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We’ve established that executives who focus on aligning and then optimizing people, processes, and technology in operational excellence models will position their organizations for success. This is true in quality, manufacturing, energy management, and other critical operational focal points.
For…
(DCS: Troy, MI) -- Dimensional Control Systems Inc. (DCS) and InspectionXpert Corp. have announced that \QDM Quality Management System software will deliver extended data integration with InspectionXpert that will streamline first-article inspection report authoring and management. This integration…
The focus for management and support staff when diagnosing problems with customers is squarely on the front line. Many times the failure is diagnosed with the phrase, “If they would just follow the procedure, none of these problems would ever have happened.” If only resolving customer issues were…
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new microscope able to view and measure an important but elusive property of the nanoscale magnets used in an advanced, experimental form of digital memory. The new instrument already has demonstrated its…
Throughout history we've seen it: innovation held back by some elemental impediment in the product development pipeline. Computing speed slowed by balky I/O buses or insufficient software. Super-fast trains derailed by tracks that can't handle their speed. Design innovation slowed by red tape and…
(ATC DigiTec: Newell, WV) -- The Automatic Timing Control (ATC) DigiTec Division of Marsh Bellofram Corp. has introduced to the global market its highly compact 758-GF86/XF86 series of industrial open-face AC tachometer generators. These tachometers, part of the WESTCON product line, are designed…
Reis Robotics has established that it is possible to save plenty of energy even in the energy-intensive die-casting industry without negatively affecting the product. The following article describes how this is done at Pierburg, a tier-one supplier for the German automotive industry.
The Blue…
My boyfriend and I were recently discussing why it is that wine on an airplane tastes so terrible. The only perk these days in many first-class cabins is a free glass of gawdawful wine. Just gawdawful. Why?
It turns out that airline food and wine taste terrible because you are consuming them on…
(SICK: Minneapolis) -- SICK, manufacturer of sensors, safety systems, machine vision, and automatic identification products, has launched the WTB4 MultiLine Photoelectric sensor. The WTB4 uses specially designed optics to create two line-shaped light spots to continuously detect objects with large…
Selecting the best electrical connection option for a pressure transducer requires some forethought. Given the increase in third-party agency approvals and expanded use of transducers and transmitters in commercial and industrial applications, the available options have grown and made the process…
Recently, Minitab News featured an article that talked about how to perform a gauge repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) study with multiple operators and only one part. This prompted many users to contact Minitab’s technical support team with questions about next steps, such as: “What can…
As I was waiting to talk to my wife, Carole, about some inconsequential topic a few days ago, I noticed an attractive coffee-table book, titled China: People, Places, and Paradox. It was written and produced by our daughter, Lisa, as a photo journal of a recent trip to China we took together. I…
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “change?” For many of us, words like anxious, overwhelmed, or unknown pop into our heads. Why is it that changes and transitions bring on so much negative energy? One hypothesis is that we may be wired to fear change.
Imagine our…
Editor’s note: This article continues the series exploring structured innovation using the TRIZ methodology, a problem-solving, analysis, and forecasting tool derived from studying patterns of invention found in global patent data.
As the executive council got down to business for the day,…
Recent articles in the news have concluded that “72 is the new 30.” Evidently breakthroughs in medicine, better eating habits, regular exercise, refraining from smoking and alcoholic beverages, and adopting a positive attitude have dramatically increased our longevity.
As I turn 70 this month (…
Statistician to the Stars William Briggs deserves credit for his correct prediction of the Best Picture Oscar the day before the ceremonies this year. Although Briggs would never encourage anyone to misuse his model this way, I feel my statistics heartstrings strummed by the desire to remind…
When there is a problem, where do leaders begin to address it? A good place to start is going to the employees directly affected by the problem and asking questions about the issue—without it seeming like an inquisition. Developing a tactical approach to questioning employees to understand…
ISO 9001 is much more than a standard. It should be part of a company’s strategic plan rather than something to get certified to because customers require it. The guidelines and quality principles in ISO 9001 are just good business practices.
Throughout my career in quality, I’ve often been amazed…
A prominent politician goes before his constituents during a tough reelection campaign. He’s introduced by the local mayor, and strides to the stage, waving and smiling to enthusiastic applause.
“It’s great to be here with you tonight. I love this great state of [fill in the blank]. Erica and I…
Much has been written about the need for standardized work to maximize worker efficiency and process performance. And rightly so. Without standardized work, huge variances in efficiency and effectiveness are virtually inevitable. Studies indicate there can be as much as a 200-percent difference…
Gauge repeatability and reproducibility (gauge R&R) is mostly used in manufacturing environments to determine if you can trust your measurement system to distinguish between parts, if the measuring tool is consistent, and if measurements are consistent across operators.
In this article we…
My son, Ben, asked me last week, “How come the bacon cooks better on Grandma’s pan?” I’d just fried up some bacon using a pan handed down from my mother, and the bacon was, as Ben noted, much more consistently cooked.
I answered my son’s question: “Value engineering,” I said with private sarcasm.…
During the 1990s and early 2000s, several global apparel, sports, and toy brands hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. Large-scale protests erupted against these companies for allegedly using ‘‘sweatshops’’ with dangerous working conditions to manufacture their products.
The Fair Labor…
During the 1990s and early 2000s, several global apparel, sports, and toy brands hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. Large-scale protests erupted against these companies for allegedly using ‘‘sweatshops’’ with dangerous working conditions to manufacture their products.
The Fair Labor…
Last weekend I decided to change the oil and tune up my classic car, a 1972 Datsun 1200. (My wife has other names for it.) It sports a “four on the floor” and a simple four-cylinder engine that doesn’t even need fancy smog controls. Since I hadn’t tinkered with this car in a long while, I was…
