Quality articles from May 2002

Quality archives from May 2002

No respect. (From The Editor).(Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... In recent years, the federally sponsored Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award has turned into the Rodney Dangerfield of the quality world. The Baldrige, it seems--much like the comedic persona created by stand-up comic Dangerfield--just...

Now you see it; the modulation transfer function describes the contrast and resolution of an optical component, and is one key to determining image quality. (Training Trends).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... In order for an optical imaging system to be successful, it must provide images of sufficient quality. Exactly what qualifies as sufficient quality depends on the application, but is always a combination of resolution and contrast, as well as...

Manufacturing workers earning more. (Industry News). (in 2002, Bureau of Labor Statistics).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Manufacturing workers in nonsupervisory roles are making more money this year than last. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, manufacturing workers made an average of $15.15 an hour in February this year....

General Motors recalls 1.9 million vehicles. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... General Motors Corp. (Detroit) is recalling 1.9 million passenger vehicles because of a potential problem in the steering column. The recall pertains to 1995 to 1997 Chevrolet Cavilers and Pontiac Sunfires, 1996 to 1997 Buick Skylarks, Pontiac...

Coming events.
May 1, 2002... June * 2002 International Forum on Design for Manufacture and Assembly, Newport, RI, June 10-12. Boothroyd Dewhurst Inc., (401) 783-6872. * Advanced Material Hardness Testing, Novi, MI, June 11. Instron, (800) 564-8378. June...

IQS Inc. (Business News).
May 1, 2002... IQS Inc. (Cleveland) has created a supplier portal strategy to support the collaboration of supplier quality related information. The portal will support performance, development, collaboration and assessment.

Goodrich Avionics Systems. (Business News). (certified).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Goodrich Avionics Systems (Grand Rapids, MI) has achieved AS9100 certification.

Feuz Manufacturing Inc. (Business News). (gets registered).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Feuz Manufacturing Inc. (Schenectaday, NY) has received registration to AS9000 and ISO 9002.

Entela Inc. (Business News). (opens office in Milwaukee).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Entela Inc. (Grand Rapids, MI) has opened a sales office in Milwaukee.

Rahn Precision. (Business News). (gets registered).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Rahn Precision (Englewood, OH) has received registration to ISO 9002.

Perceptron. (Business News).
May 1, 2002... Perceptron (Plymouth, MI) has appointed Optimal Inc. (Novi, MI) as a value-added reseller for its 3-D scanning hardware and software technology components. Optimal will integrate Perceptron's Scanworks hardware and software package as a...

B.C. Ames Inc. (Business News). (acquired by Custom Metal Products Inc.).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... B.C. Ames Co., a historic gaging company founded in 1896, has been purchased by the owners of Custom Metal Products Inc. The new company, named B.C. Ames Inc., has relocated to Melrose, MA.

GSE tech-motive tool. (Business News). (new name for Advanced Assembly Group of SPX Corp.).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... GSE tech-motive tool (Novi, MI), a Div. of SPX Corp., is the new name for the Advanced Assembly Group, manufacturer of GSE transducers and torque instruments and techmotive tool nutrunners, controllers and fastening systems.

Faro Technologies Inc. (Business News).(acquires SpatialMetrix Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Faro Technologies Inc. (Lake Mary, FL), a provider of computer-aided manufacturing measurement systems, has acquired SpatialMetrix Corp., a supplier of laser trackers, metrology software and contract inspection services.

Agfa NDT Inc. (Business News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Agfa NDT Inc. (Lewistown, PA) has been formed to offer a full range of nondestructive testing (NDT) solutions. The Agfa-Gevaert Group (Belgium) has purchased several NDT companies--RADView, Krautkramer Inc., and Pantak Inc. & Rich. Siefert &...

GE Fanuc touts Six Sigma know-how. (Industry News).(forms Global Solutions Business)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... General Electric Co. became one of industry's most ardent and best known practitioners of Six Sigma quality methodologies under former Chairman Jack Welch. Now, GE Fanuc Automation (Charlottesville, VA), an affiliate of GE Industrial Systems,...

