Quality articles from January 2004

Quality archives from January 2004

Lead by love.(From The Editor)(right leadership for business success)
January 1, 2004... Is your company positioned to be a leader as the recovery continues? Is your company positioned to be a "leader" in its product offerings? Do you have the right leadership within your company to be successful? Two companies recently...

Coming events.(Industry News)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... FEBRUARY * Level II Infrared Training Certification, San Diego, CA, Feb. 2-5, The Academy of Infrared Training, (604) 516-6646. * ISO 9001:2000 Lead Auditor, Detroit, Feb. 2-6. BSI Management Systems, (800) 862-4977 * Quality...

President names Baldrige winners.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- President George Bush and Commerce Secretary Donald Evans announced seven organizations as recipients of the 2003 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest honor for quality and performance excellence. This...

Lectronix Inc.(Business News)(ISO/TS 16949:2002 and ISO 9001: 2000)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Lectronix Inc. (Lansing, MI), a provider of electronic product engineering and manufacturing services, has achieved certification to ISO/TS 16949:2002 and ISO 9001: 2000.

Northrop Grumman Corp.(Business News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Northrop Grumman Corp's (Herndon, VA) information technology sector has received ISO 9001 : 2000 registration.

Sturtevent Richmont.(Business News)(ISO/IEC 17025:1999 and ANSI/NCSL Z540-1: 1994 accreditation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Sturtevant Richmont (Franklin Park, IL) has achieved ISO/IEC 17025:1999 and ANSI/NCSL Z540-1: 1994 accreditation.

Impact Analytical.(Business News)(ISO 9001: 2000 certification)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Impact Analytical (Midland, MI) has achieved registration to ISO 9001: 2000. The company provides problem-solving capabilities, detailed analysis and method development to customers in plastics manufacturing and processing.

Riegl USA.(Business News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Riegl USA (Orlando, FL), a manufacturer of 3-D laser scanning and range finders, has relocated to a new facility. The move allows the company to increase its administrative, sales, service, R&D and distribution capabilities. The new office is...

General Magnaplate.(Business News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... General Magnaplate (Linden, NJ) has completed its ISO 9001:2000 registration.

Epicor Software Corp.(Business News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Epicor Software Corp, (Irvine, CA), a provider of integrated enterprise software solutions, has acquired ROI Systems, an ERP provider of manufacturing software solutions.

VR/Wesson.(Business News)(ISO 9001:2000 certification)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... VR/Wesson (Plantsville, CT), a supplier of precision-ground custom cutting tools, has achieved ISO 9001:2000 certification.

FKI Logistex Alvey Systems.(Business News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... FKI Logistex Alvey Systems, an integrator of automated material flow solutions, has opened a satellite office in Scottsdale, AZ. The office is located at 7702 East Doubletree Ranch Rd., Suite 300-152, Scottsdale, AZ 85258. The phone number is...

MVA Inc.(Business News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... MVA Inc. (Norcross, GA), a multi-disciplined scientific consultancy providing analytical and related laboratory support, has been recognized as an accredited laboratory by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation.

NDT sales to reach $1.77 billion by 2008.(Industry News)(nondestructive testing equipment market )
January 1, 2004... NORWALK, CT -- The U.S. nondestructive testing (NDT) equipment market currently stands at $1.38 billion but is projected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 5.1%, reaching $1.77 billion by 2008, according to a report from Business...

Congress cuts MEP funding.(Industry News)(Manufacturing Extension Partnership)
January 1, 2004... WASHINGTON-Congressional appropriators gutted a federal program that serves America's small manufacturers, despite the support of more than 300 members of Congress. A bipartisan Congressional group conducted a letter writing campaign to...

Pelletron Corp.(People News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Heinz Schneider has been appointed president end CEO of Pelletron Corp. (Lancaster, PA).

ABS Quality Evaluations Inc.(People News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Chuck Russo has been promoted to vice president of operations at ABS Quality Evaluations Inc. (Houston). Also at the company, Bernadette Martinez has been promoted to director of contracting and client services, end Mark Weisberg has been...

Strategic Distribution Inc.(People News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Susan Eckel has been appointed director of business development for Strategic Distribution Inc. (Bensalem, PA).

PCB Piezotronics.(People News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Patrick L. Walter has been named measurement specialist at PCB Piezotronics (Depew, NY).

Entela Inc.(People News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Steven Podvoll has bean named electrical manager for Entela Inc.'s (Grand Rapids, MI) Detroit area automotive testing laboratory.

Environmental Support Solutions.(People News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Scott Gilbert has been appointed chief financial officer at Environmental Support Solutions (Tempe, AZ).

ASQ highlights quality competition.(Industry News)(American Society for Quality)
January 1, 2004... MILWAUKEE -- The American Society for Quality's (ASQ) Annual Quality Congress will feature, for the first time, a "quality competition" The Association for Quality and Participation (AQP) will present the National Team Excellence Awards during...

Defining quality.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Dear Editor, In response to September's "From the Editor" (Quality, September 2003, p. 6), and having been in quality for many years, I created an all-encompassing definition of quality: Quality is all about that which doesn't come back...

