprising that capital spending in NAIC 336 will increase 26 percent, from $707.2 million in 2008 to $893.4 million in 2009. That’s at least $100 million more than any other industry, and it represents 31 percent of total spending, an increase of six percentage points from 2008. The 2009 median budget in this industry is $200,000. That’s twice the median for all U.S. plants, and it’s the highest figure for this industry since 2002. Transportation equipment manufacturers are not only investing in equipment—they’re investing in people, too. One-third of plants in this industry employed more than 500 people in 2008. That compares with 25 percent in 2007, and it’s the largest percentage of any industry. Many facilities in NAIC 336 are making new products next year. Fiftyeight percent of plants in this industry will buy equipment to assemble new products in 2009. That compares with 41 percent for all U.S. plants, and it’s the third straight year that the industry percentage has exceeded the national one. Aging equipment is a continuing concern. Fifty-two percent of assemblers in NAIC 336 are buying new machinery to replace old or worn-out equipment. That’s the highest percentage of any industry, and it’s the third time in five years that transportation equipment manufacturers have held that distinction. Despite the increased investment, assemblers in NAIC 336 believe they don’t need any additional capacity. Only 38 percent of plants are investing in equipment to boost capacity. That compares with 45 percent for all U.S. Send Your Automatic Feed Screwdriver Into a Feeding Frenzy. 20 yrs.of building on any brands of screwdrivers World's simplest screw feeding system with only one moving part US based company 5 US Patents Adjustable torque;variable RPM's 1607 Norfolk Place SW Conover, NC 28613 800 948 1038 designtoolinc.com sales@designtoolinc.om Just Add Screws DESIGN TOOL INC. www.assemblymag.com December 2008 / ASSE M B LY 31 http://www.designtoolinc.com http://www.designtoolinc.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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