Assembly workstations vary in automation and are used for PCB manufacturing, mechanical construction, and outdoor housing production. Employees participate in all types of assembly stations, including those with robotics or manual workspaces. PCBs require multiple assembly stations for creation and testing. Mechanical construction uses lathes, drills, welding, and riveting machines. Plastic extrusion processes form modern outdoor housing. Automated production lines still require employee supervision. Manual workstations are less common but can produce handmade items at premium prices.
Assembly workstations vary widely based on internal and external product construction, including printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing, mechanical construction, and outdoor housing manufacturing. Workstations can be automated with robotics or designed as a manual workspace for delicate items. Employees participate in all types of assembly stations, regardless of the amount of automation implemented.
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) fill most of the items of current production, from stoves to cell phones. Building a PCB requires a number of different assembly stations oriented in phase order for the best production speed. In one workstation, the bare PCB surface is created with specialized screens and solder paste, while in the next workstation, individual electronic components are placed onto the board. Reflow ovens are used to melt components to circuit boards within the PCB. One or more assembly stations will focus on testing the final PCBs for a quality assurance phase.
Mechanical construction, such as placing a gear onto a rod, is normally done using a number of different mounting locations. Common workstations on mechanical assembly lines include lathes and drills, as well as welding and riveting machines and areas. The volatile action of any mechanical workstation requires areas to be enclosed or spaced from other work areas to prevent injury to operators and nearby bystanders.
Many modern outdoor housing are formed with plastic extrusion processes. The extrusion machine workstations are manned by trained employees to ensure that the correct shape and amount of plastic is extruded from the device. This workstation can also include a rack area to cool the plastic housings before they move on to the next production stage.
Most automated production lines still need employee supervision to create successful products. Workers will observe and adjust parts of the robotic automation at their individual assembly stations; each stage of production must take place according to strict regulations before the product can pass to the next workstation. Any product defects that occur must be identified and attributed to a specific workstation. Supervisors can locate and fix the problem on the specific workstation to prevent further defects.
Manual workstations, such as those that might be used to make a hand doll, are not as common as automated workstations as costs would remain high for that particular production line. These assembly stations are normally filled with small hand tools and other implements that the employee may use during production. While slower to produce, handmade items tend to sell for premium prices, based on their overall retail value.
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