Quality articles from August 2004

Quality archives from August 2004

Summer break.(From The Editor)
August 1, 2004... Summer is usually the time that we give ourselves a mental break. Here at quality we are staying busy, but let me take a moment to turn on some Jimmy Buffett, get a cold glass of lemonade and share some summer observations. In the June...

Coming events.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... SEPTEMBER * Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), Chicago, Sept. 9. Affiliated Educational Consultants, (708) 867-5755. * DVT's 2004 Global Business Conference and User Group Meeting, Las Vegas, Sept. 12-16. DVT, (770) 814-7920. ...

Toyota tops vehicle dependability study.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA -- With seven models topping their vehicle segments and Lexus ranking highest among nameplates, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc. captures the top corporate ranking in the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Vehicle Dependability...

LTI Metrology.(Business News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... LTI Metrology, a division of Laboratory Testing Inc. (Hatfield, PA), has added torque wrenches to its list of calibrations accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation. Accreditation was previously granted to the...

A University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) research laboratory for the study of biologic and materials sciences has selected an Admet (Norwood, MA) materials tensile testing machine with Windows-based software.(Business News)
August 1, 2004... A University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) research laboratory for the study of biologic and materials sciences has selected an Admet (Norwood, MA) materials tensile testing machine with Windows-based software. The lab selected Admet's expert...

Certech Inc.(Business News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Certech Inc., a subsidiary of Carpenter Technology Corp. (Wyomissing, PA), has achieved ISO 9001:2000 certification at its Wilkes-Barre, PA, facility.

Cognex Corp.(Business News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Cognex Corp. (Natick, MA), a supplier of machine vision systems, has received an order in excess of $2 million from Accretech. Accretech will incorporate the vision systems into its wafer probes to perform alignment and inspection tasks on...

Siemens Power Generation.(Business News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Siemens Power Generation (Orlando, FL) has achieved ISO 9001 certification for more than 20 sites worldwide.

ASI DataMyte (Plymouth, MN) and ATS (Hasselt, Belgium) have agreed to develop a long-term partnership.(Business News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... ASI DataMyte (Plymouth, MN) and ATS (Hasselt, Belgium) have agreed to develop a long-term partnership for ASI DataMyte's Inspect implementations worldwide.

QED 2004 proves successful.(Industry News)(Quality Expo Detroit)
August 1, 2004... NORWALK, CT -- Quality Expo Detroit, the only U.S. trade event exclusively focused on quality solutions for manufacturers, brought 3,535 industry professionals together to do business June 9 to 10 at the Novi Expo Center (Novi, MI). Visitors...

Society of Manufacturing Engineers.(Association News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Mark C. Tomlinson has been named director of membership for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. As director of membership, Tomilson will focus on strengthening member engagement opportunities, better understanding and responding to local...

National Tooling and Manufacturing Association.(Association News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Dan Yahraus was installed as the 2004 chairman of the National Tooling and Manufacturing Association (NTMA). As NTMA chairman, Yahraus' message will be leadership and values. With the fast pace of life today and mounting pressures, he feels it...

Zetec acquires power generation business.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... ISSAQUAH, WA -- Zetec Inc., a full-solution supplier of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) solutions in the power generation industry has acquired the Power Generation Business of R/D Tech Inc. (Quebec). Zetec acquired Power Generation...

Ametek acquires Taylor Hobson.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... PAOLI, PA -- Ametek Inc. has acquired Taylor Hobson Holdings Ltd., a manufacturer of ultra-precision measurement instrumentation for a variety of markets, including optics, semiconductors, hard disk drives and nanotechnology research. "We...

TUV America Inc.(People News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Bryan Vanderhoof has joined TUV America Inc. (Danvers, MA) as an account executive on the company's East U.S. Region Business Development team.

Interconnect Devices Inc.(People News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Susan C. Curry has been appointed quality planning manager at Interconnect Devices Inc. (Kansas City, KS). In her new role, Curry will develop, maintain and improve the company's quality management system to ensure that all products meet...

Steril-Aire.(People News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Shahrad M. Banki has been appointed manager quality assurance of Steril-Aire (Cerritos, CA), and Roger B. Redman has been appointed manager of western regional sales.

