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(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Berkeley, CA) -- A long-time staple of science fiction is the tractor beam, a technology in which light is used to move massive objects—recall the tractor beam in the movie Star Wars that captured the Millennium Falcon and pulled it into the Death Star.…
(Robert Half: Menlo Park, CA) -- For workers, “show me the way” can be just as important as “show me the money,” suggests new research from Accountemps, the world’s largest specialized temporary staffing company for accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals. In the survey, more than half (…
(Guidon Performance Solutions: Phoenix) -- According to an article in the American Medical News journal, 150 hospitals in the United States have seen reduced readmission rates, improved emergency care, and better adherence to care standards due to involvement in the Hospital Quality Network.…
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- At the September 2012 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, the Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium (DMSC) and eight software vendors will demonstrate standards-based workflow of manufacturing quality data. The emerging standard, Quality…
(Konica Minolta: Ramsey, NJ) -- Konica Minolta Sensing Americas, a global leader in the industrial measurement of color, light, and 3D shape, has launched in the United States the ColorScoutA3+ XY Table for the digital imaging and graphic arts market.
The ColorScoutA3+ enables accurate, efficient…
(Anver Corp.: Hudson, MA) -- A new, self-contained vacuum-operated inspection station that grips heavy enclosures from the sides and lets operators fully inspect the front, back, top, bottom, and inside is being introduced by Anver Corp.
The Vacuum-Operated Inspection Station lets operators pick…
(ISO: Geneva) -- Anyone who has received an inaccurate or late bill for gas, electricity, water, or telephone services can understand why billing is one of the main sources of customer complaints against utilities. A new ISO standard provides solutions by giving recommendations for billing…
(LEI: Cambridge, MA) -- As you know, it’s difficult to achieve continuous improvement. Lean efforts generate many successes, but not so many sustained ones. Lean projects tend to rely on dedicated lean experts, and when they turn their attention to the next improvement project, the one just…
(Sensorex: Garden Grove, CA) -- Sensorex has developed an industry-first mobile accessory for pH measurements. Compatible with Apple, iPod, iPhone, and iPad devices, the PH-1 pH meter accessory measures and records pH values in the lab or field for use in environmental, education, and industrial…
(Mettler-Toledo: Columbus, OH) -- The Liquidator96, from Mettler-Toledo, researcher and developer of precision instruments, is a manual bench-top pipettor that drives measurable efficiency in leading-edge genomics, proteomics, and cellular studies.
Molecular biology techniques that enable the…
(The Pyzdek Institute: Tucson, AZ) -- The return on investment realized by any continuous improvement effort comes down to two basic functions: How well a company can pick the right battles to fight (project selection), and how efficiently they can fight those battles (project execution).
The…
(Bruker: Santa Barbara, CA) -- Bruker, developer, manufacturer, and provider of scientific instruments and analytical services, has released the new PeakForce Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) mode for its line of atomic force microscopes. PeakForce KPFM utilizes frequency-modulation detection…
(Cars.com: Chicago) -- The Detroit Three build plenty of high-quality cars. Buick, Ford, and Lincoln scored above average in the latest Vehicle Dependability Study from J. D. Power and Associates, and Cadillac ranked third in the study’s rankings. J. D. Power’s three-month Initial Quality Study had…
(University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI) -- The beta version of Improvement Kata Handbook by Mike Rother, author of Toyota Kata (McGraw-Hill, 2009), is available online to read, download, and use in applying, practicing, and teaching the improvement kata. The handbook is a follow-up to Toyota Kata…
(Productivity Press: Boca Raton, FL) -- Based on a true story, the book, Unleashing the Power of 3P: The Key to Breakthrough Improvement, by Dan McDonnell and Drew A. Locher (Productivity Press, 2012), follows Pete and his team as they journey through lean and the production preparation process (3P…
(LEI: Cambridge, MA) -- Join LEI for the largest workshop event of 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 17 one-day and two-day workshops compile a curriculum that includes LEI’s most popular workshops focusing on the social and technical aspects of a lean transformation. All workshops contain elements of…
(Visual Workplace: Byron Center, MI) -- Visual Workplace Inc. introduces Sigma 16 specialty vinyl. Three new options are available to suit varied application needs. Dry erase vinyl is ideal for visuals such as scheduling, processes, and maintenance. Etched vinyl is well-suited for creating logos or…
(NRK: Williamsburg, VA) -- The past 15 years have seen an expansion of metrology use throughout the manufacturing process, particularly in the case of large-scale manufacturing. The need for greater efficiencies has made the demand for precision measurement greater than ever. Generally speaking,…
(University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI) -- This course, based on the book, Toyota Kata, by Mike Rother (McGraw-Hill, 2010) presents the next level of thinking in lean and operations management.
It’s been difficult to maintain lean improvements. Organizations’ efforts have generated many successes…
(AMACOM: New York) -- Most people learn best through experience. Yet new managers are often tossed onto the front lines with absolutely no experience handling the toughest challenges they’ll face—people problems.
The Management Training Tool Kit, by Alan Clardy, Ph.D. (AMACOM, 2012), includes all…
(Meggitt: San Juan Capistrano, CA) -- Meggitt Sensing Systems, designer and manufacturer of sensing and monitoring systems that measure physical parameters in extreme environments, has announced the North American market introduction of its Sensorex SX41200 and SX41400 series: two families of…
(Kistler: Novi, MI) -- Kistler, a global supplier of precision sensors, systems, and instrumentation for the dynamic measurement of pressure, force, torque, and acceleration, has announced the North American market introduction of the Type 2516B, a rugged, handheld engine peak meter, designed to…
(MOHR: Richland, WA) -- With the global fresh-produce market worth an estimated $675 billion, more than $100 billion in the United States alone, consumer satisfaction is an important goal not only for the fresh produce industry but also for the wider economy. Despite this, fresh produce supply-…
(FARO: Lake Mary, FL) -- FARO Technologies Inc., a global source for 3D measurement technology, has announced the FARO Tour 2012, a series of 12 open houses featuring the company’s popular Paul Jr. Designs Motorcycle and all-new Vantage Laser Tracker. The tour begins at IMTS in Chicago, Sept. 10–15…
(Laboratory Testing: Hatfield, PA) -- Laboratory Testing Inc. (LTI) has added fracture toughness testing to the list of materials testing services performed by the laboratory to ensure the safety, reliability, and integrity of materials. The fracture toughness test is performed on a specimen with a…
