Quality articles from September 2003

Quality archives from September 2003

Juran's lasting lessons.(From The Editor)(Architect of Quality: The Autobiography of Dr. Joseph M. Juran.)(Book Review)
September 1, 2003... I recently received an advanced review copy of "Architect of Quality: The Autobiography of Dr. Joseph M. Juran," from McGraw-Hill. Juran is the last of the quality "giants" still alive. Unlike other books written about Juran that focus on...

Coming events.(Industry News)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
September 1, 2003... OCTOBER * APICS International Conference and Exposition, Las Vegas, Oct. 6-9. APICS, (800) 444-APICS. * Materials Solutions Conference and Expo, Pittsburgh, Oct. 13-16. ASM International, (440) 338-5151. * Lean Boot Camp, Ohio...

Domestic autos outperform European autos in quality.(Industry News)
September 1, 2003... WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA -- Japanese-branded vehicles continue to produce the highest quality vehicles over the long term, but European automobile manufacturers have lost their edge over U.S. domestic-branded vehicles, according to the J.D. Power...

Intelligent Precision Scanning Technologies Inc. (Loves Park, IL) and Nextec Technologies Ltd. (Israel) have announced their long-term cooperation under which IPS markets, promotes, sells and supports Nextec's products in North America.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Intelligent Precision Scanning Technologies Inc. (Loves Park, IL) and Nextec Technologies Ltd. (Israel) have announced their long-term cooperation under which IPS markets, promotes, sells and supports Nextec's products in North America. The...

United Metal Finishers Inc.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... United Metal Finishers Inc. (Chicago) has achieved TS 16949 certification.

Entela Inc.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Entela Inc. (Grand Rapids, MI) has expanded its fatigue testing capabilities to include: frequencies up to 50 hertz for light loads and short strokes; minimum stroke of 6 inches; and maximum force of 2,500 pounds.

Rockwell Automation.(Business News)(Milwaukee company acquires Interwave Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Rockwell Automation (Milwaukee) has expanded its manufacturing information solutions capability with the acquisition of Interwave Technology Inc.

Solectria Corp.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Solectria Corp. (Woburn, MA) has achieved ISO 9001: 2000 certification.

Faro Technologies Inc.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Faro Laser Tracker, built by Faro Technologies Inc. (Lake Mary, FL) played a key role in The Boeing Co.'s (Chicago) Delta IV rocket launch on March 10 that successfully deployed the first satellite for the U.S. Air Force's Evolved...

Physical Acoustics Corp.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Physical Acoustics Corp. (Princeton, NJ) celebrated its 25th anniversary on June 1. The company was founded by Bell Labs scientist Sotirios Vahaviolos and the venture capital firms of Euclid Partners and Adler Ventures. The company is a...

X-Rite.(Business News)(Winner of the President of the United States "E" Award.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... X-Rite (Grandville, MI), a global provider of technology for measuring color, light and shape, has received the President of the United States "E" Award for excellence in exporting success, The award was created by President Kennedy in 1961 to...

Isothermal Technology Ltd. has created Isotech North America (Williston, VT) in response to customer demand for Isotech products and services in the United State and Canada.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Isothermal Technology Ltd. has created Isotech North America (Williston, VT) in response to customer demand for Isotech products and services in the United States and Canada. Isothermal Technology, a global supplier of temperature metrology, is...

Small manufacturing employers face uncertain future.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Action by the House Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee has cast more doubt on America's small manufacturers and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), according to the Modernization...

API awarded Boeing contract.(Industry News)(Automated Precision Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ROCKVILLE, MD -- The Boeing Co. (Chicago) has awarded a contract to Automated Precision Inc. (API) of Rockville to supply laser-tracking systems in support of the Wichita Division's 737 Fuselage Integration Floor Universal Holding Fixture...

Global robotics market to double by 2007.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... NORWALK, CT -- The global robotics market, currently estimated at $8 billion, is expected to reach $16 billion in 2007, averaging an annual growth rate of 14.7%, according to RG-270 Robots/Automation Devices, a new study by Business...

Most significant business innovations named.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... MIDLAND, MI -- An international research study of companies has revealed that corporate executives perceive that total quality management has been the most significant business innovation for their companies. Findings of the study,...

ASTM International.(Association News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ASTM International (West Conshohocken, PA) has awarded the L. L. Wyman Award to Albert Brandemarte, chief metallographer of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (West Bethesda, MD). ASTM Committee E04 on Metallography presents...

ASTM International has bestowed an Award of Merit on G. Raymond Peacock.(Association News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ASTM International has bestowed an Award of Merit on G. Raymond Peacock, president of Temperatures.com Inc., for his continuing leadership of Committee E20 on Temperature Measurement, and in appreciation of outstanding service as chairman of...

ASME International.(Association News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ASME International (Washington) and Unicomm LLC (Milford, CT) have announced the co-located Defense Research and Engineering Conference and Expo with the existing Research Development and Design Expo and ASME's International Mechanical...

Surface metrology committee announces new standard.(Industry News)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- The ASME B46.1 committee on Classification and Designation of Surface Qualities has completed the latest revision of the B46.1 standard, B46.1-2002. At the April meeting, the latest developments in the international surface...

Nikon Instruments Inc.(People News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Jim Hamlin has been named microscopy division sales manager by Nikon Instruments Inc. (Melville, NY).

