Quality articles from January 2003

Quality archives from January 2003

Points of light. (From the Editor).(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... It was George Herbert Walker Bush who, in his 1988 presidential nomination acceptance speech, coined the phrase, "a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky." Bush was often ridiculed by those who had not listened to the first part...

Training's changing face: nature is not a typical training ground, but, this is not typical training. (Training Trends).(Interview)
January 1, 2003... Gone are the mind-numbing training courses with boring lectures, warm soft drinks, stale refreshments and uneventful evenings. At boot camps such as one recently formed, which combined the techniques of lean manufacturing and Six Sigma, the...

It's been there. (Quality Mailbag).
January 1, 2003... Dear Editor, Regarding comments made in the November 2002 Quality Mailbag, one of your readers wrote about how ISO 9001:2000 requires design changes be approved before implementation. The same requirement the reader is griping about in...

Fed a line. (Quality Mailbag).
January 1, 2003... Dear Editor, I read the ISO article by Scott Dalgleish in October's Quality and was glad you asked for comments. I can find nothing wrong with your views on ISO. However, someone fed you quite a line. You thought implementing an ISO system...

Design engineering: a goldmine for quality improvement: moving the focus from manufacturing to engineering opens the doors for improvement. (Probing the Limits).(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... If your quality system is focused more on manufacturing than engineering, you are probably missing opportunities for improvement. Most quality departments are closely aligned with manufacturing but have poor ties to engineering--exactly...

Coming events. (Industry News).(Calendar)
January 1, 2003... FEBRUARY * APQP, FMEA, Control Plans and Mistake Proofing Workshop, Schaumburg, IL, Feb. 3-6. Affiliated Educational Consultants Ltd., (888) 404-3304. * Basic GD&T, City of Industry, CA, Feb. 5. Mitutoyo America Corp., (630) 820-9666....

Manufacturers spending to improve quality. (Industry News).
January 1, 2003... BENSENVILLE, IL -- During 2002, manufacturers indicated they wanted to spend money on equipment, software and services to reduce costs--57% of respondents indicated that reason for spending, according to Quality's third annual spending survey....

Endevco. (Business News).(offers new service)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Endevco (San Juan Capistrano, CA) now offers laser absolute calibration services for accelerometers.

Stocker Hinge Manufacturing Co. (Business News).(achieves QS-9000 certification)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Stocker Hinge Manufacturing Co. (Brookfield, IL) has received QS-9000 certification.

Hexagon Metrology. (Business News).(to acquire Quality Ltd and MIRAI SRL)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Hexagon Metrology (Nacka Strand, Sweden), a business unit within the Hexagon Group, has signed an agreement to acquire Quality Ltd., a Brazilian metrology distributor, as well as MIRAI S.R.L., an Italian software provider.

National Quality Assurance Ltd. (Dunstable, UK), including NQA USA (Acton, MA), has become the first registrar to achieve recognition. (Business News).(recognition by the International Automotive Task Force)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... National Quality Assurance Ltd. (Dunstable, UK), including NQA USA (Acton, MA), has become the first registrar to achieve recognition by the International Automotive Task Force to provide worldwide certification to ISO/TS 16949: 2002.

Accretech USA Inc. (Business News).(TSK America Inc changes name)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... TSK America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Seimitsu Co, Ltd. has changed its legal name to Accretech USA Inc. (Farmington Hills, MI).

Fryer Co. Inc. (Business News).(industrial solutions team formed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Fryer Co. Inc. (Huntley, IL), a supplier of optical and imaging products, has created an industrial solutions team. By establishing the team, the company can offer manufacturers a comprehensive single source solution for most inspection,...

Renishaw plc and Metrologic Group. (Business News).(agreement signed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Renishaw plc (Hoffman Estates, IL) and Metrologic Group (Grenoble, France), an independent CMM inspection software company, have signed an agreement that allows Metrologic Group's Metrolog II software to run on Renishaw's UCC1 universal CMM...

