Assembly Automation: Volume 17 Issue 3

Tutorial Plastics welding technology for industry

Kalpana Mistry

Plastics are the engineering materials for future technological development. Advances in plastics processing and fabrication techniques have facilitated the production of novel…

Features Automated assembly and fixture planning at Sandia National Laboratories

Rondall E. Jones, Terri L. Calton, Ralph R. Peters

The Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center at Sandia National Laboratories supports several ongoing projects oriented towards enabling the creation of more automatic and…

Features 3D scanning systems for rapid prototyping

Jim Clark

Discusses the use of two commercially available non‐contact laser triangulation sensors. First, describes a standard dual view sensor called REVERSA and demonstrates the use of…

Features Schenck celebrates 25 years in the UK

Brian Rooks

Analyses the market for rapid prototyping equipment and reports on the rapid growth that this market has experienced over the last ten years. Highlights the companies that are…

Features Rapid growth for rapid prototyping

Anna Kochan

Describes applications of rapid prototyping in the automotive, healthcare and jewellery industries. Explains how Ford Motor Co.’s use of RP technology has evolved since it first…

Features Rapid prototyping wins widespread acceptance

Anna Kochan

Describes new technology used by recently introduced low‐cost 3D printing machines and the application of these machines as concept modellers. Reports on the new Kira machine, the…

Features New RP processes cut costs and improve performance

Anna Kochan

In this interview, Eamonn McKinney of Tao China Associates talks about the current scope of trade between the West and China and in particular the opportunities for manufacturers…

Features China presents a great potential market for automation

Brian Rooks

Describes how Magna Interior Systems has set up a complex logistics system to supply fully‐assembled dashboards to Rover just‐in‐time.

Features Magna wins award for dashboard assembly

Anna Kochan

Current rapid prototyping processes are mainly based on layered manufacturing techniques using 2.5D slices. Defines manufacturing by means of 2.5D slices as a zero order…

Research articles A comparison between zero and first order approximation algorithms for layered manufacturing

P.J. de Jager, J.J. Broek, J.S.M. Vergeest

The third part of a comprehensive six‐part series on a promising and growing approach to mechanical attachment amenable to automation. Integral snap‐fit attachment design has…

Research articles Integral attachment using snap‐fit features: a key to assembly automation. Part 3 ‐ an attachment‐level design methodology

Robert W. Messler, Suat Genc, Gary A. Gabriele

The third part of a comprehensive six‐part series on a promising and growing approach to mechanical attachment amenable to automation. Integral snap‐fit attachment design has…