ACTION 06

Aligning

Placing multiple objects so their relative position, spacing and orientation meet a target arrangement

Why It Matters

Aligning sets the relationships among objects rather than the coordinates of any single one. Examples include retail facing, table setting, and staging ahead of inspection.

Alignment fixtures and feeders work only on lines where a physical reference surface exists. Where the reference is defined only by a rule rather than a physical surface, each object placed becomes the reference for the next, and errors accumulate.

Skills 3

06-ASpecified-Order Alignment

Each piece's position depends on which piece it is, so identification must precede placement, and a single misplacement forces the pieces already placed to be undone.

Specified-Order Alignment — Initial state
Initial stateObjects of different kinds lie in random positions, and each position has an assigned object.
Specified-Order Alignment — Final state
Final stateEach object sits in its assigned position.
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06-BSize-Ordered Alignment

Size differences are slight, so each piece's position can be determined only by comparison with the others, and that comparison also determines the order in which the pieces are handled.

Size-Ordered Alignment — Initial state
Initial stateObjects of slightly different sizes lie in random positions.
Size-Ordered Alignment — Final state
Final stateThe objects are arranged in order of size.
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06-CEven-Spacing Alignment

Without a physical reference surface, each placed piece becomes the reference for the next, so placement errors accumulate from piece to piece.

Even-Spacing Alignment — Initial state
Initial stateSeveral objects lie in random positions on a work surface with no physical reference edge.
Even-Spacing Alignment — Final state
Final stateThe objects are arranged evenly at the specified spacing.
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