Smart window fans this week. Then smart floor lamps next month. After that, it’s a dual job; half the stations on the toaster ovens, half the stations on the air conditioners. Each product comes with its own set of specifications, its own production sequence. Reconfiguring the floor for each setup will be tricky, but that’s…
When Van Halen toured, they included in their contract a singular technical demand: bowls of M&M’s backstage, with all the brown ones removed. Rock star arrogance and capriciousness? Actually, no. The shows they put on were complex and technical, involving excessively heavy staging and sometimes explosive pyrotechnics. So when David Lee Roth would find brown…
Robots are known for repeatability. Programmed to perform mathematically-defined actions, as opposed to the associative actions taken by human operators, they will make nearly identical motions, over and over, for as long as they’re running. At least, that’s how the story goes on paper. In the real world, parts wear due to friction, lubrication dries…
Can you open a can with a hammer? Sure. But it would probably be easier with a can opener. Special jobs take special tools; using the right tool for your job saves effort and increases productivity. In the business world, specifically in manufacturing or equipment service and repair, saving effort and increasing productivity means lowering…
You don’t have to be a maestro to know that no matter how grand your piano is, you can’t play it if it’s out of tune. It’s similar when you’re working with torque tools; you can’t properly tighten your fasteners if your tools aren’t in calibration. In fields like manufacturing and maintenance, tightening fasteners is…
Roller coasters are thrilling. Riders soar and dive and flip upside down. They get blasted out of tunnels and splashed down through ponds. It’s an experience that causes people to grip their handrails, white-knuckled, to scream in terror, to pant for breath, and, when it’s over, to laugh. The intended effect is to expose riders…
For some areas in the United States, winter isn’t the end of the year; winter is the year. Winter is when the ponds ice over for fishing, the falls freeze for climbing, and the snow covers the ground for skiing. It’s when the hockey sticks come out of the closet, the snowshoes get tightened, and…
How fast can you fasten? In assembly line production, fastening speed is a key indicator of production volume. It can even be a factory’s bottleneck, limiting the number of pieces completed. In fact, improving fastening speed can often be the most effective way to increase production and, in turn, revenue. However, speed is no substitute…
Manufacturing high volume products—such as electronics, toys, or appliances—requires speed and precision. After all, hundreds of thousands of identical products have to be assembled and fastened, correctly, in as little time as possible. Many products involve multiple fasteners that require complex fastening sequences. Most, if not all, of the fasteners have specific torque requirements. Often,…
Whether you’re producing large volumes of products or small batches with low or no tolerance for failure, repeatability is king. Of course, in an imperfect world, perfect repeatability is easier aspired to than achieved. So, what’s the solution? Testing your tools as often and as accurately as you’re able. The electric and pneumatic tools you…