Lion Precision. (Business News).(Lion Precision Inductive formed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Lion Precision (St. Paul, MN), a provider of high performance capacitance sensing technology has formed a new product group, Lion Precision Inductive (Colorado Springs, CO). The group will focus on eddy current and other inductive technologies...

Nissan honors quality suppliers. (Industry News).(Nissan North America Inc)
January 1, 2003... GARDENA, CA -- Nissan North America Inc. recognized several suppliers that have met or exceeded the highest quality standards to its manufacturing plants. "You don't manufacture the '2002 North American Car of the Year' without the help of...

Industrial laser shipments decline. (Industry News).(Illustration)
January 1, 2003... MCLEAN, VA -- Shipments of industrial laser equipment and systems for North America and U.S. exports for third quarter 2002 were at $96.1 million, an 8% decrease compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the Laser Systems Product...

Construction equipment manufacturers predict decline. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- The construction equipment manufacturing industry is expected to finish 2002 with a decline in most markets, according to an annual forecast of construction machinery makers conducted by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers...

Mitutoyo America Corp. (People News).(president appointed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Tsuyoshi Yamamura has been appointed president of Mitutoyo America Corp. (Aurora, IL).

Quality Vision International. (People News).(senior vice president of marketing and sales hired)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... R. Stephen Flynn has joined Quality Vision International (Rochester, NY) as senior vice president of marketing and sales.

Bosch Rexroth Corp. (People News).(promotions )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... James F. Brys and Paul A. Swann of Bosch Rexroth Corp. (Hoffman Estates, IL) have been named vice president, automotive and Great Lakes region and vice president, west and southwest regions, respectively.

Sciemetric. (People News).(president and CEO named)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Paul A. Tichauer has been named president and CEO of Sciemetric (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada).

Newall Electronics Inc. (People News).(district sales manager named)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Brian Morachis has been named district sales manager for Newall Electronics Inc. (Columbus, OH).

Sealy Inc. (People News).(corporate vice president of operations hired)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Michael Hofmann has been hired as corporate vice president of operations for Sealy Inc. (Trinity, NC).

Dresser Measurement & Control. (People News).(names new president)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Charles S. Wolley has been appointed president of Dresser Measurement & Control, a business unit of Dresser Inc. (Stratford, CT).

Machine tool consumption up in September. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... MCLEAN, VA -- September 2002 U.S. machine tool consumption increased 45.1% compared to August 2002, according to The Association for Machine Tool for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association...

New technologies boost GM. (Industry News).(General Motors Corp, digital/wireless innovations)
January 1, 2003... DETROIT -- Digitial and wireless technologies are helping General Motors Corp. increase productivity, improve quality, reduce costs and bring new products to market as fast as possible. By any measure, 2002 was a pretty good year for GM. Back...

Optical Gaging Products Inc. (Rochester, NY), a manufacturer of dimensional measurement equipment. (Business News).(Southeast sales rep appointed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Optical Gaging Products Inc. (Rochester, NY), a manufacturer of dimensional measurement equipment, has appointed Millennium Precision LLC (Rocky Mount, NC) as its sales representative for the Southeast.

TUV America Inc. (Business News).(new accreditation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... TUV America Inc. (Danvers, MA) has added ISO 17025 laboratory accreditation services to their management system certification services.

Pilgrim Software Inc. (Business News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Pilgrim Software Inc. (Tampa, FL), a provider of enterprise quality management solutions, has completed a $2.15 million equity investment by Stonehenge Capital Corp. Pilgrim will use the capital to expand global sales and marketing efforts,...

Instron Corp. (Business News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Instron Corp. (Canton, MA) is supplying one of its 5500 series materials test systems to Tony Ryan, head of chemistry at Sheffield University, for use in a series of lectures. The lectures, aimed at children from ages of nine to 14, are to be...

DNV. (Business News).(global Volvo supplier)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... DNV (Oslo, Norway) has become a preferred worldwide supplier for Volvo.

Co-planar Inc. (Business News).(achieves QS-9000 certification)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Co-planar Inc. (Rockaway, NJ) has achieved certification to QS-9000.

