All Features
Jennifer Chu
For a robot, the real world is a lot to take in. Making sense of every data point in a scene can take a huge amount of computational effort and time. Using that information to then decide how to best help a human is an even thornier exercise.
Now, MIT roboticists have a way to cut through the data…
Quality Digest
(Aras: Andover, MA) -- Aras, a leader in product life cycle management (PLM) and digital thread solutions, has shared findings that emphasize the importance of establishing a strong digital thread in manufacturing and product development organizations. The insights come from Aras’ recent survey, “…
Jones Loflin
In a professional kitchen, no chef prepares a steak, a cake, and a casserole simultaneously with all the ingredients scattered across the counter. There’s a method: one recipe at a time, with only the ingredients needed for that specific dish.
The same principle applies to how we work, especially…
Quality Digest
(Viega: Broomfield, CO) -- Viega North America announces the latest additions to its product portfolio, adding globe, wafer check, and butterfly valves to its MegaPress and ProPress portfolio.
Viega press technology works across a wide range of materials, applications, and configurations. These…
Quality Digest
(ORNL: Oak Ridge, TN) -- The University of Oklahoma and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy’s largest multiprogram science and energy laboratory, have entered a strategic collaboration to establish a cutting-edge additive manufacturing center based in Norman, Oklahoma.…
Bruce Hamilton
A few months ago I visited a potential customer, a high-tech startup, which like many Boston-area tech companies is developing astounding products that would have been considered science fiction only 10 years ago. The parking lot was half full at 8 a.m., but the entrance was locked to visitors, and…
Quality Digest
(ORNL: Oak Ridge, TN) -- Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a vacuum-assisted extrusion method that reduces internal porosity by up to 75% in large-scale 3D-printed polymer parts.
Large-format additive manufacturing, or LFAM, enables the direct printing of meter-scale…
Chris Chuang
As a technology leader, I must admit that making the right investment in new innovations has its challenges. It’s easy to get caught up in the grandiose potential solutions offer, become overwhelmed by the setup, and struggle with employee adoption.
For the last decade, I’ve worked with human-…
Quality Digest
(Vention: Montreal) -- Vention, creator of the world’s only full-stack software and hardware automation platform, has announced the commercial availability of its powerful third-generation controller, MachineMotion AI.
Featuring NVIDIA-accelerated computing technology and independent Bell LTE…
Stephanie Ojeda
Every day, quality leaders face a variety of production and process issues. Although some problems are easy to fix, others require deeper investigation, such as using a 5 Whys analysis or fishbone diagram. But then there are the stubborn, recurring issues that can lead to quality issues, increased…
William A. Levinson
The Chinese character for crisis means “danger” and “opportunity,” and tariffs have created a supply chain crisis throughout the United States. Paul Roberts of the Seattle Times reports that fewer ships are arriving in Seattle: “Fewer ships coming into the U.S. means companies can’t get components…
Quality Digest
(Trimble: Westminster, CO) -- Trimble announces a new integration between its B2W Track and Trimble Siteworks software systems to automate and enhance progress quantity tracking for earthwork and civil contractors. This unique field-to-office connection allows contractors to compare actual material…
NIST
In a physics first, a team including scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has created a way to make beams of neutrons travel in curves. These Airy beams (named for English scientist George Airy), which the team created using a custom-built device, could enhance…
Quality Digest
(Aspiring Materials: Christchurch, New Zealand) -- Aspiring Materials, an innovative leader in critical mineral extraction, is expanding to the United States to help solve one of the most urgent challenges facing American industry: secure and sustainable access to critical minerals. Building on the…
Quality Digest
(Tractian: Atlanta) -- Tractian, a leader in AI-based condition monitoring and asset performance management software for manufacturers, will adopt Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to support its goal of becoming the definitive industrial co-pilot.
Tractian focuses on specialized AI models…
Akhilesh Gulati
When we step into a complex organization—whether in manufacturing, healthcare, or finance—we often find ourselves navigating a sea of competing truths. Everyone seems certain they see the problem clearly. Yet somehow, solving it feels harder than it should.
Why?
Often, it’s not the facts that…
Quality Digest
(Mahr: Providence, RI) – Mahr Inc., a leading provider of dimensional metrology solutions, announces the Mar4D PLQ 4200 line of cylinder coordinate measuring machines. This innovative solution offers workpiece flexibility and multisensory technology, making it ideal for a wide range of applications…
Creaform
In the casting industry, efficiency is key to producing high-quality parts while minimizing rework. Comprehensive data play a vital role in optimizing each manufacturing step. Traditionally, foundries have relied on conventional inspection techniques to ensure dimensional measurement. But the…
Annette Aquino
To meet the precise requirements associated with semiconductor manufacturing, integrated circuit (IC) packaging and assembly providers must navigate complex quality certification processes, such as those for the well-known ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 standards. Another important certification for…
Quality Digest
(Path Robotics: Columbus, OH; ALM Positioners: Rock Island, IL) -- Path Robotics and ALM Positioners announce the successful implementation of their combined AI-powered welding solution at TYCROP, a leader in developing and manufacturing oil and gas, power generation, and clean energy solutions.…
ISO
Occupational health and safety (OHS) is often brushed aside as a checkbox exercise—something assigned to compliance officers or forgotten in day-to-day operations. But this mindset comes at a cost. Every year, millions of people suffer injuries, illnesses, or worse, simply because their workplace…
Quality Digest
(Ascential Technologies: Grand Rapids, MI) -- Ascential Technologies, a global provider of automated diagnostic, inspection, assembly, and test systems and services across a wide range of industries, has created an Aerospace & Industrials business unit within its Test & Measurement Systems…
Quality Digest
(Sony Electronics: San Diego) -- Sony Electronics Inc. has announced commercialization of its AS-DT1 LiDAR depth sensor. The AS-DT1 is the world’s smallest and lightest LiDAR depth sensor structure, measuring just 29 mm x 29 mm x 31 mm (approximately 1.14 in. width x 1.14 in. height x 1.22 in.…
Simon Soloff
Boiler systems are a critical element of many manufacturing plants because they serve as a reliable source of heat and steam to power various processes. In today’s production environment, energy efficiency has become a crucial factor for manufacturing facilities aiming to reduce operational costs.…
Stephen Graham, Quality Digest
Uploading something “to the cloud” has become common enough that most people are acutely aware of the storage advantages of cloud services—whether in their personal or professional lives—as well as how they might benefit administrators in any business. What might surprise people is the additional…