Celerant Consulting.(People News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Jill Krawczyszyn has been named vice president of Celerant Consulting's (Lexington, MA) manufacturing industry practice in the Americas,

Dynatech Technology.(People News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Jonny Nichols has been named Eastern regional sales manager at Dynatech Technology (Horsham, PA).

Machine-tool consumption rises.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... ROCKVILLE, MD and McLEAN, VA -- March U.S. machine-tool consumption totaled $272.34 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) and The Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total, as...

Shingo Prize awarded.(Industry News)(manufacturing achievements)
August 1, 2004... LOGAN, UT -- Dubbed the "Nobel prize of Manufacturing" by Business Week, the Shingo Prize is increasingly being recognized as the premier manufacturing award and recognition program in North America. The largest missile manufacturing facility...

Associations urge for restoration of MEP funds.(Industry News)(Manufacturing Extension Partnership)
August 1, 2004... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than 60 manufacturing associations nationwide have joined forces to warn policymakers of a growing crisis for small manufacturers. In letters to President Bush and Congressional Appropriations leaders, The National...

The top three.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Dear Editor, I agree with you that the U.S. government should do something to keep our jobs on shore ("Who Answers Customer Questions?," Quality, February 2004, p. 6). Now, even in the United States, questions that require an engineer...

Hold industry accountable.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Dear Editor, My interest in the subject of the April 2004 editorial ("Pols Need to Find Jobs," Quality, p. 6), about manufacturing jobs, dates back to the 1992 election in which both major candidates supported NAFTA. Independent candidate...

Gop has 'edge'.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Dear Editor, I just read your article ("Pols Need to Find Jobs," Quality, April 2004, p. 6), and I do somewhat agree with you. Manufacturing has been my career for 30 years, and I have been employed with major corporations such as DuPont,...

Top management and quality: a recent survey compiled top management's perspective on quality.(Probing The Limits)
August 1, 2004... The American Society for Quality (ASQ) recently published a study that asked "top management" what they thought about quality. The findings of the study provide insight to the changes that can be made to get the quality profession back on...

Calibrate your own tools? Answer your calibration question with some basic questions.(Other Dimensions)(American Measuring Tool Manufacturers Association)
August 1, 2004... Many manufacturers who use outside calibration sources often ask whether it is cost effective to outsource this task when they review the annual cost of using a contractor. It is tempting to think that costs can be lowered by bringing...

Data collection serves as a management tool: data collection ensures product quality and increases productivity.(Quality 101)(supervisory control and data acquisition)(human machine interface)
August 1, 2004... Plant managers are well aware that data gathered from factory floor production equipment can be invaluable for ensuring product quality and increasing productivity. But data collection is a broad term that can cover anything from logging...

Identical CMMs, or not.(Quality Brain Teasers)(coordinate measuring machines)
August 1, 2004... Anyone who has faced a production problem with a need to solve the problem by using production data can relate to the notion of a brain teaser. The brain teasers presented here are based on real-world situations that are encountered by workers...

Fixture gages get electronic upgrade: a graphical readout for fixture gages can help approve a part and compute mathematical equations.(Quality Innovations)(Metronics Inc)(Gage-Chek)
August 1, 2004... One of the leading manufacturers of digital readouts has expanded its product line to include a readout for the fixture gage market that mixes the capabilities of a go/no go hard gage with a microprocessor. Metronics Inc. (Bedford, NH) has...

Micrometers: tools of choice: micrometers are some of the most versatile tools in the toolbox and are often the first tool that inspectors reach for on the shop floor.(Quality Measurement)
August 1, 2004... In many ways, the micrometer is the perfect tool. It is small, sleek and accurate and can slip into a shirt pocket or tool belt with ease. The micrometer is neck and neck with calipers as the most popular test, measurement and inspection tool...

At the center of quality: spotlighting the ideas, solutions, products and companies that impact our industry.(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... ideas A History of Technological Supremacy For more than 50 years, the name Werth has stood for the highest quality and precision in the field of dimensional measurement technology. As the world leader in multisensor measuring...