Trumpf Inc. (Business News).(receives quality award)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Trumpf Inc. (Farmington, CT) received a Connecticut Quality Improvement Award silver lever innovation prize at the 15th annual Conference on Quality and Innovation. The award recognizes Synchro, the company's lean manufacturing initiative.

United Grinding Technologies Inc. (Miamisburg, OH) announced that it will acquire Ewag USA. (Business News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... United Grinding Technologies Inc. (Miamisburg, OH) announced that it will acquire Ewag USA, a manufacturer of tool grinding machines and tool grinding centers.

Knauf Fiber Glass. (Business News).(USI 9001: 2000 registration)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Knauf Fiber Glass (Shelbyville, IN) has achieved registration to ISO 9001: 2000.

Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd. (Business News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd. (Nashua, NH), a provider of manufacturing process management solutions, announced that Magna Steyr, has selected Tecnomatix eMPower for a pilot project at its development center in Graz, Austria.

Boldt Metronics International Inc. (Business News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Boldt Metronics International Inc. (Schaumburg, IL) has expanded its manufacturing capabilities to a new facility in Shanghai, China.

Geotest-Marvin Test Systems Inc. (Business News).(wins fighter aircraft test system contracts)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Geotest-Marvin Test Systems Inc. (Irvine, CA) has been awarded contracts of more than $2 million to provide test systems for the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Falcon fighters.

BSI Management Systems (Reston, VA) and MET Laboratories (Baltimore) have signed a cooperative agreement that expands each of the company's global testing. (Business News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... BSI Management Systems (Reston, VA) and MET Laboratories (Baltimore) have signed a cooperative agreement that expands each of the company's global testing, registration and certification services.

West Penn Service Group. (Business News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... West Penn Service Group (Pittsburgh), a full-service materials testing laboratory, has restructured to include five separate companies: West Penn Service Group Inc., West Penn Material Evaluation and Spectrochemical Labs, West Penn Testing...

The Eraser Co. (Business News).(service enhancement)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Eraser Co. (Syracuse, NY) has expanded its custom design and manufacturing service to address a wide range of material processing requirements that are specifically tailored to the individual needs of the customer.

Technology solves problems. (Industry News).(manufacturing success at General Motors)
January 1, 2003... New assembly technologies have been a major factor behind GM's manufacturing success, says Elson. For example, 3-D simulation and design software is helping GM bring new products to market faster than ever before. GM engineers use the...

AMTMA gets desired data and strategies. (Industry News).(American Measuring Tool Manufacturers Association )
January 1, 2003... NASHVILLE, TN -- More than 25 different gaging companies traveled to the home of the Grand Ole Opry to discuss the latest in business, technology and trends in the measuring industry. The American Measuring Tool Manufacturers Association...

Quality's founder dead. (Industry News).(William "Bill" Schleicher)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... WHEATON, IL -- William "Bill" Schleicher, founder of Quality magazine, died Nov. 14, 2002. Schleicher was described as an inspiration to others and a person who believed in the pursuit of quality and a job well done in every aspect of his life....

Zeiss takes the gold. (Industry News).(Carl Zeiss Measuring Technology)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... OBERKOCKEN, GERMANY -- Carl Zeiss Measuring Technology was presented with a gold medal award for the Prismo Vario CMM (coordinate measuring machine) at the 44th International Machine Tool Show. Entries for the award were evaluated in two...

Defects or defective units. (Quality Brain Teasers).
January 1, 2003... Everyone 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...

X-ray machine goes big: new tube technology aids in measurement of oversized components. (Quality Innovations).(phoenix/x-ray Systems + Services Inc.)
January 1, 2003... An X-ray machine has been developed that uses new tube technology for nondestructive testing on oversized components that would otherwise put a strain on smaller machines, including the machine on which this one was based. The ndt|analyser...

Gage input converts to useable output: gage interfaces allow the data collected from several manufacturers' gages to be manipulated in a single software program. (Quality Measurement).
January 1, 2003... The gage is from Company X, another gage is from Company Y and the software is, from Company Z, yet they will not "talk" to each other. Before scrapping either of the gages or the software, explore the option of gage-interface systems. A...