New Starrett unit. (Industry News).(Starrett Calibration Services)(Abstract)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The L.S. Starrett Co. (Athol, MA) has launched Starrett Calibration Services, a subsidiary to provide calibration of precision tools and gages. Operating out of Duncan, SC, Starrett Calibration Services repairs all major brands of precision...

ASTM International. (Association News).(New Business Development Unit)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Organizations and business entities can more easily achieve their objectives through the New Business Development Unit at ASTM International. Through outsourcing and partnership agreements, New Business Development clients can use ASTM's...

A Six Sigma challenge. (Sophronia's Solutions).
May 1, 2002... 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...

Under pressure. (Quality Innovations).(Sensor Products Inc., electronic tactile force and pressure-indicating sensor)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... It can be rolled up and carried under a person's arm. It can be crumpled up like paper and it can be rolled over with an automobile tire. Of course, the last thing is what the pressure pad is made to do. The Xsensor pressure pad system from...

2-D vs. 3-D: X-ray systems go under the microscope: here's a look at the theory, features, advantages and disadvantages of both 2-D and 3-D X-ray inspection systems. (Measurement, Test & Inspection).
May 1, 2002... Three-dimensional (3-D) X-ray inspection technology offers a new level of imaging power to explore the inner structures of even the most complicated electronics assemblies. The move to 3-D X-ray inspection is a suitable match in technology for...

Mining factory data: when companies collect as much as a terabyte of data a day, software can help them dig through that data to find hidden nuggets of information. (Software & Analysis).
May 1, 2002... For manufacturers, making sense of the millions of bytes of data generated daily by many factory operations has always been a daunting task. Today, however, that task is becoming far less challenging, thanks to advances in data mining software....

An investment in your future. (Quality Expo Detroit: message from the show manager).
May 1, 2002... Dear Quality Professional: In today's economic climate, quality in manufacturing is more important than ever, given the pressure for speed-to-market, the need to optimize existing systems and the supply chain, and the drive for...

Quality Expo Detroit conference program. (Conferences).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Wednesday, June 12, 2002 How to Transition to ISO 9001: 2000 at Rocket Speed BBI Quality Systems 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This comprehensive course will provide the tools and knowledge to begin transitioning to ISO 9001: 2000...

Intelligence software. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... QualTrend is a Web-based plant floor portal that enables production, plant and quality management to tap into the wealth of information isolated in existing plant floor systems, and then transform that information into key performance...

Global CMM. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Global coordinate measuring machines can be equipped with a variety of sensors to perform a wide range of measurement and inspection tasks including first piece inspection, layout inspection, reverse engineering, tool set-up, process control...

Metrology software. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... MetriVie was designed to seamlessly accommodate optical, touch and laser sensors. Built from the ground up for secure operation and support with Windows-based applications, the software integrates fully into closely tied, networked...

Coating thickness gage. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The PosiTector 6000 coating thickness gage measures coatings on both ferrous and nonferrous materials. A larger full graphics display features a high contrast backlight and is capable of presenting full on-screen menus for greater flexibility....

CNC CMM. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... With the Crysta Plus 504 coordinate measuring machine, there is no compromise of accuracy when available real-time temperature compensation is applied--even at temperature extremes from 60.8 F to 78.8 F Temperature sensors can be located on...

Leak testing. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Premier's user interface features graphical LCD displays while navigation keys provide information to the programmer. The leak and low tester is designed for manual or automated test scenarios. The unit has multiple test pressures, data...

Coatings measurement. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The step-by-step, menu-driven Elcometer 456 coating thickness gage walks the operator through the entire calibration and data collection storage process. Get accurate readings with full board statistics including storage of up to 40,000...