Pneumatic vibrators to stimulate, not simulate: environmental testing of a product can save time and money with the right tools. But, which is the right test to use?(Quality Test & Inspection)
August 1, 2004... When should product wear be simulated and when should it be stimulated? Environmental testing is divided into natural or climatic environments, which include sunshine, rainfall, wind, altitude and salt spray, vs. man-made or dynamic...

Make a smooth change to TS 16949: some guidelines will help make the transition from QS-9000 to ISO/TS 16949 a smooth one.(Quality Management)(technical specification)
August 1, 2004... For companies contemplating a transition from QS-9000 to ISO/TS 16949: 2002 (TS2), now is the time to act and gather as much information about this technical specification (TS) as possible. Don't wait for the December 2006 deadline to become...

Portable CMM maker ROMER joins Hexagon Metrology.
August 1, 2004... Hexagon AB has acquired all the outstanding shares of metrology company ROMER SA, Montoire, Loire, France. ROMER, a leading manufacturer of portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machines, markets under the Axila brand name in the...

IMTS 2004: International Manufacturing Technology Show: September 8-15, 2004 McCormick Place Chicago, IL USA.(IMTS Preview)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... IMTS 2004-The New Manufacturing Age Seventy-seven years later, the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) is still being heralded as the "Best Show on Earth" for manufacturing engineers, product users, distributors and...

Machine mounts.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Designed for equipment that does not require floor fastening including automatic lathes, grinding machines, injection molding machines, and drilling and milling machines, the M-Series machine mounts can handle loads from 100 to 12,000 pounds...

Gage amplifier.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The Gage Chek is easy to view and operate, with simple programmable gaging routines and flexible display options. The 6-inch LCD display panel features easy-to-read digital read-out or analog formats in either dial, vertical or horizontal bars,...

Optical measuring projector.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The HE4000 MkIII, a large-screen bench-top projector, has a 16-inch screen with an integral hood, precision crosslines and calibration markings. Fan-cooled halogen profile illumination with high and low intensity allows the user to adjust the...

CNC vision systems.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Quick Vision STREAM Series computer numerical control (CNC) noncontacting video systems have a nonstop, high-speed measurement mode. The system employs a progressive camera with stroboscopic illumination bundled with QVPak software to enable...

Bridge-type CMM.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The Accura, a bridge-type coordinate measuring machine (CMM) offers access to various probing technologies including active scanning, single-point and optical measurement. The unit can be equipped with a wide variety of touch-trigger and...

Linear position sensor.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... This analog absolute linear position sensor uses magnetoinductive technology to provide accurate, absolute position feedback. Mini proportioned and optimized for precision positioning at shorter displacements, the BIL allows existing motion...

Laser point cloud software.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... A laser point cloud processing option is available within Capps inspection software. This module allows importing millions of point cloud data into the inspection environment. Point cloud data can be measured to calculate geometric features,...

Inspection software.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... PowerINSPECT can be used with all types of inspection hardware including manual and computer numerical control coordinate measuring machines (CNC CMMs), portable arms, optical measuring devices and CNC machine tools. The learning curve is...

Universal length measuring system.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The DMS 680, 0-27 inch internal and external universal measuring system has the ability to calibrate thread and cylindrical plug and ring gages, snap gages, gage blocks, micrometers, setting masters, dial indicators and electronic probes. The...

Industrial computer.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The E9066T compact, thin-panel industrial computer has been designed to satisfy space-constricted applications without compromising features and functionality of a complete industrial PC. Applications include data collection, industrial control...

Leak detection.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The H2000 is a digital instrument for leak detecting, as well as for leak locating. The unit is sensitive only to hydrogen. It can detect leaks as small as 5 x 10-7 mbar-l/s (cc/sec), or 0.5 ppm, without costly fixturing. The sensor can be...

Twin-spindle machining center.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Designed for multiple part fixturing, the machines--MCT 160 and MCT 250--have a dedicated B axis for each spindle, allowing simultaneous machining on four sides of two different parts, and time-saving twin automatic tool changers. The shared...

