All News
(DMSC: Arlington, TX) -- The Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium (DMSC) Quality Information Framework (QIF) Working Group Meeting is set for May 24–26, 2011, and the manufacturing metrology and quality public is invited to attend. Join the Working Group and share your thoughts on what is…
(BSI: Reston, VA) -- In partnership with OH&S Online, the British Standards Institution (BSI) Group is offering a free webinar, “Going Beyond the Spreadsheet!” scheduled for May 25, 2011, at 2 p.m. EDT. It will explore the topic of automating and enhancing internal processes for certification…
Sometimes you have to be completely silent in order to hear opportunity’s knock. Turn off the news reporting the disaster of the moment, quiet your mind from the everyday worries and problems, tune out the negative comments of co-workers and friends, and just… listen. Do you hear the soft knocking…
(BSI: Reston, VA) -- In an effort to ensure a seamless transition to the new revisions of the aviation, space, and defense (ASD) standards, the British Standards Institution (BSI) is presenting “AS9100:2009 Series—Scheme Status, Update and Lessons Learned,” a free webinar on Thursday, May 19, 2011…
The cause-and-effect diagram is one of the seven basic quality improvement tools, and this article will illustrate its synergy with the affinity diagram. The article will then discuss how modern computer technology can enhance both techniques to create keyword-searchable quality records that…
(Pinpoint: Peabody, MA) -- Pinpoint Laser Systems is introducing a multipurpose universal alignment kit to improve machinery alignment and enhance production efficiency. Misaligned rolls and web systems, uneven travel on CNC machine tools, misaligned extrusion casings, and poorly aligned bore…
(CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL) -- Geospatial information modeling and mapping has become an important tool for investigating and managing natural resources at the landscape scale. Spatial Statistics: GeoSpatial Information Modeling and Thematic Mapping, by Mohammed A. Kalkhan, Ph.D. (CRC Press,…
(CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL) -- Presenting an alternate approach to supply chain management, Lean Supply Chain Management Essentials: A Framework for Materials Managers (CRC Press, 2011) explains why the traditional materials planning environment, typically embodied by an enterprise resource…
(BSI: Reston, VA) -- BSI Group America Inc. (BSI), a global provider of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards-based assurance, compliance, and information solutions, has upgraded the quality management module in its Entropy Software solution. The enhancement provides…
(LaserLinc: Fairborn, OH) -- LaserLinc, a leader in design and manufacturing of noncontact, laser, and ultrasonic measurement systems, has added ultrasonics to its popular BenchLinc benchtop inspection systems.
The fixture is based on LaserLinc’s UltraGauge+ ultrasonic wall measurement system.…
(SME: West Springfield, MA) -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ (SME) RAPID Conference and Exposition is North America’s definitive additive manufacturing event, held in conjunction with the 3D IMAGING Conference and Exposition. This year’s event will be held May 23–26, 2011, in Minneapolis…
“I hate you! I’m going to kill you tonight after you fall asleep,” screamed 9-year-old Jerry to his foster mother. It was hard to believe such hateful words could come from this adorable child with big blue eyes and an impish face.
Dee loves Jerry (I have changed their names to protect their…
Trace gas detection, the ability to detect a scant quantity of a particular molecule—a whiff of formaldehyde or a hint of acetone—in a vast sea of others, underlies many important applications, from medical tests to air pollution detectors to bomb sniffers. Now, a sensor recently developed at…
Fact or fiction? Data acquired with 3-D scanning is inferior to that acquired via a touch probe and a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). This most certainly is fiction. The fact is that 3-D scanning captures tens of thousands of points per second, an enormous amount of data that makes the…
(Carl Zeiss IMT: Oberkochen, Germany) -- With DuraMax RT Gear, Carl Zeiss has developed a special compact-class gear wheel horizontal-arm measuring machine. Now featuring a rotary table, it fits into any small or large workshop, is suitable for inline process control and thus close to production…
(Microscan: Renton, WA) -- Microscan, a global technology leader for track and trace solutions, has introduced a free online barcode generator that allows visitors to create, save, and e-mail custom barcodes from the Microscan website.
More than 19 different symbologies ranging from linear…
March U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $511.15 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA), and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total, as reported by companies participating in the U.S. Manufacturing Technology…
In the article, “Four Control Chart Myths from Foolish Experts,” by Davis Balestracci (Quality Digest Daily, March 30, 2011) the following comments were made regarding what Balestracci considers statistical process control (SPC) myths:
“Myth No. 4: Three standard deviation limits are too…
As we continue our sabbatical journey, more opportunities for the improvement of management practices continue to appear. This month, the overriding theme that I have observed is the lack of front-line performance that seems to be a result of the system. I have been reminded of the many times we as…
(NSF: Arlington, VA) -- The Kids’ Science Challenge has announced the winners of this year’s competition in which third through sixth graders from all over the United States come up with creative ideas for solving science and engineering problems. The winning students, chosen from more than 1,…
(ISPE: Tampa, FL) -- The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), a global, nonprofit association of more than 22,000 professionals, will feature seven educational sessions, including two sessions focusing on the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical…
The headline’s question seemed a bit far-fetched to me when it was originally posed. The answer provided another delightful illustration of the myriad analogies we find in our everyday lives that relate so effortlessly to our work as quality professionals. The comparison demonstrated the complexity…
(Toyota Motor Sales: Torrance, CA) -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. Inc. has announced the five winners in its Ideas for Good initiative, a unique program that invited consumers to share their ideas on how to repurpose Toyota technologies beyond their automotive applications. The winning ideas,…
(Rockwell Automation: Mayfield Heights, OH) -- Your plant floor generates valuable performance data virtually every second during a production cycle. Readily accessing and sharing this control system information produces tangible value for many companies that have leveraged the benefits of…
(Mettler-Toledo Inc.: Greifensee, Switzerland) -- Mettler-Toledo announces the latest installment of its free, on-demand webinar series, “Best Practices in Piece Counting.” The webinar offers scale-based piece-counting essentials and explores how it can be used to solve various manufacturing…