All Features
Adam Zewe
What can we learn about human intelligence by studying how machines “think?” Can we better understand ourselves if we better understand the artificial intelligence systems that are becoming a more significant part of our everyday lives?
These questions may be deeply philosophical, but for Phillip…
Brian Brooks
The arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) in quality management has been met with a mixture of hype and skepticism. Is it just a faster anomaly detector, or is it truly transformative?
The answer depends on how we frame the problem. If we see AI merely as a way to speed up quality processes we…
Creaform
Your company works hard to bring quality products to market, but your current inefficient development process slows you down. Your engineers rely on traditional tools like measuring tapes, calipers, verniers, or photos to gather dimensions and document how to shorten time to market and lower…
Ken Feinstein
For decades, the one-dimensional (1D) barcode, the familiar pattern of black lines found on virtually every product, has been the universal language of global commerce. Yet, as the supply chain grows more complex, data-driven, and compliance-heavy, the limitations of traditional barcodes are…
Nimax
The global coding- and marking-equipment market is on a clear growth path. As shown in a recent Grand View Research report, the market was worth $17,528 million worldwide by the end of 2024.
Furthermore, GVR’s projections estimate the market value will reach $24,927 million by 2030, with a…
Adam Grabowski
To stay profitable as a manufacturer, you have to run a tight ship. I’ve been lucky enough to visit with owners and key people at thousands of manufacturers all over the world. My main goal during these visits is to listen and learn what makes them so good at what they do.
It turns out that the…
Jeff Dewar
I’m thrilled to announce something we’ve been working on for a year and a half—a project that took us 30,000 miles across America and into the heart of industries that most people never see. On Nov. 12, 2025, Quality Digest will premiere the first episode of The Quality Digest Roadshow, a 12-…
Chris Kuntz
What once seemed like the future of work is fast becoming present-time reality on factory floors worldwide as artificial intelligence (AI) evolves from experimental technology to practical tools that directly affect daily operations. While algorithms can predict when a bearing will fail or when a…
Creaform
In motorsport, performance isn’t defined by a single factor. It’s the sum of countless details, each playing a decisive role when pushing speeds up to 200 mph (320 km/h). From how a driver sits in the car to how the bodywork complies with strict regulations, accuracy can mean the difference between…
Harish Jose
In this article I want to explore an observation on how we make distinctions and what this reveals about the structure of our thinking. I’m inspired by the ideas in George Spencer-Brown’s Laws of Form and broader themes in cybernetics about how observers construct meaning.
The starting point is…
James J. Kline
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) models, specifically generative AI, is growing. This has raised concerns about the effects on jobs in various professions. The quality profession is among them.
Like it or not, the quality profession has been disrupted. This occurred before AI became widely…
Andrew Iams
I grew up outside Pittsburgh, widely known as “Steel City.” Although the city is no longer the center of steel or heavy manufacturing in America, its past remains a proud part of its identity.
Like many Pittsburghers, my family’s story is tied to this industrial legacy. My relatives immigrated…
Harikrishna Kundariya
AI has amazing capabilities, and it’s one of the best technologies for the future. It’s helping to change the world and bringing productivity enhancements across industries with its exceptional use cases. Quality assurance isn’t left out, either. AI is highly useful in any product development…
David Mihal
Quality Digest was recently fortunate enough to get more information on Geomagic Design X for reverse engineering from David Mihal, global commercial director of the Geomagic software product line within Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division. The newly available software converts data from…
Jennifer Chu
Palladium is a key to jumpstarting a hydrogen-based energy economy. The silvery metal acts as a natural gatekeeper against every gas except hydrogen, which it readily allows through. For its exceptional selectivity, palladium is considered one of the most effective materials for filtering gas…
Silke von Gemmingen
Powder bed-based laser melting of metals (PBF-LB/M) is a key technology in additive manufacturing that makes it possible to produce highly complex and high-performance metal components with customized material and functional properties. Used in numerous industries from aerospace and medical…
Dennis Wylie
You’ve probably had the experience of visiting a contemporary factory floor and being amazed by all the incredible robots, sensors, and machines working like a finely choreographed dance. It’s quite remarkable—until there’s a malfunction. And that’s something which has frustrated quality engineers…
NIST
In the wake of Covid-19 and widespread wildfires, demand skyrocketed for air cleaners, machines that could remove potentially harmful particles from the air in a home. Manufacturers responded by producing a wider variety of air cleaner devices designed for single rooms.
The main purpose of an air…
Knowledge at Wharton
Nano Tools for Leaders—a collaboration between Wharton Executive Education and Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management—are fast, effective tools that you can learn and start using in fewer than 15 minutes, with the potential to significantly improve your success and the engagement and…
Adam Grabowski
Capturing real-time data in all areas of the business is vital for maintaining long-term success. When manufacturers conduct business with separate systems, data end up in silos, and information can’t flow in an efficient manner. This prevents smooth coordination of data between people and…
Zach Winn
Artificial intelligence models that turn text into images are also useful for generating new materials. During the last few years, generative materials models from companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta have drawn on their training data to help researchers design tens of millions of new…
Gleb Tsipursky
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping industries and redefining operational paradigms. It offers unprecedented opportunities for organizations to enhance efficiency, innovation, and…
FLIR
Recent developments in thermal signature analytics have expanded the applications of thermal cameras beyond routine troubleshooting; they now contribute to paper machine control, energy usage benchmarking, wet streak detection, and the identification and prediction of certain classes of sheet…
Scott Ginsberg
In manufacturing, the term connected worker has quickly gone from emerging concept to executive mandate. As companies grapple with turnover, skill gaps, and increasing complexity, the urgency to modernize frontline work has never been clearer.
What is a connected worker platform?
A connected…
Maartje van Krieken
Your market is shifting, your competitor just pulled ahead, and the one person who could execute the next move has resigned. You can’t get more data fast enough, yet the window to act is closing. In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, this is the moment that defines…