Data collection. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The No. 794 DataGet software and gage interface kit allows machinists and inspectors to collect measurement data for statistical process control. The package includes a custom two-port adapter with a 3-foot cable, software and a leather pouch...

Grinder-polisher. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Gamma/Vector 5000, a 12-inch semiautomatic tabletop grinder-polisher, features 50 method programmability, variable head and base speeds, macro/micro material removal and is available for both central and single force operation. Primet 3000,...

Standards information. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Need the most current ISO 9001: 2000, ISO 14000 and ISO 17025 information and tools, from project management to business improvement? These consultants are experts in implementation, auditing and measurement uncertainty, and can help companies...

Portable hardness tester. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... This hardness tester uses the TIV (Through Indenter Viewing) method to test a variety of metals. The probe uses a traditional pyramid-shaped Vickers diamond that is pressed into the material under a defined test load, and a CCD camera monitors...

Measurement tool. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Auditor is a portable tool to improve measurement integrity when collecting factory floor data. It interfaces with all types of gages, including torque wrenches and calipers. The tool has a large LCD color screen, displays graphic job aids...

Horizontal beam comparator. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The 1600 Series S-T 16-inch horizontal beam comparator features a 5- by 20-inch nickel-plated stage with 150 pound load capacity, 12-inch X axis and 7-inch Y axis travel, 0.00005 inch/ 0.001 millimeter precision glass scales, quick release on X...

Leveling mounts. (Show Products).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Pneumatic leveling mounts provide low frequency vibration and shock control for surface plates, coordinate measuring machines, fans, air compressors, motor/generator sets and high-speed punch presses. For vibration control applications, the...

Vertical measuring system. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... The Labmaster Standard is a direct-reading, vertical measuring system for measuring gage blocks, ball bearings and spheres, threaded plugs, thread wires, pin and plug gages, and film thickness with instrument uncertainty to 0.05 micron. The...

Registration services. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... This registrar focuses on automotive industry requirements, ISO/TS 16949 and ISO 14001. A 14001 department has been set up to deal with the special needs of the automotive supplier. The registrar also offers ISO 9000, QS-9000, TE supplement and...

Hardness tester. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... The Silver Series of Rockwell Hardness testers include four models: the RA-1 analog manual regular scale testers, the MRA-1 analog motorized regular scale tester, the MRD-1 digital regular scale tester and the MTD-2 twin scale digital tester....

Software delivery. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... QualityData Online is a method of software application delivery that gives users the freedom to securely access, update and distribute their quality documents--such as process flows, control plans, FMEAs, operator instructions and PPAP...

Optical CMM. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... These optical coordinate measuring machines are capable of becoming multisensorial through the addition of a Renishaw touch probe, laser triangulation, white light sensors or other probing options. These machines are suited for measurement of...

Six Sigma software. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... Over the years, design FMEAs and process FMEAs have become documents that companies must fill out rather than a process to be implemented to improve their products and processes. The Six Sigma FMEA Facilitator and FMEA Cost Tracker suite of...

Linear gage sensor. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... GS-1630, a digital linear gage sensor, can be installed in current production equipment. The gage measures dimensions, thickness, curvature, eccentricity, displacement, height, depth, flatness, variation, runout, roundness, distortion,...

Registration services. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... As an accredited registrar for management systems registration, services pertaining to numerous international standards are offered, including: ISO 9001, 9002, 9003; ISO 9001: 2000; QS-9000, VDA and ISO/TS 16949; ISO 14001 and AS 9000. Minimum...

Ceramic gages. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... Applications for ceramic gages are often used where metallic contamination of parts is not allowed, such as electronic component inspection. The gages are used as "grand masters" in laboratories, and their white color readily identifies them...

Thermometer. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... The Chub-E4 Thermometer Readout includes four channels for reading thermocouples, platinum resistance thermometers or thermistors. The LCD displays the current temperature from the four inputs. Select eight data fields to view on-screen,...

