Quality articles from March 2008

Quality archives from March 2008

And the award goes to ...(FROM THE EDITOR)(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... It's that time of year again. Whenever you turn on your television, there's another awards show being aired. Does anyone watch these shows for the awards anymore? Or do we watch for the glitz and glamour to be part of the water cooler talk? ...

ISO/IEC update metrology vocabulary guide.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have published a new guide on the vocabulary of metrology. ISO/IEC Guide 99: 2007, International...

NIST develops new approach to surface profiling.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(National Institute of Standards and Technology)
March 1, 2008... GAITHERSBURG, MD -- Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new technique for measuring the roughness of surfaces. Their results will be announced in a forthcoming paper and could cut...

Coming events.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Conference news)(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... APRIL 22-25 CONTROL 2008, Stuttgart, Germany. P.E. Schall GmbH, +(49)-7025-92060. www.control-messe.com/en/control 28-5/1 QUALITY MEASUREMENT CONFERENCE, Clearwater, FL. Quality Magazine, (248) 786-1584. www.qualitymag.com/qmc ...

National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA).(ASSOCIATION NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA) will commence its 40th anniversary celebration during the 2008 NFDA Annual Spring Meeting, April 9 to 12 at the Camelback inn in Scottsdale, AZ. "We look forward to commemorating such an...

Fogale Nanotech Inc.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Fogale Nanotech Inc. (Los Angeles), provider of metrology systems, opened its first North American office in Los Angeles. This location is not only a strategic implantation, but will improve the aftermarket sales service for the company's...

Minitab Inc.(BUSINESS NEWS)(introduction of 15 statistical software)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Minitab Inc. (State College, PA), provider of software and services for quality improvement, announces the release of a fully translated Korean version of Minitab 15 Statistical Software, used to implement Six Sigma and other data-driven...

National Technical Systems Inc.(BUSINESS NEWS)(National Technical Systems Inc. takes contract to relocate Dynamics and Environmental Test Laboratory )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... National Technical Systems Inc. (NTS, Calabasas, CA), provider of engineering services, signed an agreement to relocate the complete Dynamics and Environmental Test Laboratory from the U.S. Navy's Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Panama City...

Hexagon Metrology Inc. (North Kingstown, RI), provider of metrology solutions, and Mycrona of North America Inc. (Elgin, IL), a division of Mycrona GmbH and supplier of metrology systems, announce an exclusive distribution agreement for North America.(BUSINESS NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Hexagon Metrology Inc. (North Kingstown, RI), provider of metrology solutions, and Mycrona of North America Inc. (Elgin, IL), a division of Mycrona GmbH and supplier of metrology systems, announce an exclusive distribution agreement for North...

3M's Electronic Solutions Division (Austin, Texas), supplier of solutions to the electronics, market, and Antares Advanced Test Technologies (Vancouver, Washington), provider of test solutions for the semiconductor industry, signed a global distribution agreement.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... 3M's Electronic Solutions Division (Austin, Texas), supplier of solutions to the electronics, market, and Antares Advanced Test Technologies (Vancouver, Washington), provider of test solutions for the semiconductor industry, signed a global...

Faro Technologies Inc. (Lake Mary, FL), maker of computerized measurement devices, received an order for 15 laser measuring units from Boeing Co. (Chicago).(BUSINESS NEWS)
March 1, 2008... Faro Technologies inc. (Lake Mary, FL), maker of computerized measurement devices, received an order for 15 laser measuring units from Boeing Co. (Chicago). Boeing will use Faro laser tracker Xi units for tooling commercial airplanes in...

PANalytical.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... PANalytical (Almelo, The Netherlands), provider of analytical X-ray equipment, celebrates five years of significant growth and development since its launch in September 2002. At that time the business, which was founded in The Netherlands in...

Northwest Analytical Inc.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Northwest Analytical Inc. (NWA, Portland, OR), provider of SPC and manufacturing analytics software, opened an office in Shanghai, PR China. The company is planning on staffing the office with sales, marketing and technical support to fully...

Banner Engineering.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Banner Engineering Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Banner Engineering (Minneapolis, MN), provider of vision, senor and metrology solutions, announces that its racing team won the final race of the 2007 sea son, the Grand-Am Rolex GT Sunchaser 1000, on September 15, 2007, at Miller Motorsports...

FARO named to Forbes' list.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Faro Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... LAKE MARY, FL -- Faro Technologies Inc., manufacturer of measurement hardware and software, has been named to Forbes Magazine's list of America's 25 fastest-growing technology companies. "It is truly an honor to be listed among industry...

NAM: manufacturers support Bush's economic focus.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(National Association of Manufacturers )
March 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President John Engler praised President Bush's final State of the Union speech, saying manufacturers fully support the President's focus on economic growth. "The President is...