Short term, not sigma.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Dear Editor, I liked your article, "Six Sigma is Legit" (Quality, March 2003, p. 6), but how does one accomplish your mandates? Just your one statement, "When used correctly, Six Sigma is a useful and worthy tool" has got to be fodder for...

Let 'em earn it.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Dear Editor, Let the Chinese make cheap, low-end goods? ("Can't Keep It All" Quality, November 2003, p. 6,) That wouldn't affect me directly, but what about my neighbor's kid? He just happens to be 19 and looking at losing his first job...

Deming's vision: arduous but advantageous: it may be a difficult ride, but the destination makes the trip worthwhile.(Probing The Limits)(W. Edwards Deming.)
January 1, 2004... Last winter, while attending the Deming Research Forum, I gained an insight about the person I consider our nation's greatest quality leader, W. Edwards Deming. Ironically, it was a simple comment in the hall that gave me some insight on...

Write it the right way: the basics of creating your own calibration procedures.(Other Dimensions)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... Editor's note: Columnist Hill Cox is beginning a multipart series that focuses on developing custom calibration procedures particular to an individual manufacturer's circumstances. Accurately written calibration procedures are critical in...

Quality standards defined: common industry standards are summarized.(Quality 101)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... Editor's note: This new department is designed to give our readers need-to-know information about quality, as well as tips for maximizing today's technology and techniques. With so many numbers and letters, it is difficult to keep all of...

Water troubles.(Quality Brain Teaser)
January 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...

Surface measurement learns tolerance: as tolerances get tighter, new trends are emerging in form and surface measurement.(Quality Measurement)
January 1, 2004... It's not really news. Everyone working in manufacturing experiences the same phenomenon--tolerances are increasingly tighter. Every time a company receives drawings for new parts, they find that the tolerances are tighter than the tolerances on...

Do your materials measure up? Materials testing can provide quality clues before parts are produced.(Quality Test & Inspection)
January 1, 2004... Materials testing is often the last step in the manufacturing process. Yet, quality is the result of both the process and the material. If the material that goes into the product is defective, then the product may be defective. Quality cannot...

Improve gage R&R ratios: using gage repeatability and reproducibility studies help determine when parts are in or out of spec.(Quality Software & Analysis)
January 1, 2004... Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (GR&R) studies provide information on measurement system performance by using ratios of measurement variation and part tolerance gathered from multiple part and operator measurements. If measurement...

Machine vision brightens inspections: in what is believed the first time ever, two projects prove that Six Sigma can be met with machine vision.(Quality Management)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... Reaching Six Sigma levels requires hard work. It requires drive and determination to repeat tests and try new ideas until Six Sigma levels are met. It requires extremely accurate and repeatable equipment, and, to that list of equipment can now...

CMM flies through flywheels.(Case Studies)(coordinate measuring machine)
January 1, 2004... To upgrade a manufacturing line for more flexibility during lean times, QS-9000-certified engine-component supplier DACO Inc. (North Aurora, IL) re-engineered a machining cell to integrate an existing coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with...

Software gets departments talking.(Case Studies)(Computerized Maintenance Management System)
January 1, 2004... U.S.Tsubaki's (Wheeling, IL) plant in Chicopee, MA, makes state-of-the-art power transmission products for such top tier suppliers as Toyota, Ford and GM. As such, U.S. Tsubaki operates by the KAIZEN culture of sustained continuous improvement,...

Retrofit adds capacity, reduces costs.(Case Studies)(Detail Technologies Inc.)
January 1, 2004... Detail Technologies (Wyoming, MI), a contract machining company, has increased its revenues by retrofitting a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with a laser scanner to increase its accuracy and speed. The laser scanner can capture almost...

Sentinel M24 single or multi-station instrument sets new standard for leak testing.(Innovations in Assembly)(Leak detectors)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... * Enhanced, simplified communication * Brilliant, graphic VFD * High performance, fast, accurate test results * Versatile, modular pneumatics * Comprehensive, integral single-station tooling control Communication via...

Longer stage micrometer.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The PS5 has an accuracy scale of 20 millimeters in length, which is subdivided into 10 micron divisions. The scale is produced as a vacuum-deposited chrome image on a square of glass, with a coverglass cemented on top. This is mounted in a...

Optical projector.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... This horizontal bench-top optical projector has a 400-millimeter screen, 250-millimeter X-axis table travel, bayonet fitting lenses and Q-axis angular readout. The unit is fitted with Quadra-Chek digital readout systems. The projector includes...

CMM simulation software.(New Products)(offline coordinate measuring machine )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... CMMWorks, an offline coordinate measuring machine (CMM) programming and simulation software package, reduces CMM downtime, allows for full use of original CAD geometry and helps prevent probe-head collisions. The software supports the...

CD-ROM education series.(New Products)(Nationwide Gage Calibration Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Calibration Trainer Education Series is a multimedia CD-ROM designed for quality and calibration professionals to learn calibration and measurement uncertainty methods. All featured lessons are based on the step-by-step instructions that...