Small technology plays big role: technology has made microhardness testing easier to do and generates more accurate results. (Quality Test & Inspection).(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... Hardness tests are performed on myriad materials and at a variety of scales, such as Rockwell HRC, HRB and superficial scales. Microindentation, formally referred to as microhardness testing, is a method for measuring the hardness of a material...

Control the data, control the costs: computerized intelligent data control ensures data integrity and minimizes manufacturing variation. (Quality Software & Analysis).(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... A guarantee of zero defects for dimensions specified to tenths and millionths of an inch puts enormous pressure on shop-floor operators and engineers who face the challenge of manufacturing complex products in small volumes and doing it on...

Harmonizing standards: revisions to ISO 9000 prompts changes to ISO 13485, the standard specific to medical device manufacturers. (Quality Standards).
January 1, 2003... Global quality management standards had their beginnings in the late 1980s with the publication of the ISO 9000 series of documents developed by ISO/Technical Committee (TC) 176. The intent of these documents was to provide an internationally...

How good are your crimps? If wire harness manufacturers want to offer world-class products, crimp testing is mandatory. (Quality Test & Inspection).(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... Quality standards are getting tighter, and customers expect their vendors to have quality assurance systems. This is as true for wire harness assemblers as it is for any other manufacturer. Having a good quality system will not only show...

Riding the rails to quality. (Case Studies).(innovations from Progress Rail Services)
January 1, 2003... Making trains run more smoothly is only one of the missions of Progress Rail Services and its 27 operations throughout North America. Fitting the wheels onto axles is another matter, especially when the tonnage required to force the wheels...

Lasers keep off-road seats on spec. (Case Studies).(Northland Machine Inc uses technique)
January 1, 2003... The use of laser scanning is helping to maintain the accuracy of foam seats used in personal off-road vehicles, making it possible to reverse engineer the delicate components with a high degree of precision. Northland Machine Inc. (NMI,...

Wireless data collection provides long memory. (Case Studies).(Metaldyne Corp, International Truck & Engine Group, Weldun International Ltd)
January 1, 2003... Metaldyne Corp. (Plymouth, MI) designs and supplies metal-formed components, assemblies and modules for transportation-related powertrain and chassis applications. Now, when Metaldyne Corp. builds front cover modules for International Truck &...

Portable CMM accessory. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The SpaceLOK increases the volumetric measuring accuracy of the company's portable CMM arms by a factor of 2.5 without increasing measurement uncertainty. After referencing the arm to one of the trihedral facets, the arm can be repositioned and...

Gage management software. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The ProGAGE ISO v5.0 calibration management software for gages features a unified master window for conducting most program functions and a module-based design that allows users to choose the modules they need. Reports such as Certificate of...

Gage sensor. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The GS-1000 linear gage sensor was designed to measure dimensions, thickness, curvature, eccentricity, displacement, height, depth, flatness, variation, run out, roundness, distortion and deflection. It also is used for load and pressure...

Processing unit for optical comparators. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The QM-Data200 is a 2-D coordinate measuring device for use on optical measuring devices, particularly optical comparators. It offers a backlit LCD, intuitive keyboard and software for data acquisition, analysis and processing. The unit holds...

Digital gauge. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The Model Zk pressure gage attains an accuracy of 0.1% of reading from 20% to 80% of the range. It features a digitally enhanced temperature correction with gage, absolute, vacuum or compound reference. It is available in pressure ranges from 0...

Benchtop vision measurement. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The Benchmark is a benchtop system that can be moved and set up to do tasks at different locations on the production floor, such as incoming inspection, in-process sampling and final inspection. Based on the company's larger vision system...

Grinding machine. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The Melchiorre ELC series of double-sided fine grinding machines produce precise lapping tolerances on machines with wheel diameters of 500 millimeters through 1,600 millimeters. Machine characteristics include a ball screw and pressure cell...