Manufacturing technology consumption up 6.6% year-to-date.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... MCLEAN, VA -- November 2007 U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $365.66 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total, as...

Chinas's growing pains: quality improvements--like many things in China--are a work in progress.(SPECIAL REPORT)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There is an old Chinese proverb, "there is no wave without wind," which today can be interpreted as: There is no Chinese economic boom without a complex, expanding global marketplace. With increasing demand coming...

Making the quality department work: better designs and processes with clear target values ensure virtually defect-free production.(MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE)
March 1, 2008... Since the 1950s expectations for quality have been increasing because of domestic and global competition. In the 1980s Motorola envisioned quality requirements for the year 2000 and realized virtual perfection would be the norm. Competitive...

Making your mark: each gage should have a unique number for control and tracking purposes.(OTHER DIMENSIONS)
March 1, 2008... One of the essential elements in any quality program is identification of all the measuring instruments and gages that are part of it. Simply speaking, each should have a unique number for control and tracking purposes. Marking that number on...

Nondestructive testing: nondestructive testing (NDT) is used in a multitude of industries to test a wide range of materials.(QUALITY 101)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nondestructive testing (NDT), or nondestructive evaluation (NDE), is a method of materials testing that assesses the characteristics of a component without altering or destroying it. NDT is important in the materials...

Improve productivity by 5%.(BRAIN TEASERS)(Product management)
March 1, 2008... Anyone who has faced a production problem with a need to solve it by using production data can relate to the notion of a brain teaser. The brain teasers presented here are based on real-world situations encountered by workers in manufacturing...

Multisensor measuring: Optiv provides key synergy between 2-D and 3-D measurements.(QUALITY INNOVATIONS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hexagon Metrology (North Kingstown, RI) addresses the need for eliminating operator subjective issues in their new release of the Brown & Sharpe Optiv line of multisensor measurement systems. Through a simple...

Air gaging gets better with age: around for more than 50 years, air gaging still offers measurement solutions.(QUALITY MEASUREMENT)(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Air gaging was the breakthrough measuring technology of the 1940s and 1950s. Introduced decades before electronic gaging was widely accepted, it provided the first high performance--50 microinch or better--gaging on...

Rockwell--standard--revealed: learn more about the ASTM E18-07 hardness testing standard.(QUALITY TEST & INSPECTION)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The long awaited ASTM E18-07 Rockwell Hardness Standard has been released. While it is technically similar to the older version, some changes affect both users and service providers. Here is a brief summary of...

Easier hardness testing: from standards to specialty equipment, learn more about hardness testing.(QUALITY TEST & INSPECTION)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hardness testing is an important part of quality and many factors need to be considered for this type of test, as seemingly small factors--thickness, size, location--can have a big impact. Selecting hardness...

Vision for 2008: for those of you who were lucky enough to be in Florida this January, you may already be aware of this. For those of you who are not AIA members, or who spent the majority of winter under a foot of snow, I have some news to share.(FROM THE EDITOR)(Annual Automated Imaging Association )
March 1, 2008... At the 16th Annual Automated Imaging Association (AIA) Business Conference, held at the end of January in Orlando, Don Cochran, chairman and CEO of Pressco Technology Inc., received this year's AIA Award. The annual award honors one industry...

Cochran receives industry award.(NEWS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ORLANDO, FL -- Don W. Cochran, chairman and CEO of Pressco Technology Inc., was presented with the 2008 Automated Imaging Achievement Award during a ceremony held at the Automated Imaging Association's (AIA) 16th...

New AIA president announced.(NEWS)(Automated Imaging Association)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ORLANDO, FL -- The AIA board of directors elected Michael Cyros, president of Allied Vision Technologies Inc., as AIA president for 2008. He succeeds John Merva, who served as president for three years. Cyros has been involved in the...

AIA names managing director.(NEWS)(Automated Imaging Association)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... ANN ARBOR, MI -- The Automated Imaging Association (AIA) promoted Dana Whalls to managing director. Whalls has more than 18 years' experience in marketing, business development and finance in metropolitan Detroit-area advertising agencies,...

Marathon Sensors named Ohio exporter of the year.(NEWS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WEST CHESTER, OH -- Ohio Governor Ted Strickland awarded the highest honor in exporting for 2007 to Marathon Sensors Inc., a designer, manufacturer and marketer of atmosphere sensors, instrumentation and control...

Imperx partners with NCT.(NEWS)(Imperx Inc. and North Coast Technical Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... BOCA RATON, FL -- Imperx Inc., a provider of digital cameras and frame grabbers for machine vision systems, has expanded its market presence in the manufacturing belt of the United States with a new business alliance. The company is partnering...

Omron selects president and coo.(NEWS)(Gregg A. Holst appointed as CEO at Omron Electronics L.L.C.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... SCHAUMBURG, IL -- Gregg A. Holst has been appointed Omron Electronics LLC's chief operating officer and president. As chief operating officer, Holst will direct the marketing, sates and service operations of Omron Electronics LLC in the United...

