Quality articles from September 2004

Quality archives from September 2004

Be a leader.(From The Editor)
September 1, 2004... In two months, U.S. voters will be choosing leaders. This event, coupled with a recent discussion I had with a friend, caused me to reflect on what makes a good leader. What makes a good leader? What characteristics does he possess? In...

Coming events.(Industry News)(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... OCTOBER * Random Vibration and Shock Test Training, Littleton, MA, Oct 5-7. Equipment Reliability Institute, (805) 564-1260. * Advanced Energy & Fuel Cell Technologies: Manufacturing Opportunities & Challenges Conference & Exposition,...

Quality 'LINX' readers to top industry info.(Industry News)(BNP Media)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... BENSENVILLE, IL -- Practical business information is a much sought after good in today's economy. It must be concise and current. The print issues of Quality magazine are a trusted resource to turn to for the latest news and industry info....

OMNI Structures.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... OMNI Structures (Grand Rapids, MI), makers of flexible fixtures and tooling for coordinate measuring machine, inspection and vision management systems, has moved. The new facility located at 4900 37th St. SE in Grand Rapids, MI, offers...

Aurora Bearing Co.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Aurora Bearing Co. (Aurora, IL), manufacturer of rod end, spherical and journal bearings has achieved ISO 9001: 2000 and AS9100 certification.

Columbia Gear.(Business News)(Columbia Gear Co.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Columbia Gear (Avon, MN), a supplier of custom gearings, has achieved ISO/TS 16949: 2002 certification.

Entela Inc. (Grand Rapids, MI) has changed its name to Intertek ETL Entela because of the acquisition by Intertek Group plc, the global testing, inspection and certification company.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Entela Inc. (Grand Rapids, MI) has changed its name to Intertek ETL Entela because of the acquisition by Intertek Group plc, the global testing, inspection and certification company. Entela's Quality Systems Registration Division has been...

Firth Rixson Ltd.(Business News)(Firth Rixson Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Firth Rixson Ltd. (Sheffield, UK), a provider of engineered forged cast and other specialty metal products, has signed an agreement to begin construction on a 50,000-square-foot plant to be built near Shanghai, China. The plant will forge and...

Made to Measure.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Made to Measure, a contract dimensional inspection house, has moved to a high-tech facility in Rolling Meadows, IL The facility houses an expanded line of coordinate measuring machines, including a state-of-the-art video measuring system. The...

Pitney Bowes (Stamford, CT) will integrate Cognex Corp's (Natick, MA) In-Sight 4000 into its high-volume automatic inserter.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Pitney Bowes (Stamford, CT) will integrate Cognex Corp's (Natick, MA) In-Sight 4000 into its high-volume automatic inserter. The In-Sight 4000 will read and verify that all checks, notices, and statements are correctly bundled and properly...

Minitab Inc.(Business News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Minitab Inc. (State College, PA) has begun shipping Minitab Korean Release 14 for Windows, a fully translated, Korean language version of Minitab 14.

Coreco Imaging.(Business News)(Coreco Imaging Inc. intelligent products div)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Coreco Imaging (Montreal), a developer of machine vision and components and services, opened an office in Tokyo, thereby expanding the company's global presence.

Hexagon Metrology opens technical center.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... CINCINNATI -- Hexagon Metrology, North America, has announced the opening of the Cincinnati Technical Center, a newly expanded facility where select engineering staffs of Sheffield Measurement, Brown & Sharpe and Wilcox Associates will...

IDW issues call for papers.(Industry News)
September 1, 2004... NASHVILLE, TN -- A call for papers has been issued for the 2005 International Dimensional Workshop (IDW). The workshop, which takes place May 9 to 13, at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN, will have a dual theme. The theme for May 10...

Instron offers extended support.(Industry News)(Instron Corp)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... CANTON, MA -- Instron, a provider of testing equipment designed to evaluate mechanical properties of materials and components, introduces its Partnership Support Agreement (PSA) for North American customers. The PSA is an exclusive,...

Tinius Olsen celebrates 125 years.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... HORSHAM, PA -- Established in 1880 by namesake Tinius Olsen, inventor of testing machines, the Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Co. is celebrating 125 years in business. Corresponding with the anniversary is the appointment of C. Robert Tait III as...

Solid growth predicted over next two years.(Industry News)
September 1, 2004... ARLINGTON, VA -- The Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI continues to project solid growth in the next two years for the U.S. economy and the manufacturing sector. Evidence used in the forecast shows that a sustainable recovery remains on track. ...

Ametek Inc.(People News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Bruce P. Wilson has been elected vice president and general manager of Ametek Inc's (Paoli, PA) Taylor Hobson Division. Taylor Hobson was recently acquired by Ametek. Ametek Taylor Hobson designs, manufactures and services an array of contact...

Winsert Inc.(People News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Kevin Myers has been promoted to vice president, technical sales at Winsert Inc. (Marinette, WI). Winsert designs and manufactures heat- and wear-resistant alloys for engine applications.

