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

SAN JOSE, CA—The Moonlight from Flexiv is a new adaptive parallel robot for applications that require precise motion and force control, such as screwdriving, polishing and ultra-accurate loading.

Alfa Romeo introduced the Tonale, a compact crossover SUV, in February 2022. It’s Alfa’s first hybrid vehicle, and it’s the first new model introduced by the brand in six years.

When dispensing form-in-place gaskets—for example, on the die-cast housing of an automotive control unit—it’s important to apply the material precisely along the contour of the part. On the housing, the contour runs partly in a straight groove, partly around corners and screw locations and partly along various radiuses. In the area where the plug housing will be installed, the material often must be applied on a ramped surface. All this makes consistent, gap-free dispensing difficult.

The new DC803 Dispensing Cell from Scheugenpflug GmbH promises to make the process faster, easier and more reliable.

ANN ARBOR, MI—Güdel Inc. is spending $10 million to add 39,000 square feet of space to its U.S. office here. 

DOWNINGTOWN, PA—DB Cobots LLC has added 3- and 10-kilogram payload models to its lineup of Safe Skin six-axis cobots, which already includes a 5-kilogram payload model.

GRÜNHEIDE, Germany—Tesla Inc. has released a series of short videos on Twitter that provide an in-depth look at its electric vehicle assembly plant here.

VERO BEACH, FL—Piper Aircraft has installed an Agile Manufacturing Robot (AMR) from Wilder Systems on its assembly line here for the M600/SLS single-engine airplane. 

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. 

Anyone who has ever painted a bedroom or a car knows that the most difficult and time-consuming part of the process is actually the prep work: repairing damage, sanding, cleaning and masking. Now, imagine if you had to paint a passenger jet.