Baumer Optronic appoints managing director.(NEWS)(Baumer Optronic GmbH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... RADEBERG, GERMANY -- Baumer Optronic GmbH, a member of the worldwide Baumer Group and manufacturer of digital image acquisition components and smart vision sensors, appointed Dirk Ruttgerodt as managing director for commercial management....

Gefran names general manager.(NEWS)(Gefran Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... WINCHESTER, MA -- Gefran Inc., a manufacturer of sensors and automation components for machine automation and process control, appointed Cecil Thomas as genera[ manager for Gefran's Motion Operations in Charlotte, NC. In this newly created...

Opto Engineering partners with MaxxVision.(NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... MANTOVA, ITALY -- Opto Engineering, manufacturer of telecentric lenses and optical components for machine vision, announces MaxxVision (Stuttgart, Germany) as its exclusive distributor for Germany. The agreement will improve the approach to...

Qioptiq merges with Linos.(NEWS)(mergers between Qioptiq Group and Linos AG )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... FAIRPORT, NY--Qioptiq Group has completed the necessary legal and administrative processes for the merger with Linos AG (Goettingen, Germany); the two companies will now act as one organization. The Qioptiq Group designs and manufactures...

Simplify the machine vision purchase: ask the right questions before purchasing a vision system.(Q&A)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The rapid expansion of the machine vision industry has caused a dizzying array of vendors to bring new products to the marketplace. With so many options, it may be difficult for first-time vision users to sort...

Imaging small objects: a judicious lens and camera selection will overcome the challenges that small objects pose.(MACHINE VISION 101)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Machine vision systems are commonly used in inspection applications where small objects need to be identified, measured or checked. These systems can resolve orders of magnitude in finer detail than the human eye and...

Digital or analog? Selecting the right camera for an application depends on what the machine vision system is trying to achieve.(CAMERAS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In designing an industrial machine vision system, one of the most important decisions is whether to use a digital or analog camera. Each has advantages and limitations. But in the final analysis, the choice will be...

Application answers: learn more about the basic structure of machine vision applications.(STRUCTURE)
March 1, 2008... "I am looking for a camera that rejects parts with incorrect drill-holes." Every day, machine vision providers receive such inquiries. Often, prospective customers are surprised at the answer: "Sorry, but cameras can't do that." While...

Six steps to sensor success: learn how to choose a laser displacement sensor.(SENSORS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How fast is fast? What does it mean to have a fast laser sensor? Either it measures, or it doesn't, right? It depends what is meant by measure. Is the operator looking to measure a specific point on the part, high...

Perfecting gap dimensions in auto assembly.(CASE STUDY)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] German automobiles stand worldwide for high quality down to the smallest detail. "There is no second chance for a first impression" is the motto of German engineers and designers. And in fact, perceived quality is a...

Frame grabber.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The PIXCI EC1 ExpressCard/54 is a frame grabber for camera link cameras and notebook computers. The frame grabber supports almost all full, medium and base configuration camera link cameras with the PIXCI EC1's...

Fixed focal length lenses.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Techspec lenses are fixed focal point lenses that offer object-space resolution of more than two line-pairs per millimeter, and are available in popular focal lengths such as 8.5 and 12 millimeters. These lenses are...

Optical inspection systems.(PRODUCTS)(VISIONx inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... VisionGauge online high-speed, high-accuracy automated optical inspection systems have high-speed servomotor-based motion on all three axes. They come in full gantry configuration so it is the camera that is in motion and the parts under...

Firewire-B cameras.(PRODUCTS)(Toshiba Teli America Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The FireDragon line of progressive scan cameras uses FireWire-B (IEEE1394.b) technology, which results in transfer rates of 800 megabytes per second, or twice that of FireWire a or USB 2.0 cameras. Available in eight...

Firewire cameras.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The TX Series' FireWire cameras have a modular setup of the matrix that supports the IEEE1394b interface with data transfer rates up to 80 megabytes per second. The TX Series--consisting of the TXF and TXD product...

3-D camera.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The Ranger is a camera for 3-D scanner manufacturers and vision integrators that is capable of 3-D vision inspections of up to 35,000 profiles per second. It also can achieve measurements down to less than 10 micrometers. The camera has...

Go beyond gage control: learn how integrating gage control with quality systems can improve the entire manufacturing process.(QUALITY SOFTWARE & ANALYSIS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Best-in-class manufacturing companies faced with quality and compliance regulations have turned those mandates into a competitive advantage--and technology plays a key rote. Consider an integrated quality...

Quality leadership 100: big or small, quality affects all companies.(QUALITY MANAGEMENT)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] No matter the size of the company, quality is critical. The companies listed in the Quality Leadership 100 run the gamut from small manufacturers--such as the number 1 company Advanced Instrument Development Inc....

