Automation On a Budget

The OPW Div. of Dover Corp. supplies more than 60% of domestic gasoline fuel-delivery systems, including nozzles, swivels, break-away fittings, and emergency-shutoff valves. The company has increasingly turned to pneumatics to speed production of precision, high-quality parts. Pneumatic actuators and air logic let OPW automate MIG welding processes. Part quality exceeds Six Sigma. An inexpensive pneumatic rotary actuator provides accurate torque testing of brass swivel adapters. The unit is more precise than a torque wrench and considerably less expensive than electronic torque testers. Manufacturers are finding that automation need not necessarily involve a lot of complicated I/O or computers. "Adding an air cylinder to a simple $25 arbor press can make pressing, clamping, and holding into hands-free operations," says Jim Ruthemeyer, a manufacturing engineering manager at Ruthemeyer's company typifies a growing trend among U.S. manufacturers squeezed to do