Transducer.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The force transducer for slip measurement is used with the company's automatic film applicators, SAR-2101 and SAR-2150. The measurement is done automatically under reproducible conditions. During measurements, the values are saved in Excel...

Changeable drill tip.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The KenTip modular carbide tip drilling line with tips can be changed without removing them from the machine. They are available in inch sizes from 5/16 inch to 5/8 inch and metric sizes from 8 millimeters to 16 millimeters. The carbide tips...

SPC software.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The SPCx embedded real-time SPC software was designed for Wonderware InTouch. SPCx is an online real-time SPC tool that incorporates ActiveX-based real time SPC with any InTouch application. It enables operators, engineers and managers to...

Machine vision appliance.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... ICheck is a pre-packaged machine vision appliance that is designed for installation and operation by manufacturing engineers with little or no previous machine vision experience. It can be used to detect missing or incorrect products in a...

Manufacturing execution software.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The P3 Collaborative Manufacturing Execution (P3CME) suite of applications integrates three modules, the P3-Materlals Management System, P3-Time & Labor Capture and P3-Shop Floor Execution, to create a holistic view of people, parts and...

Geometric pattern software.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... PatFlex is a software tool that enables a vision system to locate an object, feature or pattern whose perspective has changed or whose surface is curved, warped, wrinkled or stretched. By finding and then correcting for these types of...

Thread gage.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The Automatic Thread Gage measures thread depth and detects broken taps, missing threads, half-formed threads, cross threads and true hole position. A go-no go thread gage is inserted into the hole using a low torque nut runner. The revolutions...

Stanchions.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The stanchions add a fourth or fifth axis of adjustability to a T-Slotted frame with stanchions. More than 40 standard stanchions are available including single or double shaft bases, blank or predrilled mounting plates, and single or double...

Hydraulic universal testing machine.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The ExPress line of servo-hydraulic universal testing machines feature a static crosshead and a bottom-mounted servo-hydraulic piston for automatic testing in tension or compression. This design eliminates movable column components by...

Machine vision system.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The VPC-1.3 is a Windows XP computer equipped with a machine vision software package. Images are acquired with a 1.3 Mega Pixel USB camera--no frame grabber board is required. Switching functions such as "Part In Place," "Good Part," and "Bad...

Small package checkweigher.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The TSC 350 is a drag-chain style checkweigher that is designed for in-motion weighing of rigid, semi-rigid and stable products weighing from 1 gram to 10 kilograms. This checkweighing system is capable of weighing up to 350 units per minute,...

Digital logarithmic stereo camera.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The digital logarithmic stereo camera is used for distance measurement in real time. Working with sub-pixel accuracy, the rectified camera calculates image and sensor corrections in step with the frame rate. Bi-directional digital camera...

SPC software.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Synergy 2000 monitors and reacts to process variation during production and inspection. Software tools support Six Sigma quality initiatives. Companies with multiple locations can use the software to get a real-time enterprise-wide view of all...

Dew point meter.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The PosiTector Dew Point Meter (DPM) measures and records climatic parameters including air temperature, surface temperature, relative humidity, dew point temperature and the difference between surface and dew point temperatures A data logger...

Portable CMM.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The Combo Package includes the company's Platinum FaroArm Control Station, a four- to 12-foot arm with six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) probe, and the Laser Tracker Si that has a range of 230 feet. Both systems share the same CAM2 Measure software,...

Process management tools.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Version 9.1 of the iGrafx family of process management tools features JMP integration for enhanced statistical analysis capabilities for Six Sigma process management, repository support for Oracle databases and expert support for open file...

Semiconductor wafer measurement.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The MicroLine 400 critical dimension measurement system automatically measures linewidth, overlay, and other critical features on wafers and photomasks. It measures features from 0.5 micron to 400 microns in size. Measurement repeatability is 4...

CNC vision measuring system.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Quick Vision is a CNC vision measuring systems that measures IC chips, IC packages, hybrid chassis, lead frames and many types of precision-machined, molded and similar parts. Powered by QVPAK software, the Quick Vision platform offers a wide...

CMM.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The SMART Gage coordinate measuring machine is constructed to work in a shop-floor environment and is resistant to debris, coolant and chips without a loss of accuracy. It has a small footprint and no access door-swing requirements. The...

Prisms.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The hollow penta prisms are free from the constraint posed by absorption of light by a glass substrate, and the only limitation on the wavelengths used is the coating chosen on the two mirrored surfaces, the company says. The two mirrors are...

CCD camera.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The IK-TF5 progressive scan three CCD color camera eliminates image jitter by incorporating three 1/3-inch progressive scan CCDs with 65g by 494 effective square pixels. The co-site sampling arrangement of the CCDs means there is no RGB shift,...

Stereo microscopes.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The Olympus SZX-Series of stereo microscopes provide observation clarity and system flexibility with various combinations of illumination sources, objective magnifications and ergonomic features. Choose among fiber optics, brightfield/darkfield...