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(Sparta Systems: Holmdel, NJ) -- A recent survey of industry professionals at top medical device organizations found that although the increasing complexity of global supply chains is changing how device companies manage suppliers, many (45 percent) feel their current quality systems are…
Isn't it the economy that's on everyone's minds? When will the economy pick up? Will we be able to survive until then or will we too become another company that used to exist? How do we ensure a stronger position when the economy turns around?
Alas, if only we had a crystal ball. Nobody does,…
It happens to the best of us. An upset client calls to complain about a product or service, and you’re completely caught off guard. How do you react? Do you fly off the handle right along with him? Or do you respond in a calm, thoughtful way that salvages and even strengthens your relationship? A…
On October 8, the federal government arrested three people in Southern California on suspicion of selling counterfeit integrated circuits (ICs) used in the manufacture of electronic devices to the U.S. Navy. The government executed search warrants at three business locations, two residences, and a…
(EDL: Danville, VA) -- EDL's new thermocouple compensated mini-grabbers provide a continuous thermocouple connection from bare wires to the measuring instruments without attaching plugs. These connectors will save time and improve the accuracy of your measurements.
Stop making thermocouple…
(Zontec: Cincinnati) -- A dozen new software features, enhancements, and program improvements have been added to Version 8.0 of Zontec’s Synergy 2000 SPC (statistical process control) software.
Synergy 2000 is used for enterprisewide quality improvement by monitoring and reacting in real time…
(Toshiba Teli America Inc.: Irvine, CA) -- The CS9501 from Toshiba Teli America Inc. is one of the world's smallest cameras. The ultracompact 1/6-inch CCD camera head measures a mere 7 mm in diameter and weighs 3 grams.
About the size of a pen cap, the camera head with its integrated three-…
The balanced scorecard is a commonly used vehicle that is to align organizational-chart work efforts to executive-determined strategies and goals. With this approach, strategic planning could be considered as step one in this overall business-management-system process.
Consider now the true…
(Keithley Instruments Inc.: Cleveland) -- The metrology services organization at Keithley Instruments Inc., a provider of advanced electrical test instruments and systems, has expanded the scope of its ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation with the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA…
(ANSI: New York) -- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. standards and conformity assessment system, is pleased to announce the first five certification bodies to be accredited under the new Toy Industry Association (TIA) Toy Safety Certification Program (TSCP…
Note: "When this announcement from Fluke says "Big Game" it really does mean "Superbowl XLIV." The NFL apparently gets sue-happy when companies use the term "Superbowl," so the legal team at Fluke opted to use "Big Game." A spokesperson from Fluke assures us that the winner of the contest will…
In 2005, according to a BBC News report at the time, operating rooms all over the United Kingdom were thrown into chaos and operations canceled due to broken, missing, or dirty surgical instruments. The Royal College of Surgeons called for a national audit of decontamination units, following a…
(BSI: Reston, VA ) -- The first step in the risk management process is risk analysis. Risk analysis for medical devices requires the definition of a device's intended use, characteristics related to safety, identification of known and foreseeable hazards, and risk estimation for each hazard. Risk…
(SAE: Warrendale, PA) -- In a nondescript village, somewhere in the world, the residents take old, discarded circuit assemblies, strip and clean the components, then remark and repackage them for sale as new.
In many cases, the entire economy of the village is based on creating these…
(Thermo Fisher Scientific: Waltham, MA) -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. launches the Niton XL2 Series handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer as the newest member of its family of Thermo Scientific Niton alloy analyzers. Thermo Fisher Scientific is the world’s leading manufacturer of handheld…
(StatPoint Technologies, Warrenton, VA) -- StatPoint Technologies Inc., a leading developer of statistical tools used in data analysis across the spectrum of business management, manufacturing, and scientific research, recently announced the immediate availability of Statgraphics Centurion XVI.…
(The W. Edwards Deming Institute: Washington) -- The W. Edwards Deming Institute is seeking research papers or ideas that link the work of W. Edwards Deming to academic literature, works of other great thinkers, or show examples of Deming's theories applied in business, for a February conference…
(ANSI: New York) -- Nearly 250 members of the standards and conformity assessment community gathered in Washington, D.C., on October 7 for the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day 2009. The exhibition, reception, and dinner marking the occasion focused on the theme "…
(Experian Automotive: Schaumburg, IL) -- Ford Motor Co. vehicles accounted for six of the top 10 vehicles for customer brand loyalty, according to recent industry analyses from Experian Automotive.
Ford Fusion, Ford Edge, and Ford Five-Hundred owners showed the industry's highest brand loyalty…
Australia, China, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, and the U.S. state of California are among the places that are considering, or have already passed, legislation limiting the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products. European Union RoHS (Restrictions of…
What if hospital leaders had an easier, more streamlined way to chart an improvement path for their organizations? Imagine a list of key processes that could—if implemented reliably—lower mortality, reduce harm, lessen delays, create a better patient experience, and lower costs. This possibility…
In this case study of reverse engineering and rapid prototyping we will look at a company that developed an initial prototype of an anti-snoring device based on many years of research in the field of dentistry. The company’s main dental advisor is a pioneering dentist in the research and…
On June 29, 1863, a 23-year-old First Lieutenant received an unexpected promotion. The freckle-faced, strawberry blonde, who graduated at the bottom of his class at West Point, was elevated directly to the rank of brigadier general in the Union Army. He completely skipped over the traditional…
(R&R Sales & Engineering: Grand Haven, MI) -- New R&R Modular Fixtures make coordinate measuring machines and vision systems more productive. No more wasting time and money with cumbersome part set-ups that can actually take more time than checking the part itself. R&R Fixture set-…
(Cooper Instruments and Systems: Warrenton, VA) -- Cooper Instruments and Systems has recently introduced a line of portable hydraulic compression and tension test stands called the T-Rex System. This line of rugged and flexible hydraulic compression and tension test stands has been expanded to…