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icromachining and micromolding are fabrication technologies used for developing devices and components at the micro-to-macro scale. To provide quality control at this scale, manufacturers must be able to inspect various surface measurements, including roughness, area, and dimension. Surface…
Donald J. Wheeler
In my July column, “Where Do Manufacturing Specifications Come From?” we found that the intraclass correlation coefficient is the natural measure of relative utility. This measure is theoretically sound and easy to explain. This column will look at how to use the intraclass correlation to…
100 Customer Service Tips by Larry Williams
Mother always said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” This is great advice for a number of work-related conditions that can have a serious effect on your reputation and employment. When faced with the opportunity to speak or stay silent, consider the following…
Minitab LLC
ResMed is a global manufacturer of medical devices. The company’s products help people with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and other respiratory disorders. Characterized by the interruption of normal breathing patterns during sleep, an estimated 18 million people in the United States suffer from…
On Sept. 4, 2010, an earthquake that registered 7.1 on the Richter scale rocked Christchurch, New Zealand. It lasted 40 seconds but felt more like 40 minutes. This was the worst experience l’ve ever been through, but I managed to stay in bed (yes, I hid under the covers).
I live in the city’s…
Michael R. Frecks
Managing point data sets is already a concern for clients. Now the surveying industry promotes its efficiency at the cost of best practices with a million-point-per-second milestone. Check out the article, “Optech Breaks 1m/sec Barrier,” in the Oct. 5, 2010, issue of SparView. I liken this…
Jon Miller
The Toyota Production System (TPS) house diagram is often drawn with a triangular roof, a rectangular foundation, and two rectangular columns between the foundation and roof. The space between the columns is filled with one’s choice of the systems, tools, and principles to suit the lean enterprise…
Barbara A. Cleary
Signs in factories or on the back of long-range trucking rigs sometimes proclaim “X days since our last accident” or “No on-the-job injuries since 1964.” Extending the stretch between such accidents may be motivated by this announcement alone, but there are better ways to diminish or prevent…
David Smithstein
I recently read an article on the Quality Digest website titled, “Deming, Systems Thinking, and the Future,” by Tripp Babbitt, who specializes in systems thinking. His article starts with, “W. Edwards Deming did a great disservice. He left a prescription for what the United States should do to…
Dirk Dusharme @ Quality Digest
Recently, Industry Week (IW) announced the 10 inductees to its 2010 Manufacturing Hall of Fame, a “lineup of industrial superstars whose collective careers have had an immeasurable impact and influence on U.S. manufacturing.”
Included in the list of IW’s manufacturing “dream team,” alongside…
Bill Kalmar
Lately, the airwaves have been bristling with news of increased airport security screenings. What used to be a relatively easy process to board a plane has become an ordeal that every day brings forth a cacophony of complaints from passengers and even pilots. The new check-in rules, wherein…
Maribeth Kuzmeski
Consider the following scenario: It’s 8 a.m. and you’re in an upscale hotel in Times Square—part of a well-known chain you regularly frequent—getting ready for a crucial business meeting. As you turn on your hairdryer, the power goes out. A bit nervous but not yet panicked (it’s just a blown fuse…
100 Customer Service Tips by Larry Williams
There are leaders and there are followers. There is nothing wrong with following the lead of someone, especially when that person is knowledgeable and imparts wisdom. Leaders often say they hope their instruction inspires people to help others someday. The following tips will bring you closer to…
Peter Dizikes
Nearly 6 percent of greenhouse gases generated by humans are due to the flow of products to consumers. David Simchi-Levi, a professor in Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Engineering Systems Division and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, suggests that corporations…
Joseph A. DeFeo
The growth of commerce, science, and technology has greatly expanded the extent and variety of goods and services, helping many to lead longer, safer lives. However, this has also created a new dependency, with new risks that must be mitigated to prevent financial and cultural loss.
High…
Robert Kaphengst
Effective communication and consistent measurement across all engineering disciplines and processes are essential to the design and manufacture of the highest quality products. Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) is key to achieving these goals.
GD&T defined
GD&T is a…
Davis Balestracci
You know what the third-quarter review meeting means: a packet will be handed out with bar graphs and, no doubt, trend lines on each of about a zillion “key performance indicators” that show:
• This month vs. last month vs. 12 months ago (maybe year-to-date as well)
• The three months’…
David C. Crosby
Publisher's note: It is with great sadness that I must report that David Crosby passed away on Monday, November 15. This article nicely embodies and encapsulates David's life work, in which he always pressed for personal accountability through a creative yet realistic approach to process…
David C. Crosby
Publisher's note: It is with great sadness that I must report that David Crosby passed away on Monday, November 15. This article nicely embodies and encapsulates David's life work, in which he always pressed for personal accountability through a creative yet realistic approach to process…
100 Customer Service Tips by Larry Williams
Telephone communication is thought of as the greatest technological advancement of the 20th century. It can certainly be credited with nearly every facet of progress that commerce has ever enjoyed. What’s not to like? We are all addicted to this user-friendly medium. However, there are times when…
Bill Kalmar
Buying a car used to be a relatively easy process. But now that the government and various consumer protection organizations have become involved in the transaction, it has become mind-numbing. Car dealerships must now comply with myriad rules and regulations that have escalated a simple purchase…
Jeffrey G. Stark is president of Sensor Products Inc.
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odern microprocessor-controlled electronics and high-power LED lighting operate at elevated temperatures due to Joule heating. As a result, heat sinks, to dissipate temperature, have become important in electronic system designs.…
Environmental Quality Corner with Ken Appel
Ken Appel is the manager of regulated industries for Veriteq.
In part 1 of this article, we discussed the pros and cons of various systems for stand-alone monitoring instruments (e.g., chart recorders and data loggers) and wired networks, with and without power over Ethernet (POE). In the…
Mike Micklewright
Just imagine for a moment that you are a major league baseball player in 1990. If you wish, you can even choose your name and position. Perhaps you would like to be a pitcher, let’s say, Dodger Lemens, or a hitter, perhaps Marcus McWired or Al Roidriguez. You want to improve your performance…
The Un-Comfort Zone With Robert Wilson
The boys slumped against the wall of the dugout; you could read the despair on their faces. “What’s the point?” mumbled the right fielder. “We’re just going to lose again.” The team was on an eight-game losing streak, with a record of three wins and eight losses, and five games left to play.…
