Assembly - January 2009 - (Page 2) January 2009 Vol. 52, No. 1 50 ASSEMBLY 66 COVER STORY 66 50 Joining Joints Orthopedics is one of the fastest-growing market segments of the medical device market.—Austin Weber FEATURES 80 DEPARTMENTS Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Failing our future.—Don Hegland 58 Keeping Screws Tight Keeping screws from loosening in the field requires the right combination of thread design, torque specification and fastening tool.—John Sprovieri Automation Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Eight robotic cells assemble engine part. 66 A Sunny Disposition: Robots Building Solar Panels To curb costs, manufacturers are increasingly employing robotics to automate the process as much as possible.—Adam Cort New & Noteworthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A new assembly press provides both rotary and linear motion. Fastening Threads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Dissecting the nut factor.—David Archer Assembly Innovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 New process for molding auto parts reduces resin consumption.—John Sprovieri 74 Dispensing Cyanoacrylates The key to cost-effective bonds with these adhesives is putting the right amount in the right place. —Scott Beebe Quality in Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Vision systems ensure quality of medical devices. —John Sprovieri 80 Plastic Welding by Numbers Today’s ultrasonic plastic welders offer unprecedented control over the joining process. But what exactly to all those settings mean?—John Sprovieri Assembly Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Boston Consulting joins Plant of the Year effort. Assembly in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 NXP Semiconductors uses automation to remain competitive. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Leading Lean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 They don’t “get it.”—Jamie Flinchbaugh NEXT MONTH Assembling the Electric Car Plasma Treatment for Plastics Ergo Numbers Building Big Boards Cover photo courtesy UT Southwestern Medical Center 2 ASSEMBLY / January 2009 www.assemblymag.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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