Software Moves Complex Designs To Factory Floor

Oct. 16, 2000
A software tool developed at Sandia National Laboratories automatically translates computer designs of complex products into assembly plans for use on the factory floor. The ISRC Archimedes software combines its understanding of each part's geometry...

A software tool developed at Sandia National Laboratories automatically translates computer designs of complex products into assembly plans for use on the factory floor. The ISRC Archimedes software combines its understanding of each part's geometry (from the CAD model) to systematically explore all of a product's possible assembly sequences. It finds part-to-part contacts, generates collision-free insertion motions, and chooses assembly orders. Used along with other assembly-planning software, Archimedes could cut the time required for assembly planning by up to 80%.

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.

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