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,…
Emergency equipment varies widely. Simple tools—like backboards, braces, anchors, pulleys, ladders, and axes—intermingle with more complex equipment like SCBA gear, ventilation fans, HAZMAT-rated suits, the jaws of life, and even remote-controlled or autonomous search and rescue drones. For each of the many, far-ranging types of emergencies in the civil, industrial, wildland, marine, or military spheres,…
We’ve come a long way since Rossum’s Universal Robots. Robots today are rising in every industry, from manufacturing to agriculture to warehousing and logistics. Such robots are tasked with delicate, dangerous, and demanding tasks which require power and precision. As such, companies manufacturing robots must build to careful specifications to make certain the robots are…
Theme parks are a fantastic American tradition. What’s more fun than strapping yourself to a metal seat that will hurtle you upside down at 80 mph? Harking back to the days of traveling carnival barkers and the roadside attractions (world’s largest frying pan!) of early U.S. highway culture, theme parks are a unique and colorful…
To many manufacturers, the concept of torque is a mystery. Ask them to describe the physics of torque and you’ll likely meet a blank stare. Cracking open a dictionary won’t help much either. To the layman the definition reads like a foreign language that owes more to mysticism than science. Despite the confusion, proper control…
As new products emerge and demand grows, the manufacturing process is evolving rapidly. Automation and manufacturing engineers must adapt quickly and solve new sophisticated production challenges. There are many opportunities to improve the production process. Refining manufacturing methods and implementing automation equipment are significant opportunities. Innovative automation fastening systems provide the ability to quickly transform…
Since 1965, Mountz Inc. has proven its in-depth knowledge of torque by consistently developing, producing, marketing and servicing highly sophisticated, cutting-edge torque tools. Making a safer world through accuracy and precision is the core purpose Mountz, Inc. Brad Mountz, President & CEO, has been with company for 30 years and believes that one of the…
Counting screws is not the new song title from the rock band “Counting Crows.” Screw counting is a quality control process utilized in the manufacturing environment. Tightening hundreds and hundreds fasteners daily, assembly operators can forget to fasten some screws here or there during the monotonous routine. For complex fastening regimes with multiple screws on…
Quality and reliability form the foundation upon which new companies build their futures and stake their reputations. As consumers, we are largely unaware of the painstaking pre-production steps and choices that companies make in order to develop products and assure their reliability. One of the most challenging steps that face these fledgling manufacturers is the…
When using a power tool, torque control is only one element engineers must resolve and get dialed in for a fastening application. There are other issues that engineers should pay attention to as well. Is there any potential ergonomic issues that may arise from the application? What about cross threading and side load occurring as…