All Features
Karen Lellock
As we settle into a new year, it’s a good time to take stock of last year and look on the horizon at what’s ahead. I want to focus on what’s really important: U.S. manufacturing.
It’s shaping up to be an exciting year for U.S. manufacturers so far. We hit some great momentum in 2013, and we…
Mike Micklewright
Editor’s note: Mike Micklewright will be a guest on Quality Digest Live, on Feb. 28, 2014, at 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern. Micklewright will also present a webinar, “Sustaining Lean Improvements While Adding Spark to Your QMS,” on March 6, 2014, at 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern.
Many years ago…
John Flaig
Engineers have used safety margins for centuries to protect their companies and customers from the consequences of product degradation and failure. Sometimes the safety margins are fairly obvious (e.g., maximum-load limits posted in elevators), and other times they’re not.
Design margins are…
Boulder Imaging Inc.
(BI: Louisville, CO) -- Boulder Imaging (BI) has released a transformational surface detection product, the SCG series grind gauge. The fully automated SCG Series inspection System provides accurate, repeatable, and retrievable grind analyses.
A full analysis of pigment distribution and a final…
Jim Benson
At Modus we now have a posted, dominant project at all times. We post it as a large sticky note on the wall. This is the banner saying, “If you pull something and have any choice whatsoever, pull it from this backlog.”
This giant kanban token conveys our current organizational focus and promotes…
Mark Rosenthal
Over the years, I’ve observed a number of efforts at various companies to implement A3 problem solving, an approach based on the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle that summarizes the problem and solution on a folded form, usually 11 in. × 17 in. I worked for some of those companies; I’ve observed…
Mohan Ponnudurai
Analytics, business intelligence, and key performance indicators (KPIs) are common phrases we hear just about everywhere in the workplace. The top focus for chief information officers has been on business intelligence and analytics and will likely continue through 2017 according to Gartner Inc.…
John Palmateer
This article estimates the uncertainty for measuring a tool tip using dual Leica T-Mac sensors set up on opposite sides of an NC machine head and measured with tracking interferometers at opposite ends of a machine bed. Performance testing compares the estimated and measured uncertainties and…
William A. Levinson
President Obama’s State of the Union address called for an increase in the federally mandated minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. $7.25 an hour, or even $10.10 an hour, is an appallingly low wage for anybody in a modern industrialized country, but we can’t get a higher minimum wage through…
Breuckmann
(Breuckmann: Meersburg, Germany) -- The range of scanning products offered by Breuckmann now includes the precise stereoSCAN-R16. Three-dimensional metrology at the highest level can be accomplished using this two-camera system, which is usable in almost any situation, thanks to its excellent…
Michael Causey
You shouldn’t need Barney the giant purple dinosaur to remind you of the playground mantra “sharing is caring,” but maybe the medical device industry needs to do some quick Netflix streaming of back episodes.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM), already working with more than a dozen drug makers, the…
Alan Nicol
In part one, we looked at the importance of understanding findings in order to make better decisions. To do this we and our decision-making leaders must become adept at data investigation and analysis so we can ask critical questions.
In part two I want to emphasize another truth that will prevent…
David Muil
The Boy Scouts of America have a timeless motto: “Be prepared.” These are words to live by. In the wilderness, if an individual has a pocket knife, a length of string, and some matches, he can deal with most emergencies that may arise. In business, however, a Swiss Army knife is going to do little…
Delcam
(Delcam: Birmingham, UK) -- Autodesk Inc., developer of 3-D design, engineering, and entertainment software, has completed the acquisition of Delcam, supplier of advanced computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software.
Autodesk announced its intent to acquire Delcam on Nov. 7, 2013, for £20.75 per…
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
(Hexagon Metrology: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Metrology introduces the new TESA MH3D-DUAL coordinate measuring machine (CMM) in booth 702 at the Aerodef Manufacturing Expo, Feb. 25–27, 2014, in Long Beach, California.
The MH3D-DUAL CMM offers a unique-to-the-market combination of manual and…
American Customer Satisfaction Index ACSI
Customer satisfaction improves for a third consecutive year for retail, according to a report released today by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The retail sector overall gains 1.7 percent to an ACSI benchmark of 77.9, boosted by higher customer satisfaction with specialty retail…
NIST
They spanned 140 degrees of latitude—from Canada to Chile—and varied widely in age and experience. But their goal was the same: To improve their metrological capabilities for the benefit of their home countries and the Western Hemisphere.
For five extremely full days during the last week of…
New River Kinematics
(New River Kinematics: Williamsburg, VA) -- New River Kinematics (NRK), producer of SpatialAnalyzer (SA), a leading portable metrology software, celebrates its 20th anniversary by announcing strong 2013 growth and new expansion of headquarter facilities.
Significant growth in sales of…
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
(Hexagon Metrology: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Metrology has announced the Leica B-Probe, an entry-level wireless probing device that extends the capability of the Leica Absolute Tracker AT402. The handheld Leica B-Probe is designed for the inspection, alignment, and assembly of large-scale…
FARO
(FARO Technologies: Lake Mary, FL) -- FARO Technologies Inc., the world’s most trusted source for 3D measurement, imaging, and realization technology, has released its most advanced scan processing software solution, SCENE 5.2.
In SCENE 5.2, 3D visualizations are rendered in even greater detail…
Automated Precision Inc.
(API: Rockville, MD) -- Automated Precision Inc. (API) has announced that company COO Joe Bioty has been named its new president. Bioty has been associated with high technology businesses for more than 40 years and led API as COO since 2010, as well as from 2003 to 2007. Company founder and CEO Kam…
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
(Hexagon Metrology: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Metrology has announced the launch of the 7.10.7 SF, a new generation of shop-floor coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) specially designed to excel in harsh industrial environments. The new product line introduces significant advancements based…
Matthew E. May
The constant rapid changes in today’s business climate demands on-the-fly gear shifting for teams and business units. Few can afford to wait until next year’s three-day strategic off-site meeting, a model fast becoming a relic of more halcyon days.
So how do you quickly and nimbly get everyone on…
New River Kinematics
Metrologists are often faced with measurement processes that are repetitive and time-consuming. It’s not uncommon for a set of measurements to be taken repeatedly under different conditions and with different materials to maintain quality control. Afterward, the measurements must be formatted and…
Ron Hicks
Welcome to the winter edition of CMSC World. I want to touch on one of our biggest accomplishments of 2013—the Level-One Certification Program for Portable 3D Metrology. This program was requested and supported by many CMSC members. With your help and the tireless work of the Coordinate Metrology…
