All News
TÜV SÜD America Inc. recently acquired EST Testing Solutions, an environmental and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing organization that specializes in services to the automotive and furniture industries. TÜV reports that the acquisition will strengthen its environmental and EMC…
phoenix/x-ray, a manufacturer and supplier of inspection equipment for the electronics, semiconductor, aerospace and automotive industries, recently launched a new Web site. The company developed the site to be clear and user friendly, with a simple page and navigation structure. In…
GKS Inspection Services Inc., a division of Laser Design Inc., recently expanded its Detroit-area dimensional inspection services with the addition of a third Faro portable CMM articulated arm. The new 12-ft. Platinum FaroArm is equipped with a touch probe and a 3-D laser scanner. GKS’…
A San Diego judge declared a mistrial on Dec. 6 in the long-running patent infringement lawsuit between Faro Technologies Inc. and ROMER Inc. Hexagon AB, ROMER’s parent company, filed the suit in 2003 alleging that the unlimited rotation feature in Faro’s FaroArm violates ROMER’s patent…
The adage “The pen is mightier than the sword.” is hackneyed, accurate and profound. I’ve done several pieces on the influence of words. The simple fact is that how we say something often matters as much as what we’re saying. It’s a wondrous phenomenon, one that is too often taken for…
Last month’s column provided background on the International Electrotechnical Commission, one of only three standards-setting bodies recognized by the World Trade Organization. Readers may have asked, “So what?” The answer is that one of the three “schemes” within the IEC has provided…
Sam Y. Zamrik, a technical consultant and professor emeritus of engineering mechanics at the Pennsylvania State University, was recently named president-elect of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. ASME develops codes and standards for the engineering and technology industries.…
Nearly 70,000 people attended the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Telecom World conference last week in Hong Kong to discuss international standardization of telecommunications technologies, among other things. The leading global organization for information and…
NSF International Strategic Registrations Ltd. (NSF-ISR) was recently accredited to AS9110 by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB). The registrar reports it is the first in North America to receive ANAB approval to offer AS9110 registration. The standard incorporates ISO 9001…
RABQSA International Inc. recently announced the formation of an accreditation scheme for auditors that conduct audits using standards that pertain to heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses. The Heavy Vehicle Accreditation (HVA) auditor certification scheme was developed by RABQSA’s…
The United Nations Global Compact Office recently agreed to cooperate with the International Organization for Standardization’s effort to develop ISO 26000, which pertains to social responsibility. ISO has emphasized that ISO 26000 will complement existing public and private sector…
Editor’s note: We’re intrigued by this article, in which the author posits the idea of "Theozen," the author’s term for a God-based approach to quality.
Most of us have some sort of spiritual belief, whether it’s part of an organized religion such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam,…
In a letter from Navy Capt. Dorothy J. Freer to Sikorsky president Jeffrey Pino, the oversight agency criticized Sikorsky’s reliance on subcontractors and recommended suspending activity at one subcontractor, according to a recent story from the Associated Press.
In regard to Sikorsky’s attempts to…
FlexNet Quality, recently introduced by Apriso Corp., supports the prerequisites for effective implementation of Six Sigma, including statistical process control and define-measure-analyze-improve-control techniques.FlexNet Quality supports lean manufacturing programs by focusing on waste…
The Centre for Corporate Governance and Financial Policy in Hong Kong will develop the “Corporate Practice Management Manual” in the first quarter of 2007.The Independent Financial Advisors Association commissioned the document, which will establish best practice guidelines for IFAA…
EPCglobal Inc. has awarded its compliance mark to Sirit Inc.’s 510 UHF RFID reader, making the device the first to get European and U.S. dense reader mode (DRM) certification.The EPC certification means that hardware operates according to EPCglobal standards, including the UHF…
Rockwell Automation recently recognized its top engineers at the Patent and Innovation Awards in Milwaukee and in Cleveland.Sujeet Chand, senior vice president and chief technology officer, and Keith Nosbusch, chairman and CEO, bestowed the company’s most prestigious laurels on Jon…
The market for continuous improvement software—primarily programs for lean and Six Sigma—had total hardware, software and services revenues of more than $200 billion in 2005, and it will nearly double by the end of 2010, according to new research. Research firm ARC Advisory Group forecasts…
MoreSteam.com recently announced a two-fold expansion of its lean Six Sigma curriculum. Each of the online training company’s lean Six Sigma DMAIC courses—Black Belt, Yellow Belt and Executive Overview—are now available in versions customized for service or transactional environments. In…
Tom Johnstone, president and CEO of SKF, recently received the Six Sigma Premier Leader Award from the International Society of Six Sigma Professionals. Johnstone is the first corporate leader in Europe to receive the prestigious award. It was presented during the ISSSP’s 6th annual Six…
Chuck Aubrey, vice president of process management and lean Six Sigma for Anderson Packaging Inc., received the prestigious Harrington-Ishikawa Medal at the 12th annual Asia Pacific Quality Organization Conference. The conference was held in October in Sydney, Australia, and Aubrey spoke…
Most quality management systems don’t produce the desired results because of the way companies use it to affect their bottom line.
A QMS is often considered to be a burden, and there’s apathy in all levels of the organization toward quality. ISO 9001 systems, for example, are considered to be paper…
A civilian worker at the Corpus Christi Army Depot was recently recognized for his supervision of a Six Sigma project that dramatically improved maintenance work on Army aircraft. George Kunkle III, the depot’s process optimization manager, received the first-ever Joint Depot…
As the holiday season approaches, several inevitable occurrences will try our patience. Along with people jostling in lines, the NASCAR-like jockeying in the parking lots, out-of-stock merchandise and interminably long lines for Santa, we also have to endure the banes of holiday…
As quality assurance manager of the flex circuit division, Chester Wright will manage all compliance programs and activities related to products, including ISO standards, Underwriters Laboratories certification and military specifications certifications for Vulcan Electric Co. Wright…