Quality management software. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... The Web-based quality management software, EtQ Solutions, features EtQ Office Fusion. Office Fusion comes as a component that works within Microsoft Office and the software's applications to bring the functionality of the two platforms together...

Eddy current. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... The component test line of products includes the MIZ-27CT and the MIZ-23 eddy current instruments. These instruments interface with a wide variety of standard and custom probes for both discrete components and continuous manufacturing...

Surface roughness gage. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... The Lasercheck noncontact surface roughness gage performs repeatable in a fraction of a second. The rugged gage withstands shop floor handling. No expensive maintenance or replacement stylus tips are ever required. Optical Dimensions LLC...

E-business. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... e-Advantage is an e-business application that provides 24-hour online access to all of your certification project information. The result is increased efficiency and productivity, faster and more accurate decision making, and an enhanced...

DOE software. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... Design-Expert 6.0 software for design of experiments goes beyond standard Six Sigma goals to offer design and analysis capabilities for mixture, process and categorical factors. The package not only reveals vital factors in products or...

Statistical analysis tool. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... qs-STAT gives users the ability to drill down into different process issues, identifying and resolving problems with the measurement system, machines or processes. The Windows-based program can be completely configured to customer...

Ring gage. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... Ring gage allows manufacturers of centerless ground precision rings to reduce grinding costs by eliminating the semi-finish grinding pass. The gage measures each part "on the fly" as it passes through the gage, and because each part is measured...

Counting scale. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... The IQ 9500 counting scale provides easy operation and accuracy for shipping, receiving, parts packaging, inventory and quality control. The unit has up to a 200-item memory recall for storage of frequently used information. The indicator can...

Torque tester/screwdriver. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... DS-4 features several measuring modes: real time, first peak and peak. Programmable set points provide both an audible beep and a green and red LED indicator for go-no go testing, as well as a programmable counter and internal memory for data...

Magic fixtures. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... Magic Fixtures software allows the user to create special details and fixtures in minutes. Using existing CAD files, the software creates the details in correlation with the software provider's fixture base plates and components. R&R...

Measuring system. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... The DMS 680, a 0 to 27-inch internal and external universal length 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...

Leak detection. (Show Products).
May 1, 2002... The Sentinel C-20 Plus, a pressure decay leak detection instrument, offers a Quik Test feature that enables a shorter test cycle time by detecting obvious accept or reject parts early in the cycle. Among the standard features are four part...

Software suite. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... EwQMS software can be used separately or as a complete suite. Elements include: Aqua for managing process and quality documentation requirements for APQP; Boss enables companies to apply logical order to every day data; Document Pro stores...

Scanning solutions. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... ScanWorks is reverse engineering and inspection software that provides scanning technology to link together design processes, CAD/CAM, prototyping and manufacturing. The solution consists of a laser-scanning contour probe, ScanWorks software,...

Gas leak system. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... The intelligent gas leak system can perform audit or high speed inline testing for 2003 automotive environmental requirements. The system detects virtual orifice of 1-5 microns in viscous flow regime. ATC Inc. (317) 328-8492 Booth 825...

LED-based Brinell scopes. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... HiLight Brinell scopes use built-in high-efficiency LEDs to illuminate Brine]l impressions. The scopes are completely enclosed so ambient light does not reach the test impression. The scope can be used with a removable wide foot enabling it to...

Digital camera. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... The AxioCam MRc camera uses a 12-bit digitalization process for image and color quality. A 36-bit color depth allows for a large number of resolvable brightness graduations. Variable exposure times can be selected to accommodate different...

Manual test stand. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... The ES30 is a 200-pound capacity test stand. The stand has a maximum travel of 13 inches and a travel rate of 0.05 inch/handwheel revolution. The modular design allows the unit to be used as a component of a larger system by removing its base....

Hole diameters. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... The gaging system, Tilo, for hole diameters ranging from 0.8 to 2 millimeters measures to depths of nearly 3/4 inch. The system also may also be supplied with a readout system to display the data. Euro-Tech Corp. (262) 781-6777 Booth...