Machine control system.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The FlashCNC machine control system combines open architecture software, compact hardware and a digital machine interface. The package allows hardware, software and peripheral components to be upgraded without re-engineering existing machine...

CNC tool and cutter grinder.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The key to the fast cycling of the RX7 is a single direct drive multi-directional spindle with dual wheel packs positioned at either end of the spindle. The configuration of these wheels give unrestricted access to the work piece. The spindle...

Measuring solutions.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... This company provides worldwide measuring solutions for the material removal industry, including in-line measuring requirements such as pre-process, in-process or post-process. A variety of measuring systems are available from the V-10...

Process monitoring automation.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Windows OS-based controllers graphically show the quality of the thread, hole, or pin and shaft. Inspection is 360 degrees inside and outside over the part's entire length. Process time is less than 0.001 second. Scan rates are 10,000 inches...

Cutting tool measurement system.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The Z-Mike Cutting Tool Measurement System is a noncontact system for measuring effective cutting diameter of fluted cutting tools such as end mills, drill bits, step tools, reamers and router bits. By measuring the dimensional characteristics...

Gage management.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... GAG Epack 6.0, with bar code support and enhanced reporting functions, offers expanded capabilities. Features found in this version include full support for label printers, tool tips and more than a hundred report possibilities. A calendar view...

Marking systems.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Several touch-screen controlled marking systems that can be integrated into production lines will be on display. The Pro-Point 2331 permanent indenting marking system for metals and plastics is adjustable to accommodate many type sizes and...

CNC.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The Sprint CNC 300, an automatic, full-featured dimensional measurement system, fits on a benchtop and has a large 12 by 12 inch XY travel range to accommodate a variety of parts. The system has a rock-solid granite base and column with...

Custom round tools.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... These round tools with fixed, brazed tips of polycrystalline diamond or polycrystalline cubic boron nitride can be used for small-diameter machining applications--approximately 0.25 inch diameter and larger-where space is a restriction for...

Measurement system.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The SmartScope Flash 500 offers 20 by 18 by 8 inch XYZ travel in a small footprint floor stand system. The system's optical assembly moves in the X-axis across an angled steel crossbeam while the part moves in the Y-axis on a precision...

Digital display instrument.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The VE-71 is a programmable digital gaging instrument. It can be used on a bench or near a machine on the shop floor. With its low and high range settings, it can accept a variety of half bridge transducers. By switching modes, live, maximum,...

Multi-sensing.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... "Multi-sensing on steroids" is the seamless integration of contact and noncontact probes (video, touch and laser) and the Renishaw PH-10. A complete family of 2-D, 2 1/2-D and 3-D multi-sensing SeeBrez video-based coordinate measuring machines...

Modular fixturing.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... XTensions are lightweight aluminum extrusions used along with standard Rayco components for building a setup vertically or creating a support structure to fixture a part. The components are available in standard lengths from 6 inches to 60...

Vision measurement/inspection systems.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Linear motors have been integrated into the View Summit series of large format, vision measurement/inspection systems. The integration provides the View Summit platform with the higher velocities and accelerations needed to satisfy near-line...

CNC servo press.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The computer numerical control (CNC) serve press allows for fully programmable depth, force, pressing speed and dwell time. The press has the capability to alarm the operator when the operation is out of tolerance. Its capability to output data...

Portable air gage.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The Micro-Dimensionair portable air gage incorporates a Micro-Maxum Digital Indicator and an interchangeable handle to provide accurate, convenient readouts at the measurement site. The digital dial rotates through 270 degrees for easy viewing....

Measurement tool.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Exact specification of the tolerance of a valve, as well as its adherence and monitoring are important as manufacturing tolerances become increasingly small. The SIKO gage is made up of a mandrel fitted to the sizes of the valve seat, a...

Analyzer.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... A portable X-ray tube-based analyzer has the ability to incorporate metal alloy, plastics, contaminated soils, mining, precious metals and prohibited materials applications on one instrument. The XLt analyzer includes the latest version of...

Inspection software.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... PC-DMIS is the standard measurement and inspection software on all Cordax coordinate measurement machines (CMMs). The software has a fully configurable, intuitive graphic user interface that guides users through each step of the programming,...

