All Features
Bruce Hamilton
One of the more dubious outcomes of the French Revolution was the standardization of guillotining as the sole (and oft-employed) manner of capital punishment. Prior to the revolution, only the nobility was entitled to such a humane demise. Commoners received their due by more excruciating means,…
FDAnews
(FDAnews: Falls Church, VA) -- Despite the FDA’s ongoing work with international regulators to improve supplier quality issues, a top FDA official has stated that another public health crisis like Heparin, which occurred in 2010 when Baxter Healthcare distributed misbranded and contaminated doses…
CRC Press
(CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL) -- To achieve long-term profitability and ensure survival for their companies, managers must be informed, imaginative, and capable of adapting to shifting circumstances. Practical decisions rather than theories hold the upper ground. Business, Marketing, and…
MIT News
For discussion: We’re all quality professionals, right? We understand root cause analysis, right? But do we understand it and act on it as well as when we were babies?--Quality Digest editors
If you flip a light switch and nothing happens, there are a couple of possible explanations. One is that…
J.D. Power and Associates
(J.D. Power and Associates: West Lake Village, CA) -- After an improvement in the quality of newly launched models every year from 2007 to 2010, the initial quality of 2011 new-model launches has declined considerably, according to the J. D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS…
Accu-Sort Systems
(Accu-Sort: Telford, PA) -- Accu-Sort Systems, a major supplier of automated ID systems, has launched its AccuLazr AL5010, a midrange laser barcode scanner. This scanner is designed for automated warehouse applications such as shipping and receiving, routing and sorting, track and trace, production…
AMETEK
(AMETEK: Kleve, Germany) -- SPECTRO Analytical Instruments, a unit of AMETEK Materials Analysis Division, unveiled the updated version of its SPECTROLAB metal analyzer at the GIFA foundry trade show in Dusseldorf, Germany, held June 28–July 2, 2011. The latest version of the versatile metal…
3M Infection Prevention Division
(3M Infection Prevention: St. Paul, MN) -- 3M Infection Prevention and RL Solutions announced a joint feasibility program to provide health care-facilities data on the rate of infection in real time, along with the costs associated with those infections. This collaborative effort brings together RL…
Kistler
(Kistler: Novi, MI) -- Kistler, a worldwide supplier of precision sensors, systems, and instrumentation for the dynamic measurement of pressure, force, torque, and acceleration, has introduced the Type 5630M series of high-performance process data collectors, designed to offer manufacturers and OEM…
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
(Hexagon Metrology: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Metrology Inc. today announced that a free live webinar on reverse engineering techniques using PC-DMIS Reshaper software will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time. PC-DMIS Reshaper is a…
NIST
Most industry executives, military planners, research managers, or venture capitalists charged with assessing the potential of a research and development project probably are familiar with the wry twist on Arthur C. Clarke's third law: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable…
Angelo Lyall
In my work with both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing organizations, I have been faced with the challenge of improving quality. Toward that end, I'd like to offer a few simple lessons that I have learned.
• Know the set of attributes that customers in your industry use to measure value, and the…
Mark R. Hamel
Lean culture is largely defined by, or at least manifested in, engaged and empowered employees practicing voluntary kaizen. Engagement can be measured in a number of ways, but perhaps one of the most telling is the number of implemented suggestions per employee per year.
Awhile back, I developed…
Donald J. Wheeler
Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is an engineering tool that has been heavily adapted for use in Six Sigma programs where it is commonly used to decide which problem to work on. In this usage a risk priority number (RPN) is computed for each of several problems, and the problem with the…
ESI International
(ESI International: Arlington, VA) -- Results of a recent global study show that organizations must become more fully committed and engaged in transferring learning to the workplace. Survey findings highlight several weak areas in the on-the-job application of learning, including manager support,…
Tripp Babbitt
If a service company has been around long enough, there will be some story about how someone manipulated the system and embezzled money or committed some type of fraud. The story is often anecdotal, and the longer it has been since the actual criminal event, the bigger the tale becomes. A thousand…
ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions
Several of the polished gears are still standing on carpeted pedestals shortly after the InnoTrans—the world’s most important railway transport event. They were developed and manufactured by Henschel to help trains deliver their passengers quickly, safely, and reliably. One of the locomotive axle…
Dennis Payton
With the explosive growth in imported goods to the United States, what is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doing toward maintaining a level of service inspection that ensures the best protection of the public health? One option is to partner with the countries exporting the supplies. Perhaps…
J.D. Power and Associates
(J.D. Power: Torrance, CA) -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. Inc. received four segment awards in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS). Lexus earned the honor as the highest ranking nameplate in the industry, while the Toyota Division moved up 14 positions to place…
MIT News
Researchers from MIT and Harvard University crossed the Charles River to speak at a two-day symposium intended to bridge scientific innovation from both campuses with corporate interests from around the world. The symposium was held June 14–15, 2011, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston as part…
GlobalSpec
(GlobalSpec: East Greenbush, NY) -- GlobalSpec, a provider of online marketing programs for companies targeting the engineering, technical, and manufacturing communities, has published its newest research report, “2011 Economic Outlook Survey: Improving Conditions Present Market Opportunity for…
NIST
On June 24, 2011, President Obama announced a new initiative, the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP), a national effort bringing together industry, universities, and the federal government to invest in the emerging technologies that will create high quality manufacturing jobs and enhance…
Mettler-Toledo
(Mettler-Toledo Inc.: Columbus, OH) -- Mettler-Toledo has launched GWP Verification, a service to improve manufacturing and lower quality control costs. Good weighing practice (GWP) verification virtually guarantees better weighing results, lowered equipment-testing expenses, and enhanced final-…
NeoMetrix Technologies Inc.
(NeoMetrix Technologies Inc: Lake Mary, FL) -- Doubtless you’ve heard a lot about 3-D scanning and printing, but perhaps you’re not sure how they fit into your business or process. Neometrix is offering three workshops in three locations to encourage businesses to consider some of the latest…
Preferred Hotel Group
(Preferred Hotel Group: Chicago) -- Preferred Hotel Group has launched Integrated Quality Assurance (IQA), an innovative new standard for measuring quality assurance for the hospitality and lodging industry.
IQA expands the breadth and scope of the company’s Global Standards of Excellence by…
