In most assemblies that are joined with threaded fasteners, the cost of the fasteners is not as important as the cost of installing them. 

Initiated in 2004, the Assembly Plant of the Year award showcases world-class production facilities in America and the people, products, and processes that make them successful. 

Cartesian, SCARA and six-axis robots have been used in screwdriving for many years. Now, there’s a new kid on the block: the cobot

Nearly 3,900 manufacturing professionals saw the latest robots, fastening tools, software and automation at the 10th annual ASSEMBLY Show, which was held Oct. 25-27 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

In 1923, Albrecht Schnizler designed a hand-cranked drill dubbed the Metallbohrdreher, or “metal drill driver.” That drill became the inspiration for the brand Metabo.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the airline industry particularly hard. Thousands of flights were canceled. In some cases, entire aircraft fleets were parked and mothballed.

To automate an assembly task that requires two hands, engineers have two options: one robot equipped with a tool changer or two robots. Now, there may soon a third option. We have developed a single end-of-arm tool that can simultaneously hold a part, such as a dowel or a long screw, in place and install it at the same time.

The biggest challenge in automatic screwdriving isn’t speed or torque accuracy: It’s getting the fastener to the tool reliably and oriented correctly. Fortunately, assemblers have several options for feeding screws to fully or semiautomatic drivers, including screw presenters, bowl feeders and step feeders.

The Boeing 777 jetliner is the backbone of many international airlines. The reliable workhorse, which has been used on long-haul flights for three decades, is produced in several variants. The aircraft’s 20-foot-wide aluminum fuselages range anywhere from 209 to 242 feet long.