All Features
Mark Graban
When I was in Sweden recently, we had a lot of good discussion about the lean concept of “standardized work.”
There was much agreement from different presenters at the lean laboratories conference, and from the hospital people we visited, concerning standardized work—that it isn’t a robotic…
Cognex Corp.
(Cognex Corp.: Natick, MA ) -- Cognex Corp. has announced 3D-Locate, a library of 3-D vision software tools that expands application possibilities in vision-guided robotics, assembly, and inspection.
Logistics and package tracking
Robot-guided depalletizing
Precision assembly…
National Standards Authority of Ireland NSAI
(NSAI: Nashua, New Hampshire) — Even though no firm action was taken during the 2009 Climate Conference in Copenhagen, the U.S. administration has still pledged that the country will tighten carbon emission regulations. The most plausible possibility is what is referred to as a “cap and trade”…
TÜV Rheinland PTL
(TÜV Rheinland PTL LLC: Tempe, AZ) — In an important decision, Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (ABCs) recommended the adoption of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) quality standards for all modules purchased in the U.S. marketplace. The aim of this initiative is to…
Knowledge at Wharton
In 2008, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Health Care System faced a challenge: Length of stay per patient at this major nonprofit health system and academic medical center was longer than it needed to be. If administrators could figure out how to cut the length of stay by an average of just…
ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions
(Carl Zeiss Metrology: Maple Grove, MN) -- In addition to a highly accurate measuring machine, the most important resources in measuring technology are the latest software and detailed application knowledge. Today, knowledge and software updates are increasingly exchanged via the internet. Carl…
ISO
(ISO: Geneva) -- For reasons of safety and reliability, the importance of being able to trace products throughout the supply chain has strongly increased in recent years. The new standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17367:2009 will help manufacturers and…
Sakor Technologies Inc.
(SAKOR Technologies: Okemos, MI) -- SAKOR Technologies Inc., a provider of implementation of instrumentation products for dynamometer testing, introduces the MicroDyne series of small motoring dynamometers. Ideal for a wide range of automotive, military, and aerospace testing applications, this…
Society of Manufacturing Engineers
(SME: Dearborn, MI) -- While there has been a significant loss of repetitive manufacturing jobs, workers with engineering and high-tech skills remain in demand and are vital to keeping manufacturing and the economy going.
A recent survey conducted by Deloitte, Oracle, and the Manufacturing…
Patrick Beauchemin
Optical comparators, also referred to as profile projectors and contour projectors, were first introduced in the 1940s and they are still widely used today in a broad range of industries to verify that manufactured parts are within tolerance. These versatile instruments are easy to use and the fact…
Bill Kalmar
In March 1876, Alexander Graham Bell uttered these now famous words, “Mr. Watson, come here—I want to see you.” That day marked the beginning of an extraordinary time in communication—the advent of the telephone. Since then there have been thousands of changes in our communication systems, many of…
MoreSteam.com
(MoreSteam.com: Columbus, OH) -- On March 10, MoreSteam.com, the a provider of online lean Six Sigma training and support technology, will host an unprecedented live web cast to discuss the need for a rigorous, third-party global certification standard for lean Six Sigma.
The candid, one-hour…
Indicate Technologies
(Indicate Technologies Inc.: Santa Clara, CA) -- Indicate Technlogies and the International Institute of GD&T are partnering to present a seminar series that explores the implications of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) as it applies to all manufacturing and design disciplines…
(Hirayama Consulting: Tokyo) -- Hirayama Consulting introduces a new service line, sending consultants into the field to provide clients with kaizen solutions. Hirayama offers clients on-site consultation in the Toyota Production System (TPS), quality management, and other aspects of lean…
Citrix Systems Inc.
(Citrix Systems Inc.: Goleta, CA) -- Customer satisfaction and loyalty are two highly desirable results in a support environment. But which performance factors deliver both?
Join Citrix for an interactive webinar to hear Dave Brown, president of Support Center University and author of Optimizing…
The Un-Comfort Zone With Robert Wilson
On a summer weekend in 1977, my friend Tony and I made plans to go water-skiing. When he picked me up there were two people in the car that I did not know. He introduced his new girlfriend, Sue, and her brother, Bubba.
Bubba was the quintessential redneck. Within minutes of getting on the boat…
MESA International
(MESA: Dearborn, MI) -- MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association) has announced the launch of “Eco-Efficiency in Manufacturing,” a major study of the strategies and approaches being used to support sustainability initiatives. The study is open to all manufacturers around the globe in…
Veriteq Instruments Inc.
(Veriteq: Richmond, BC Canada) -- “How to Avoid and Respond to Public FDA Criticisms—Form 483 Letters—for Temperature, Humidity and other Controlled Environments” is now available from Veriteq, a provider of FDA-compliant environmental monitoring, alarming, reporting, and temperature/humidity…
Steven Ouellette
In the past couple of articles, we have been having fun together testing whether a measurement device is usable for the crazy purpose of determining if we are actually making product in or out of specification. Last month, we performed a measurement systems analysis (MSA) “potential study” using a…
(Criterion NDT: Auburn, WA) -- Criterion NDT Inc. has announced the launch of their company, which provides eddy current nondestructive testing (NDT) instruments, probes, and services for testing critical components in automotive; medical; and bar, tube, and wire markets. Criterion NDT, a former…
Wireless sensor networks are made up of several sensors or nodes that measure conditions and supply data to a control system.
F
or many companies, installing wireless technology inside factories, power plants, and nuclear facilities can be risky.…
A new book from the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) bemoans, at least in part, marketers’ continued reliance on traditional consumer surveys (termed “asking”) in spite of the ready abundance of relatively inexpensive consumer buzz tracking (called “listening”). Written by Steve Rappaport,…
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
(Hexagon Metrology: North Kingstown, RI) — Hexagon Metrology Inc. has announced the availability of the Universal Jogbox, a new hand-held input device for Brown & Sharpe and Sheffield brand coordinate measurement machines (CMMs) shipped from the North Kingstown, Rhode Island factory.…
Vocal Laboratories Inc.
(Vocal Laboratories Inc: Minneapolis) -- Apple continues to lead Dell and Hewlett Packard (HP) in customer satisfaction with phone-based technical support, but HP made marked improvements since 2008, according to the latest study conducted by Vocal Laboratories Inc. (Vocalabs).
In 1,157…
General Electric GE
(GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies: Billerica, MA) -- Weighing just 13 lb (6 kg), the DXR250V is the latest lightweight and portable digital radiography tool from GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies. In the past, the use of digital radiography (DR) has been limited due to size, weight…
