While many European automotive OEMs work toward expanding their market globally, they often prefer their components to be made locally. One supplier that many German carmakers rely on for printed circuit board assemblies is DELTEC Automotive GmbH & Co. KG (DAGC).

Water may be vital to human life, but it can also be detrimental to the performance of many manufactured products.

Every action in life involves a trade-off: The gaining of one benefit at the expense of another, to best meet the needs of the situation at hand. When the situation involves high-volume bonding, sealing or gasketing, manufacturers rely on UV-cure adhesives because they allow on-demand and quick curing (1 to 5 seconds after light exposure).

Regardless of its size or past performance, every technological device can always benefit from a little help, including the very famous and large (43.3 by 13.8 feet) Hubble Space Telescope.

For manufacturers, the product-miniaturization trend is kind of a Catch-22. They know that serving a large and ever-expanding marketplace ensures company growth—so long as their robots can precisely place ever-smaller parts into subassemblies, final assemblies or packaging. Specially designed small grippers and vacuum cups have enabled many manufacturers to achieve both goals.

Historic events make a Major League Baseball (MLB) season memorable. Last month, for instance, the Houston Astros won its first World Series championship ever. Several months before that, however, a less-well-known event took place: MLB approved the use of any Whoop Inc. wearable fitness tracker by all players and coaches in games.

Size definitely matters when it comes to processing wire. Small wire (26 AWG or higher), for example, presents different challenges than large wire. This is especially true regarding crimping.

Among the most innovative features on a new car is the keyless antenna, which emits a radio frequency signal to identify the owner’s key and open the car.

Going with the flow of the marketplace not only makes sense for a manufacturer, it can also make the company lots of money. An equally beneficial strategy—implemented on an application-by-application basis—is to know the flow of each material being dispensed and equip accordingly. Electronics contract manufacturers are well aware of the benefits of both practices.

Most challenges manufacturers face involve the assembly process of one or more of their products. Sometimes, though, a company struggles with where to locate its headquarters or build another plant for market expansion.