USC Consulting Group's (Tampa, FL) Six Sigma.(People News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Frank Esposto has joined USC Consulting Group's (Tampa, FL) Six Sigma practice and will be based in Toronto.

Valenite.(People News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... John Hager has been appointed to vice president of marketing for Valenite (Madison Heights, WI).

Caterpillar vp to address Assembly Expo.(Industry News)
September 1, 2003... NORWALK, CT -- Assembly Technology Expo, the world's largest "all assembly" trade event, will feature a keynote address by Gerald Palmer, vice president of Caterpillar Inc.'s Wheel Loaders & Excavators Division. His presentation, titled "Six...

Study names Chrysler most improved automaker.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... AUBURN HILLS, MI -- Chrysler Group improved its overall manufacturing efficiency by 8.3% in 2002 compared to 2001, according to the Harbour Report North America 2003. The results are the best year-over-year improvement in the company's history...

Major usage shifts expected in data-acquisition products.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... NATICK, MA -- A new report from Venture Development Corp. finds that purchasers of external chassis and module and plug-in analog I/O boards for data-acquisition applications expect to make significant shifts in the types of products they...

Study ranks automakers' relationship with suppliers.(Industry News)
September 1, 2003... BIRMINGHAM, MI -- Results from the 2003 North American Automotive Tier One Supplier Study show that the domestic Big Three and the Japanese Big Three have fundamentally different approaches to working with their suppliers and suggest that this...

Standards available on the Web.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... MILWAUKEE -- For the first time, national standards for remanufacturing, rebuilding and CNC retrofitting are now available on the Web at www.nmtrrr.org. The standards will be on the Web for one year. Comments are encouraged, and after one year,...

Zeiss unveils new CMM at open house.(Industry News)(Carl Zeiss IMT Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... BRIGHTON, MI -- Carl Zeiss IMT Corp. (Maple Grove, MN) unveiled a new coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for the first time in the United States at an open house held in late June. The open house, held at the company's Brighton, MI,...

Wrong on Sigma.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Dear Editor, I was a little shocked to read your views on ISO 9000 and Six Sigma. I hate to be the one to tell you, but I'm afraid you're off base on both subjects. ISO 9000 is not a system for a company to "evaluate how it...

Use tools wisely.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Dear Editor, We are now using the communication link that drives the engine that is driving the ride of which you spoke in May 2003 (Get Off This Ride, p. 6). I have been a part of the manufacturing industry segment of business since 1961....

Anything positive?(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Dear Editor, Another predictable pessimistic article. It is interesting how in the April 2003 issue Scott Dalgleish blasted all the popular quality management systems that provide a framework for continual improvement. And in the May 2003...

Quality theory critical to business decisions: quality theories help balance opposing business objectives.
September 1, 2003... Being successful in business requires skillful balancing of opposing objectives. Applying quality theories, particularly the Taguchi Loss Function and Pareto Charting Theory, can be a tremendous aid in striking a successful balance. ...

Pyramids and circles: the ancients can teach today's engineer about measurement.(Other Dimensions)
September 1, 2003... The Egyptian pyramids have long been spoken of as examples of human ingenuity and skill. This ancient era brought into being one of the first length standards, the cubit. Flatness of the massive stones used to build the great pyramid was said...

Training rewards good performance: if valued incentives exist for desired behavior, training that enables such behavior is likely to succeed as well.(Training Trends)
September 1, 2003... Although the reasons are not always obvious, behavior happens for a reason. People show up at work for a variety of reasons, but it is safe to assume that most people would not continue to appear if they were not paid. Many people receive...

Package size problems.(Quality Brain Teasers)
September 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...

Roundness tester picks up pace: a new roundness-measuring system has achieved superior accuracy while reducing measurement time.(Quality Innovations)
September 1, 2003... A roundness-measuring system has been developed that its distributor says is 50% more accurate than its predecessor and more accurate than other systems in its class. The level of precision has been achieved without sacrificing speed through a...

Coating thickness key to space use: solar rays generate heat that can damage electrical parts. The thickness of coatings on parts used in space is critical to disperse the heat.(Quality Measurement)
September 1, 2003... In Huntsville, AL, a few miles from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, sits a 22,000-square-foot facility that houses AZ Technology Inc. One of the specialties at AZ Technology is the precise application of coatings designed to meet the harsh...

Data stamps out defects: by using portable data collection devices, this automotive-part stamping plant was able to collect and use data in a flexible manner.(Quality Test & Inspection)
September 1, 2003... The stamping presses stand in a row, 10 of them, each two or more stories tall and a half a football field long. They pump out parts, massive amounts of them every hour, 23 hours a day. On an LED, the number of parts produced click by and the...

Document control systems evolve: document-control software is becoming an integrated piece of an overall quality system.(Quality Software & Analysis)
September 1, 2003... For more than a decade, technology has been available to manufacturers to automate quality management processes such as documentation control. With the rapid development of technology and the World Wide Web, document-control software has...

90 days 'til deadline: while only a short amount of time remains to make the transition to ISO 9001: 2000, it can be done by following these steps.(Quality Standards)
September 1, 2003... Approximately 90 days remain to meet the December 15, 2003, deadline for transitioning from the 1994 version of ISO 9000 to the 2000 version. While customer requirements is the most frequently cited reason for making the transition to ISO 9001:...