ASSEMBLERS ASSEMBLE

Puh-Thump, Puh-Thump, Puh-Thump, Puh-TShhhhh.... Puh-Thump, Puh-Thump, Puh-Thump, Puh-TShhhhh.... No, this is not a scene from "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." It's the Assembly Technology Expo, where contraptions of various shapes, sizes, and functions all seem to emit the same rhythmic sound.

On display at last week's Boston convention were conveyors, pick-and-place machines, fasteners, test equipment, and other machines used in assembly processes. Almost 100 companies were represented. The convention, traditionally held near Chicago, this year added an East Coast show.