Increasing throughput with lean concepts.(CASE STUDIES)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Joe Oakley, powdercoat team leader for Edmond, OK-based Pelco Products Inc., manufacturer of traffic signal hardware, structural poles, decorative lighting and utility hardware, knew he wanted to use lean in his...

CNC standardization.(CASE STUDIES)(Wilhelm Bott GmbH & Co. KG has used computer numerical controlled)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wilhelm Bott GmbH & Co. KG (Gaildorf, Germany), a manufacturer of factory and service car racking systems, has used computer numerical controlled (CNC) machines for its production since the mid 1990s. Bott modernized...

Portable measuring arm.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Infinite 5012 is a 4-foot portable version of the company's flagship measuring arm line, intended for small jobs where light weight and a small footprint are required. Possible applications include benchtop...

Digital multimeter.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 8808A Digital Multimeter has 5.5-digit resolution, multifunction measurement capability and a dual display that enables operators to measure two different but related parameters simultaneously. The unit has six...

Handheld scanner.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Zscanner 800 is a handheld, self-orienting 3-D scanner appropriate for reverse engineering, design, manufacturing, digital mockups and simulations. Its resolution and accuracy capture small objects and highly...

Digital cameras.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Spot Idea digital cameras feature advanced CMOS sensor technology and a USB 2.0 plug-and-play interface. The cameras deliver 5-, 3- or 1.3-megapixel images in vivid, lifelike colors, using Correct Color Technology,...

Rotating beam fatigue system.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The R.R. Moore rotating beam fatigue system applies flexural stress on materials through failure, and can be used as a hands-on tool to demonstrate the basic principles of fatigue. The durable, low-maintenance system...

Embedded wireless sensor network.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(DUST NETWORKS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SmartMesh IA-500 is a family of standards-based wireless sensor networking (WSN) systems. SmartMesh IA-510, the first in this family, is compatible with the WirelessHart standard and enables industrial automation...

Video measuring system.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The iNEXIV VMA-2520 is a multisensor video measuring system that is lightweight and compact enough to be used in the factory on a benchtop, with automatic features that make it suited for a variety of industrial measuring, inspection and...

Rebound hardness tester.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Equotip Bambino is a portable metal hardness tester that combines modern electronics with an impact device that integrates the release trigger into the charging mechanism. The stand-alone tester does not require...

I/0 system.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The DX70 SureCross Wireless Network is a wireless sensing solution that delivers a dedicated industrial I/0 system, providing directly mapped I/0 using a gateway and node, each equipped with four discrete inputs and...

Torque measurement system.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The LightStar Torque Measurement System is designed to error proof residual torque auditing. The torque and angle wrenches are part of a solution that includes the company's data collectors and software to virtually...

Inline spectrophotometer.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The VeriColor Spectro instrument provides colormetric measurements in factory environments. The instrument can provide real-time or continuous data that matches lab-quality accuracy; measure colors at a distance of 10 centimeters ([+ or -] 5...

Height gage.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(The Digimar 817 CLM Height Measuring Instrument)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Digimar 817 CLM Height Measuring Instrument has three distinct ways to initiate measurement. In addition to normal keypad initiation, a quick mode feature allows the measurement cycle to be initiated by pushing...

Cameras with HDTV resolution.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The TM-2030 Series is a set of four cameras that have HDTV resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels. The series offers software-selectable operation that allows operators to choose between dual tap mode at 32 frames per second (with automatic...

High-magnification zoom lens.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Zoom 6000 high-magnification zoom lens system is compatible with large format sensors up to 30 millimeters in diagonal--including the Kodak KAI sensor. The parfocal zoom system is known for producing...

Color sensors.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dura-Vue DF12 Series color sensors can be taught to recognize three independent colors. Programming is accomplished via a potentiometer setting at the sensor, or by a remote teach signal from a PLC. The Dura-Vue DF12 series has a metal-framed...

CCD camera.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)
March 1, 2008... The 18-megapixel GE4900 runs three frames per second at 4,872 by 3,248 pixel resolution over a GigE Vision-compliant Gigabit Ethernet interface. This industrial digital camera incorporates a Kodak KAI-16000 progressive scan CCD sensor with...

Machine vision programming library.(QUALITY PRODUCTS)(STEMMER IMAGING GMBH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Common Vision Blox 9.0.2 (CVB) is a machine vision programming library. For this release the company has developed its own GigE Vision driver that connects over a socket link and contains a high-performance filter driver that directly forwards...

The "three R's" of today.(THE LAST WORD)(Automated Imaging Association)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My grade school teachers always emphasized the 'three R's of learning--readin', 'ritin' and 'rithmetic--as a foundation for all other learning. Risk, reward and refinement are the "three R's" of today's...