Electronic compression tester. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... A force/length tester for the shop floor, this tester features a cast aluminum and steel flame for durability, rugged rack and pinion drive with adjustments for wear on all moving parts, hand operation to apply force and adjust length, and...

IS0 registration. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... As a third-party certification body, this company has been involved with standards, conformity assessments and certification programs since 1944. The organization performs more than 10,000 plant audits annually for approximately 8,500 clients...

Metrology digital readouts. (Show Products).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... The NVP200 QC series of quality assurance metrology digital readouts not only have a fiber optic edge detector to ensure precise, 2-D measurements, they have a memory for programs and results. They can measure points, lines and circles. All...

SPC system. (Show Products).(StatSoft Inc.)(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Enterprise-wide SPC System v6 (SEWSS) includes a number of enhancements and additional functionality including comprehensive Six Sigma tools and a Six Sigma-oriented user interface, integrated Visual Basic scripting for easy...

Automotive registrar. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... This automotive registrar is driving forward with the International Automotive Task Force's (IATF) new global automotive quality management standard, ISO/TS 16949: 2002. The registrar has been recognized by the IATF as being able to meet its...

CMM probe. (Show Products).(coordinate measuring machines)(Renishaw Inc.)(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The TP20 CMM touch-trigger probe has been enhanced with new modules that will increase the inspection flexibility and throughput of coordinate measuring machines. The magnetically attached, removable stylus module allows manual or automatic...

Thickness gage. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... 25Multi Plus ultrasonic precision thickness gages can make measurements from just one side of a part. Using stored setups for each layer in a multi-layered part, the operator can calculate and display up to four separate measurements at once:...

Metrology suite. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... XactMeasure 1.2 includes enhancements to Scanning, CAD access, GD&T and Collision Detection as well as expands support for additional brands of CMMs. Virtually all CAD formats are supported in native form, where the model is used without...

Referencing system. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... GridLOK, a measuring and inspection system, enables users to measure or inspect large parts without incurring the cost of a stationary coordinate measuring machine (CMM), a horizontal layout machine or a laser tracker. The portable CMM measures...

Dual indenter. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... LM247AT Dual indenter Microindentation Tester includes everything required for conducting Vickers and Knoop microindentation testing. Holding up to four objectives, the unit features an auto turret, automatic loading and release, and a...

Dimensional measurement. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... SmartScope Quest 250 is a multisensor measurement system that offers high accuracy video measurements with the versatility of a continuously adjustable zoom lens. The unit integrates data from video, touch probe and laser sensors to completely...

Quality software. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... MQ1 software is a fully integrated, relational database covering all elements of quality system requirements. Companies from all industries that have implemented an MQ1 solution have realized business process efficiencies in addition to meeting...

X-ray measurements. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Fischerscope X-Ray XUL provides non-contact coating thickness measurement while virtually eliminating the need for calibration standards. The system is idea] for measuring the thickness of all electroplated coatings, as well as the thickness...

Video measuring. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The NEXIV VM-1000 3-D video measuring instrument has a 1,000 by 800 millimeter XY travel range and allows part measurement without loading or unloading. The instrument has a 150 millimeter Z-axis stroke. The product offers intelligent search...

Color master. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... X-RiteColor Master provides streamlined and accurate color capture, formulation, matching and management. It provides quality assurance across instruments, software and networks, in laboratories or on the production line. Users in different...

Laser tracking technology. (Show Products).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The 6D Tracker II is designed to operate on the shop floor. It is a metrology instrument for dimensioning, tool building, alignment and reverse engineering applications. Designed for large-scale measurement work, the instrument enables the user...

SPC/DMS software. (Show Products).(Hertzler Systems Inc.)(Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The QA/S GainSeeker 7 Suite collects, manages, analyzes and reports quality information. Features in the latest release include increased traceability of fields and subgroup size with minimal performance concessions, universal and reusable...