Measuring gage.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The combination of a noncontact laser beam measurement and the Rollomatic Concentricity Pro make the LS Smart system ideal for dimensional measurement on rotary cutting tools, regardless of the number of flutes; it also works well with other...

Measuring instrument.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The laser-based Labmaster Universal has been developed for gage calibration laboratories that need to precisely measure length, outside diameter (OD), inside diameter (ID), pitch diameter, linear displacement and thickness. The unit is capable...

Optical CMM.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... NEXlV VMR Optical CMM system capabilities include the TTL laser to a new dual optical system producing a magnification range from 36X to 4,320X. These capabilities enable the imaging and measurements of part features down to 1 micrometer....

Grinder.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The Viking SuperSeries II centerless grinder has a combination of advanced technology and user-driven features for use in high production applications and for grinding a diverse range of materials and components to precise tolerances using...

Hydraulic and pneumatic products.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... These new Select-designated StrongHold products include hydraulic swing clamps, work supports, threaded body cylinders, square body cylinders, pneumatic swing clamps and accessories. The products work together as part of a complete work-holding...

Vertical machining centers.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Designed with a high-strength, cast iron structure, the CFV machining centers provide 540 millimeter Y-axis travel and can accommodate a 585 millimeter-deep component. A 25 horsepower spindle is standard, and users can select from two...

Horizontal beam comparator.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The 3700 Series 14-inch horizontal beam comparator has a 5-inch by 20-inch nickel-plated stage with 100-pound load capacity. Other features include 12-inch X-axis and 6-inch Y-axis travel, 0.00005 inch/0.001 inch-precision glass scales, quick...

Indexable drills.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The perfoMAX line of indexable insert drills have a stable drill body and generous flutes to provide chip evacuation. The drills have a non-stick body coating that reduces friction and helps preserve the steel body. The full line of drills,...

Grinder control gage system.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Statistical size control of centerless ground parts is available through use of an in-process gage mounted to a dual-belt gage conveyor. A driven top guide mechanically synchronized to conveyor speed captures and controls the part as it is...

3-D coordinate measuring system.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The TESA Micro-Hite 3-D coordinate measuring system is designed to fill the operational gap between precision handheld measuring instruments and high-end coordinate measuring machines. The system has a light alloy base fitted with a granite...

Thread-view vision system.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The Thread View model 3620 is a fully automatic, noncontact, high-speed measurement system for the calibration of external thread gages. Various series of gages are inspected, including UN, UNJ, UNR, Metric, Metric-J, Buttress, Acme, NPT, ANPT...

Diameter gage.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The new LD series ID/OD gages have a high strength stainless steel tubular frame. This special corrosion-resistant aircraft grade frame is 80% lighter and 14% stronger than standard steel. LD gages are available with two different types of...

Air gage.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The electronic adjustable Vee Gage provides a rapid and accurate means to check the outside diameters of high precision parts. User adjustable from 0.120 to 1.373 inch, this instrument connects with a dual-input MICRO II Comparator to measure...

Shop floor CMM.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The DCC Phoenix, a shop-hardened coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for small- and medium-sized parts, has a 12 by 12 by 10-inch capacity with 0.5micrometer resolution using metal scales on steel structures for uniform expansion. All axes are...

CMM artifact.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... Monitor the accuracy of a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with the KOBA-step Mini, now available in lengths of 210 and 310 millimeters. The 210 nominal length has 11 cylindrical gage blocks and 22 contact faces; the 310 has 16 blocks and 32...

Chamfer gage.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The Series-II electronic chamfer gage is self-contained and requires no external power. The unit directly reads the major diameter of chamfered, countersunk, tapered or straight-through holes. Resolution is 0.0002 inch. All models are equipped...

Plug gages.(IMTS Show Products)
August 1, 2004... The Z tolerance gage is available in various combinations ranging from 0.011 to 1.000 inch. Size and serial numbers are laser etched on each piece. Centerless lapped 52100 bearing steel is heat-treated to a hardness of 60-62 Rockwell with an 8...