Subir Chowdhury.(People News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Author and quality strategist Subir Chowdhury was awarded an honorary doctorate of engineering by Michigan Technological University. Chowdhury is chairman and chief executive officer of ASI Consulting Group (Livonia, MI). He is also the author...

Eastern United States.(People News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Rick Miller has been appointed sales manager for the Eastern United States for Labsphere (North Sutton, NH), He will manage the company's complete line of light measurement and uniform light sources. Labsphere provides light measurement for...

Dems sent jobs away.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Dear Editor, Did the Clinton Administration approve NAFTA? Yes. That's where all the manufacturing jobs went, and now the Democrats "cry" that the Bush Administration is responsible for losing all these manufacturing jobs. What a crock!...

Create jobs within.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Dear Editor, Your article, "Who Answers Customer Questions?" (Quality, February 2004, p. 6) strikes me congruently because my wife just lost her job at Bank of America. Bank of America has outsourced the entire mortgage loan processing to...

A quality 'umbrella'.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Dear Editor, Just a quick comment about your June "From the Editor" ("Effectiveness or Quality?," Quality, June 2004, p. 6). In my opinion, quality is an umbrella term that encompasses a number of attributes. Those attributes are fluid,...

Ethics for effectiveness.(Quality Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Dear Editor, Your June 2004 article ("Effectiveness or Quality?," Quality, June 2004, p. 6) has several excellent points and asks for a response. As a 25-year veteran of the automotive quality field, I've seen the evolution of quality...

I can't not try: a priceless trait that is critical to high-quality, safe products may tragically be a social affliction.(Probing The Limits)
September 1, 2004... The phrase, "I can't not try" is poor English, but it is a powerful quality concept that an associate of mine coined a few years ago. I use it all the time, despite it being a double-negative. The "I can't not try" concept means that even...

Carefully consider calibration: take a hard look at the reasons to move calibration in house.(Other Dimensions)
September 1, 2004... Editor's note: This is the first installment in a multipart series regarding manufacturers doing their own calibration. The series will look at the reasons why a manufacturer might make this choice, as well as some of the considerations that...

Surface finish measurement basics: roughness is an important characteristic of machined surfaces.(Quality 101)
September 1, 2004... Ever since E.J. Abbot developed the first surface finish tester at the University of Michigan in the 1940s, industry has been aware that roughness is an important characteristic of machined surfaces. The growing influence of surface finish...

Getting the message?(Quality Brain Teasers)
September 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...

A dynamic way to scan: a dynamic compensation technique can improve a coordinate measuring machine's scanning performance.(Quality Innovations)
September 1, 2004... Traditionally, when using a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) there has been a speed vs. accuracy trade off. The faster a part is measured, the less accurate the measurement results. This is especially true when scanning a part, as opposed to...

In-process gaging: a quiet revolution: the new regime deploys technology for current business conditions.(Quality Measurement)
September 1, 2004... The quiet revolution that has been under-way in in-process gaging for more than a decade has been one of the many changes wrought by Six Sigma manufacturing. As the philosophy gained popularity, its adherents built gages that could take finer...

Machine vision makes gaging easy: measuring distances, diameters and other dimensions has typically required contact or optical solutions. Now, machine-vision systems are available.(Quality Test & Inspection)
September 1, 2004... Machine-vision systems offer precision, accuracy and repeatability in many gaging applications. A typical machine-vision system for gaging includes mechanical positioning and lighting so that a camera can take a picture of the part. The picture...

Control charts control multiple attributes: computer technology offers alternative to quality management tools.(Quality Software & Analysis)
September 1, 2004... Assurance of parts-per-million defect levels requires variables, or real-number, data but sometimes only attribute data are available. Control charts for rework and scrap include np number nonconforming) and p , fraction nonconforming charts....

Top 100 in Quality: Quality's survey reveals the top companies that improve processes, empower workers and satisfy customers.(Quality Management)
September 1, 2004... General Electric, General Motors, Ford, Delphi and Honeywell. These five companies, as well as the 95 others on Quality magazine's Top 100 Quality Plant list are impressive companies that lead their respective industries. They strive to balance...

Can quality be free?(Case Studies)
September 1, 2004... Monday, Jan. 17, 1994, was a watershed date for McMillan Electric Co. (Woodville, WI), says Douglas McMillan, chairman and CEO. That was the day that McMillan met Ashok Thakkar and began what he calls a journey into professional quality...

Eddy current tester.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The ED-400M eddy current test instrument detects cracks and near-surface defects in steel and other ferrous metals. After the probe is electronically balanced, the operator slides the probe over the inspection piece, keeping an eye on the...

Leak testing.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The Falcon Leak Test System simultaneously determines leak location and total leak rate, providing real-time process control. The system helps bridge the gap between traditional pressure decay technology and helium vacuum mass spectrometry. An...

