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Quality Digest
In the first two episodes of The Quality Digest Roadshow, we looked at the evolution and use of dimensional measurement and measurement standards.
Distance is what most of us think about in regards to measurement. However, every day we use products that rely on another type of measurement—force:…
Gregory George
Timeless design, meticulous craftsmanship, and connection to the past: There are many reasons why classic cars are enduringly popular. Reverse engineering has brought them within reach of more people than ever before. 3D scanners and 3D modeling software make it possible to remake parts at a…
Data Physics
Vibration-related failures in aerospace involve satellites, launch vehicles, and aircraft components that are expensive to replace. While traditional vibration testing can overcompensate and damage parts, modal analysis performs tests on the product before physically examining its endurance. Using…
CAISI @ NIST
Building gold-standard AI systems requires gold-standard AI measurement science—the scientific study of methods used to assess AI systems’ properties and effects. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) works to improve measurements of AI performance, reliability, and security…
Creaform
Ultralarge hydraulic excavators for international open-pit mining are the core specialty of Komatsu Germany GmbH—Mining Division. A subsidiary of Japan’s Komatsu Ltd., Komatsu Germany develops and manufactures six models of ultralarge hydraulic excavators in Düsseldorf in the 300–900 tonne class.…
George Schuetz
As production tolerances become ever tighter, and the error margin for measurement results constantly shrinks, temperature fluctuation is an issue that users may need to consider in their inspection process.
The background to this is a natural physical phenomenon: Most materials expand when heated…
Megan King
If you’ve flown in the U.S. in recent years, you’re probably familiar with the airport security experience of entering a booth, raising your hands above your head, and having a machine check your body. That machine is called a millimeter wave scanner.
I’ve done this many times and never given it…
Paul Hanaphy
Traditional styles of lecturing and imparting information can be ineffective in terms of student engagement and triggering deeper learning. This is especially challenging in certain subjects that are difficult to teach in a classroom anyway, and for those who process information differently.…
Ray Chalmers
All manufacturing companies must manage an ever-growing mountain of priceless inspection data. Yet measurement results, process iterations, and approval reports are scattered across hard drives and USB sticks. We live in a digital world that advances daily, yet obtaining, accessing, sharing, and…
Mike Zecchino, Mark Malburg
Choosing the correct instrument for surface texture measurement can be confusing, given the wide range of options. Stylus-based instruments are the most prevalent in manufacturing. Yet, measuring a surface with a sharp stylus can seem old-fashioned when so many noncontact optical techniques are now…
Jeff Dewar
When we set out to film Episode 2, we faced a fundamental challenge: How do you make people care about errors they can’t see?
(See all the episodes here.)
Error propagation is critical to metrology, the science of measurement, but it’s abstract. These are mistakes measured in tiny amounts that…
Dirk Dusharme
In Episode 1 of The Quality Digest Roadshow, we talked about metrology standards and how those standards and traceability are the glue that holds industry together. While measurement standards are critical, they’re useless without the equipment, processes, and people that use the tools that measure…
Stephen Russek
In the evenings, after patients have left for the day, our research team visits the radiation oncology offices at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to talk to medical physicists about how our research can help cancer patients. We also run experiments in their radiation suites.
The…
George Schuetz
All gauging equipment must be calibrated periodically to ensure it can perform the job for which it’s intended (i.e., measuring parts accurately).
This is true for every hand tool or gauge used in a manufacturing environment that verifies the quality of parts produced—from calipers and micrometers…
Paul Hanaphy
Regular inspection is absolutely vital with industrial transmission systems. Just like the gearbox in an everyday car, components are prone to wear, misalignment, and fatigue—issues that can lead to machinery failure. This isn’t just a matter of downtime but operator safety, too.
Traditionally,…
Felicitas Stuebing
At the corner of quality and assembly, design engineers are frequently confronted with unexpected, complex fluid process issues in the prototyping phase. These obstacles are reflected in voice-of-customer sprints and surveys revealing that medical devices companies in particular stall out in the…
Adam Zewe
A robot searching for workers trapped in a partially collapsed mine shaft must rapidly generate a map of the scene and identify its location within that scene as it navigates the treacherous terrain.
Researchers have recently started building powerful machine-learning models to perform this…
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…
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…
Curtis Lynn
I’ve worked in manufacturing procurement for just over 25 years. In that time, I’ve learned one thing above all else—precision is the backbone of quality. Every product we make, every part we produce, and every component we measure relies on measuring tool accuracy. If measurements are off, quality…
Paul Hanaphy
When components leak, sizing them up for repairs can be extremely difficult. This isn’t just due to distance and locale—many are underground or underwater—but also safety issues. If components carry hazardous substances, manual measurement is inherently riskier than noncontact alternatives.…
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-…
Dirk Dusharme
Literally, everything that surrounds us has been measured—and I do mean literally. Look around you: Your desk, your chair, your pen, your pencil, the lead in the pencil, the paint on the pencil, the gas in your stove, the stove itself—it’s all been measured. The color of your orange juice, the…
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…
Rajas Sukthankar
Simply put, we live in a digital world—both in our personal lives and on the job. In manufacturing, challenges abound. Customization, fast-changing business and technology environments, and workforce and talent-pool concerns combine to present challenges for manufacturers of all types.
Among…