When it comes to manufacturing, the best assembly process in the world can still fall prey to such prosaic constraints as operator fatigue, inattentiveness, time pressure, and plain-old carelessness.

Joining dissimilar materials has long posed a challenge for design engineers. However, by combining different technologies such as adhesive bonding and mechanical fasteners, manufacturers can create strong, rigid assemblies.

The biggest challenge in automatic screwdriving isn't speed or torque accuracy: It's getting the fastener to the tool reliably and oriented correctly.

Peterbilt Motors Co. (Denton, TX), a division of Paccar Inc., manufactures commercial trucks and offers a broad range of services for over-the-road, construction, municipal and medium-duty truck markets

Traditionally, assemblers at General Motors installed Rivnut fasteners into vehicle bodies with a handheld power screwdriver. A new fastener handling system made the process more efficient.