Ballbar software. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The Ballbar 5HPS software is used with the company's QC10 ballbar system for diagnosis of machining centers and lathes. It can build a complete performance history for an individual machine and automatically generate NC part programs. Its...

Analog interface. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... Analog Interface Unit for the ProScale line of linear digital measuring systems provides an analog signal output that is proportional to the current position or measurement of the ProScale. The interface provides a DC signal from 0 to 5 volts...

Pressure calibrator. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The DPI 610 and 615 series of pressure calibration tools now include low pressure calibration capability that enable the end user to calibrate draft range instrumentation in the field. This feature minimizes the effects of moving the unit under...

Vertical machining center.
January 1, 2003... The MC536 vertical machining center features a fixed table that can be used as two separate areas for pendulum machining with machining on the left and loading on the right or as one area covering the total X-travel range for long parts. An...

CMM. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The G90C bridge-type, vertical spindle CMM is available in a range of sizes including small, medium and large table or rail configurations. Measuring capabilities range from 24 by 20 by 16 inches to 400 by 160 by 120 inches. It features...

Clamps. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The new series of manual fiat grip clamps fit all models of tensile testers. The clamps are suited for sheet or strip materials with relatively low elongation such as metal or for thin materials with high elongation. Included in the series are...

CMM. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The Phoenix DCC coordinate measuring machine is designed for harsh environments. It features a granite measuring area, hardened groundways, mechanical bearings and dual-beam bridge. Steel measuring scales on metal structures assure uniform...

Video and laser measurements. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The SmartScope Flare with laser integrates video and through-the-lens laser for noncontact measurements. It is a benchtop machine with an embedded computer and is made with a twin-column Z-axis design. The imaging range of the Accucentric 12X...

Gage management. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The Gagepack 2000 is a 32-bit gage calibration software program that helps users manage complete histories of measurement devices, instruments and gages. The program allows a customer to create, sort and update an unlimited number of gage...

Handheld tachometer. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The HT-4100 tachometer weighs less than 4 ounces. It has a red light beam that is aimed at a small piece of reflective tape marker or reflective paint affixed to the surface of the object being measured. An on-target indicator light will flash...

Functional and parametric test system. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The functional and parametric test system allows testing of multiple product types with one test system. The base design includes a removable interface test adapter that can be adapted to a variety of product testing requirements. It includes...

Web-based reporting. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The Web-based reporting capability allows customers to access quality reports and information in real time. Available quality data will include yield analysis, assessments of ECO implementations, delivery schedules, and defect trends and design...

Grinding wheels. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The Cimform MSB grinding wheels feature bonding systems that use sol-gel abrasives that micro-fracture during use, creating a new grinding surface that constantly sharpen themselves. MSB works with centerless, center-type, micro-centric,...

Milling system. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The M750 milling system has two milling cutter bodies in six different diameter sizes for 45-degree lead angle roughing and 30-degree lead angle roughing, roughing and finishing, fine finishing, high-feed finishing and high-speed finishing....

Hardness tester. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The Analog 3814 and the Digital-Motorized 3816 units measure the full regular Rockwell scales on all types of metals and alloys. The analog model is ergonomically designed and results are obtained via direct dial reading. The digital tester is...

Roundness and cylindricity gaging software. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... TrueRond software is used for roundness and cylindricity gaging. TrueRond upgrades allows any gage to conform to the latest ASME and ISO standards. The software helps to visualize the profiles acquired by the surface texture gage, and the gage...

Surface measurement software. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The MarSurf XR 20 is a PC-based system that includes touchscreen monitor, a choice of three drive units and measuring stands, a granite base and touchscreen software. To aid training, it has a simulation mode and teach-in commands that can...

Camshaft inspection system. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... The camshaft inspection system is an off-line audit inspection system that monitors residual stress from manufacturing processes and detects grinding damage and some heat-treat qualities. The unit requires manual loading and unloading of the...

Calibration targets. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... Designed for microscopes and machine-vision systems, these targets measure a variety of imaging system parameters without the need for separate calibration targets. Available in low magnification for 4X to 20X objectives and high magnification...