Image acquisition.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The PC2-CamLink image acquisition board is a monochrome board designed for the 32-bit PCI bus. The unit supports one Base Camera Link area or linescan camera. After the camera cables and external triggers are connected, the unit's...

Image management system.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The PAX-it Image Management System for acquisition and archiving of digital and analog images is capable of measuring, pre-testing and documenting image data for welding and other applications. The Windows-based operating platform allows for...

Surface inspection.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The Eagle III Vision System inspects 100% of the surface in real time. The location of all defects can be mapped and archived. The system inspects for missing coating, gels, holes, carbon specs, streaks, wrinkles and other surface...

Force and torque gages.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... A complete line of gages measure any friction, force or pressure for quality control and vital standardization. The units calibrate push/pull, twist, peel forces or rotational torque required on bottle caps and a myriad of tools. The gages test...

Dimensional measurement.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... Sprint CNC 300, an automatic, full-featured dimensional measurement system fits on a benchtop and has a 12-inch by 12-inch XY travel range to accommodate a variety of parts. The unit has a granite base and column with precision mechanical...

Materials testing software.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... For increased laboratory testing productivity, Bluehill, an integrated modular software package, is divided into four major tabs separating testing, test method definition, reporting and system administration. Features allow the user to "cut...

Data collection software.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... Inspect 3.0, visual attribute data collection software, helps reduce costs associated with scrap, rework, warranty claims and production bottlenecks. The software can be used for collecting, analyzing and reporting defect-related data in...

CMM.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The Premier series of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) offers models from 1 meter to 3 meters in travel. Structural components in the bridge assembly are made of carbon fiber. The system is available in 24 sizes with two controller options:...

Bridge-type CMM.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The Accura, a bridge-type coordinate measuring machine (CMM) offers access to various probing technologies including active scanning, single-point and optical measurement. The unit can be equipped with a wide variety of touch-trigger and...

Universal length measuring system.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The DMS 680, 0-27 inch internal and external universal 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 probes. The...

Inspection software.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... PC-DMIS is the standard measurement and inspection software on all Cordax coordinate measurement machines (CMMs). The software has a fully configurable, intuitive graphic user interface that guides users through each step of the programming,...

Digital display instrument.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The VE-71 is a programmable digital gaging instrument. It can be used on a bench or near a machine on the shop floor. With its low and high range settings, it can accept a variety of half bridge transducers. By switching modes, live, maximum,...

Optical CMM.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... NEXIV VMR Optical CMM system capabilities include the through-the-fens (TTL) laser and a dual optical system producing a magnification range from 36X to 4,320X. These capabilities enable the imaging and measurements of part features down to 1...

Horizontal beam comparator.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The 3700 Series 14-inch horizontal beam comparator has a 5-inch by 20-inch nickel-plated stage with 100-pound load capacity. Other features include 12-inch X-axis and 6-inch Y-axis travel, 0.00005 inch/0.001 inch-precision glass scales, quick...

3-D coordinate measuring system.(New Products)
September 1, 2004... The TESA Micro-Hite 3-D coordinate measuring system is designed to fill the operational gap between precision handheld measuring instruments and high-end coordinate measuring machines. The system has a light alloy base fitted with a granite...

Portable roughness measuring instrument.(Product Review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... For fast, high-precision measurement of surface roughness, the light-weight, ergonomically designed T 500 portable roughness tester features enhanced capability with 14 roughness parameters according to DIN/ISO/JIS norms Pick-ups are...

Helium leak detector.(Product Review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... QualyTest' sets the standard in rugged, easy-to-use leak detection. It features onscreen prompts for easy operation with no technical training needed, push-button self-calibration, and it's simple to maintain. QualyTest provides exceptional...

Statistical process control software.(Product Review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... WinSPC Plant Monitor v1.62 automatically displays the status of plant-wide data collection operations on a single screen in real time and/or historically (by week, shift, etc). Identify production status at a glance using the color-coded...

Precise measurement from all angles.(Product Review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... The Dualscope MPOR Coating Thickness Gauge benefits anyone measuring a coating over metal by not only being one of the smallest dry film thickness gauges but because it has unique features including: two backlit LCD displays, integrated radio...

Non-contact roughness gage.(Product Review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... The Tropel LaserCheck[R] surface roughness gage provides fast, non-contact Ra roughness measurements from a wide variety of surfaces. It is simply the most rugged gage ever made and never needs maintenance, Use the compact sensing head with the...

GD&T training made easy.(Product Review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... The GD&T Trainer Professional Edition (Y14.5M-1994) contains 28 student-focused lessens covering the fundamentals of GD&T. Instant lesson feedback and quizzes reinforce the mater a Highlights include a GD&T glossary tolerancing applications and...

Measure color ... measure quality.(Product Review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... The UltraScan[R] PRO spectrophotometer measures reflected and transmitted color and meets CIE. ASTM and USP guidelines for accurate color measurement. Its 5nm optical resolution enables the precise measurement of colorants having sharp cutoff...