Assembly - December 2008 - (Page 40) Capital Spending Assemblers Cope With Higher Product Mix 60 50 40 Percent of plants 39 35 30 20 10 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 High variety Medium variety Low variety High-mix assembly is a way of life today, as consumers want to customize everything from PCs to refrigerators. In fact, for the first time in the history of our survey, there are more plants performing high-mix assembly (39 percent), than there are those with low- or medium-variety product mixes (34 percent and 27 percent, respectively). 46 43 42 38 22 43 43 43 39 34 48 39 31 23 33 28 21 42 32 26 39 31 30 27 45 40 33 28 27 39 34 27 35 19 18 20 18 for Northeastern facilities is $65,000, which is slightly more than the 2008 median of $50,000. The Midwest Stays Ahead Outside of Michigan, the manufacturing picture in the Midwest is actually not too bad. Last month, for example, Bombardier Aerospace announced that it will install a new assembly line at its plant in Wichita, KS. The facility, which already produces three other Learjet models and employs 3,100 people, is gearing up to build the Learjet 85. To staff the new line, Bombardier is expected to hire 500 to 700 additional people over the next two years. Further north, in Mount Pleasant, WI, Ruud Lighting Inc. began producing LED streetlights on a new, robotic assembly line. Ruud already has orders for more than 16,000 of the new lights, and sales have been soaring since the product was introduced. Our survey results also show signs of optimism. For example, 32 percent of Midwestern plants expect to spend more on equipment in 2009 than they did in 2008. It’s the fifth straight year in which at least 30 percent of Midwestern plants have said they’ll spend more from one year to the next. No other region can claim such a streak CHALLENGING APPLICATIONS PROVEN SOLUTIONS Get the bench you need and get it fast. Your work can’t wait. With Pro-Line’s “In Stock” Program it doesn’t have to. You can get the exact modular workbench your application demands in 5 days or less, with your choice of work surface, color, and many accessories and options. • For decades, Pro-Line workbenches have been synonymous with quality, functionality and unmatched ergonomic design. • Choose from the Millennium II electric height adjusting workbench, our most popular Model HD, the manual height adjust Ergo-Line, the Dimension Next Modular Workstations, and more. • Configure your workstation with accessories that include power supplies, bin holders, overhead lighting, adjustable shelves, and modular drawers. Robotic Screwdriving Equipment. Modular Screw & Nut Fastening. Orbital Riveting and Roller Forming. Process monitoring & X-Y-Z technologies. Micro-Precision Screwdriving and robots. 0.8mm diameter Low Torque 1Nm. VSI AUTOMATION ASSEMBLY NITTO SEIKO GROUP VSI AA 238 Executive Drive • Troy, MI 48083 Phone: (248) 588-0133 Fax: (248) 588-0573 E-mail: sales@vsiauto.com • www.vsiauto.com 1proline.com (800) 739-9067 40 ASSEMBLY / December 2008 www.assemblymag.com http://www.1proline.com http://www.vsiauto.com http://www.vsiauto.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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