Quality Digest

The Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) has released the long-awaited results of its large-scale, interactive measurement study conducted during the 2011 Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC), which was held July 25–29 in Phoenix. The 58-page report, “How Behavior Impacts Your Measurement,” focuses on measurement strategies and behaviors of coordinate metrologists. Metrology is the science of measurement, and professionals in this field work in diverse industries such as aerospace, automotive, power generation, and more.

Manufacturers face many obstacles across the life cycle of delivering a product to market.

The purpose of this article is to discuss automated analysis and report generation of key characteristics measurement data. Key characteristics (KCs) are those features of a part whose measurements must be kept to the nominal values through process control to minimize the "Taguchi Loss." KC measurements are taken using different types of metrology heads, such as laser trackers, or other types of scanners. The actual process discussed in this article requires gathering KC data using laser trackers.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Center for Neutron Research is expanding the number of beamlines for research purposes from seven to 11 beams.

The buzz surrounding the Coordinate Metrology Society’s (CMS) efforts to bring an industry-recognized certification to the profession of portable 3-D metrology was nearly as prevalent as the buzz about the temperature at this year’s Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC) in Phoenix. The CMS certification committee set a goal in 2009 to develop a personnel certification program, and this was our third opportunity to share progress with conference attendees.

A patient had to undergo the surgical ablation of most of her nose because of a skin cancer that had attacked her right nasal septum.

Following the surgery, a cicatrization period had to be observed before a rhinoplasty was even considered.

The need for learning and certification of knowledge in portable coordinate measurement and large-volume metrology has been recognized by professional organizations such as the Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) and major industrial end-users. During the past year, the United Kingdom’s National Measurement Institute—the National Physical Laboratory (NPL)—has been developing a training program in portable coordinate measurement to complement their existing training in dimensional metrology which is designed for four levels of expertise.

If you think the Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC) is a run-of-the-mill conference, be prepared to have those preconceived notions shattered. There is a comfortable grassroots feel to this five-day event. Experts and novices alike talk metrology shop. Ideas and theories abound. Exhibitors are highly knowledgeable and revel in discussing challenging technical applications. As one new attendee confided to me, “No question is a dumb question here.” This educational atmosphere is no mistake.

Manufacturing speed and innovative designs are two crucial issues affecting whether or not a manufacturer can lead the mobile telephone market. Therefore, mobile phone manufacturers have put considerable efforts into accelerating the product development process, including the introduction of 3-D scanners into the prototyping and quality control stages to significantly speed up the overall manufacturing process.

The purpose of this article is to present the planning of a case study performed in the field of geometrical and dimensional measurement and controllability planning (GMCP, previously abbreviated GICP). The case study is carried out at the Swedish automotive company Scania CV. This article presents the preparation of the planned implementation work of the quality assurance matrix and methodology (QAM).