All Features
Ryan E. Day
Factory and industrial inspections are the backbones of robust quality assurance programs. Inspection is also an integral part of machine system installation and maintenance, as well as in-situ repairs and retrofits. This is why highly competent individuals who understand the metrology methods of…
Andrew Nobleman
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has campuses in Maryland, Colorado, South Carolina, and Hawaii. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Hawaiian campus? How do I get a job at NIST?”
Perhaps calling it a “campus” is a bit of an exaggeration. Ensconced within the U.S. Navy’s…
Nikon Metrology Inc.
A recent interview with Tadashi Nakayama, Nikon’s corporate vice president, provides insight into the strategy of the firm’s Industrial Metrology Business Unit, of which he is deputy general manager. In particular, he explained the company’s strategic focus on Quality 4.0, where digital, automated…
ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions
The Hintsteiner Group in Austria inspects its customers’ complex components with the ZEISS COMET L3D. The company enjoys a global reputation, and designs and manufactures niche products for the aerospace, safety technology, automotive, and racing industries. The Hintsteiner Group consists of two…
Amanda Hunt
Tensile testing of materials is critical to a wide array of industries, which means preparing specimens for testing is equally important. If a specimen is not prepared correctly, the test results will be inaccurate; this is costly if a material fails a test that it should have passed, and…
NIST
Story update 7/13/2018: This story was updated with a link to the released version of standard E3125–17.
Large-volume 3D laser scanners play an essential role in manufacturing large products (e.g., airplane wings), making measurements for large-scale construction (e.g., bridges), and other…
Dirk Dusharme @ Quality Digest
In our June 29, 2018, episode of QDL, we discuss AR, VR, and innovation.
“Experience Augmented Reality Gauging With Marposs at IMTS 2018”
Augmented reality and virtual reality are fast becoming a part of test and assembly.
“Three Teams Named Grand-Prize Winners at ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW…
Mike Richman
Manufacturing is an eternally forward-looking sector. From the First Industrial Revolution about 250 years ago right up until the remarkable advances in connectivity and information analysis that form the heart of Industry 4.0, scientists, engineers, managers, marketers, and quality professionals…
Dirk Dusharme @ Quality Digest
In our June 15, 2018, episode of QDL, we get a field report from the HxGN LIVE user conference, examine the “story of quality,” and consider the importance of experience.
HxGN Live recap
Mike Richman went to HxGN LIVE... but I didn’t. I relive it vicariously through Mike’s field report.
“A…
Ryan E. Day
Advanced Integration Technology (AIT) serves the world’s largest and most technologically advanced aerospace OEMs and tier one suppliers, including Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE, Embraer, Spirit AeroSystems, Triumph, and Bombardier. AIT has facilities in the United States,…
NIST
I n November 2018, in Versailles, France, representatives from 57 countries are expected to make history. They will vote to dramatically transform the international system that underpins global science and trade. This single action will finally realize scientists’ 150-year dream of a measurement…
Jennifer Lauren Lee
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been developing a novel way of measuring laser power. Their device, called the Radiation Pressure Power Meter (RPPM), makes its measurements using the force exerted by the laser light itself.
The NIST team has now fully…
Mike Richman
During the May 18, 2018, episode of QDL, we had a terrific conversation with Gary Confalone of the Coordinate Metrology Society, and also considered the importance of mindfulness and good manners in life and work. Let’s take a look:
CMS Corner interview with Gary Confalone Confalone is the CEO and…
Dirk Dusharme @ Quality Digest
In our May 11, 2018, episode of QDL, we looked at overproducing ideas, bad quotas (aren’t they all), and how anger can help identify core values.
“Questioning Quotas”
When are quotas bad? Most of the time. But here’s a good example.
“How to Find Your Company’s Core Values”
Oddly enough, your…
Laser trackers are widely used for metrology and precision surveys. Depending on the approach, range, and instrument itself, the measurement accuracy can vary from millimeter to micron. Several applications of laser trackers used in the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) project will be…
Mark H. Stone
Historical dimensions for the cubit are provided by scripture and pyramid documentation. Additional dimensions from the Middle East are found in other early documents. Two major dimensions emerge from a history of the cubit. The first is the anthropological or short cubit, and the second is the…
Mike Richman
One of the foundations of our modern, technology-based society comes from established and commonly agreed-upon measurements. On May 20 each year, we acknowledge this fact by celebrating World Metrology Day, which is the perfect opportunity to consider the central importance of the science of…
Belinda Jones
The Coordinate Metrology Society Conference (CMSC) has long been revered by measurement professionals for its original technical papers and presentations covering current and future industry trends. This year, the Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) has outdone itself with its extensive slate of 28…
Gary Confalone
This year, the Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) is proud to provide attendees at the Coordinate Metrology Society Conference (CMSC) with many new and exciting experiences, starting with a brand-new website featuring new information regarding the show and a comprehensive agenda, including the…
Ryan E. Day
You run a manufacturing business, so you know how it goes. The cost of doing business and manufacturing product never decreases. You know that your revenue must increase just to keep up. You also know that merely maintaining your revenue status quo will only ensure you get your lunch eaten by…
Fran Webber
Much like your attic, garage or basement, the NIST archives are home to quite a number of arcane objects of unclear origin and purpose. We periodically collect these victims of misplaced paperwork and present them in a series we call “Unidentified Museum Objects.” We invite you to put on your…
Tim Mouw
Surface appearance can change your perception of color. Think of a glossy magazine. If the light is shining directly on the page, you may need to tilt the magazine and change the reflection angle to clearly see the colors. Likewise, a textured surface may appear to be a different color than a…
Olympus
Modern 3D laser confocal scanning microscopes can resolve fine surface-topography detail as minute as a few nanometers, quickly and easily. It is the solution that advanced manufacturing industries turn to for efficient quality assurance surface inspections.
The changing needs of surface and…
NIST
You can’t see well without lenses that can focus, whether those lenses are in your eye or the microscope you peer through. An innovative way to focus beams of neutrons might allow scientists to probe the interiors of opaque objects at a size range they were blind to previously, allowing them to…
Ryan E. Day
Invented in 1987 and commercially available since 1991, laser trackers have long been a mainstay of the aerospace industry. Automotive manufacturers have also adopted laser trackers for quality control (QC) and design. The fact is, any industry dealing with large-scale measurements—from small…
