IIE Solutions articles from April 2001

IIE Solutions archives from April 2001

Sing a song of science.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Jane Gaboury The sun is a mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace where hydrogen is built into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees." Those words have been ringing in my ears for a week, suddenly springing to...

Better health care with fewer nurses.(Aurora Health Care Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... As is common throughout the United States, the Aurora Health Care system in Milwaukee, Wis., is facing a nursing shortage that will worsen as baby-boomer nurses retire or move on to less strenuous work. "The question is, How are we going to...

AT&T supports mentoring program.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... AT&T has thrown its support behind MentorNet, an e-mail network that links engineering students with volunteers in industry to boost the ranks of African American and Hispanic women in math, science, and engineering. AT&T awarded MentorNet...

Industrial engineering bachelor's degrees holding steady.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Industrial engineering bachelor's degrees holding steady Bachlor's degrees in industrial engineering conferred by U.S. colleges and universities Year ...

Updated Baldrige criteria available.(Review)
April 1, 2001... For a dozen years, the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence have helped thousands of U.S. organizations -- for-profit businesses as well as education and healthcare organizations -- assess and improve their performance. The 2001...

All I need to know about engineering I learned in kindergarten.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Massachusetts is pioneering a new education standard with a mandate that makes it the first state in America to require engineering education in all grades from kindergarten through 12th. Late last year, the state Board of Education passed a...

Reducing aircraft maintenance costs for the U.S. Navy.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The first project of a new Georgia Institute of Technology research center is expected to cut more than $1 million a year from the cost of maintaining the U.S. Navy's fleet of P-3 Orion antisubmarine aircraft. Using state-of-the-art information...

OSHA revises record-keeping regs.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a revised rule in January regarding the way employers track and record workplace injuries and illnesses. The goal of the new rule is to produce better information while simplifying the...

Cellular manufacturing how-to handbook.(Review)
April 1, 2001... Cellular manufacturing, which was pioneered on a large scale by Russian, British, and German manufacturers, is a proven method to yield faster production cycles, lower in-process inventory, and enhanced quality. The Handbook of Cellular...

Help for manufacturers.(Manufacturing Extension Partnership program )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Small U.S. manufacturers that make use of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program save money, create jobs, and increase and retain sales at a higher rate than ever before, according to a survey conducted for MEP. In a survey of 2,942...

Materials handling project pairs academia and industry.(Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute and HK Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A collaboration between academia and private industry may result in a new technology for the materials handling industry. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y, is partnering with HK Systems Inc., Milwaukee, to create Internet-based...

Ford funds engineering, business programs at UT.(Ford Motor Co. contributes to University of Texas)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Ford Motor Co. donated $7.3 million to the engineering and business schools at the University of Texas at Austin for a range of student programs. Brian P. Kelley, vice president of Ford Motor Co., said the gifts are designed "to assist...

NEWSMAKERS.
April 1, 2001... Julius Adebayo was promoted to industrial engineering manager of the Cylinder Division of Parker Hannifin Corp. Adebayo has a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering as well as bachelor's and master's degrees in occupational education. He...

Cleaner chip-making method uses carbon dioxide fluid.(SCCO2, semiconductor processing saves water)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Scientists at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a technology that could almost eliminate the use of hazardous corrosives and the production of wastewater in the fabrication of integrated circuits -- or...

Engineering a better vote count.(EZ Access by University of Wisconsin)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... In January, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Trace Research & Development Center was among several organizations demonstrating easy-to-use voting machine designs during a Capitol Hill event focused on electronic voting technology. The...

Author Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. dies.(in memoriam)(Obituary)
April 1, 2001... Best-selling author Frank B. Gilbreth Jr., son of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, died in February at the age of 89. Gilbreth was the retired assistant publisher and longtime columnist for The (Charleston) Post and Courier. In 1949, Gilbreth...

Fab scheduling tool is in the works.(silicon wafer manufacturing improvement research)(Brief Article)(Review)
April 1, 2001... Research underway at the University of Arkansas may have a billion-dollar impact on the semiconductor industry. Scott Mason, assistant professor of industrial engineering, has received a grant from Semiconductor Research Corp. for work that may...

Math blocks many engineering students.(MathSoft Engineering and Education Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Difficulty mastering math is the No. 1 reason engineering students drop out of the curriculum, according to engineering professors who responded to a survey conducted by MathSoft Engineering & Education Inc. The survey tallied the...

ABB.(Asea Brown Boveri Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The U.S. unit of ABB announced a three-year commitment to support the Global Engineering Education Exchange, an international program that allows undergraduate engineering and computer science students to study abroad. The commitment includes...

Collegiate Employment Research Institute.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... The labor market for 2001 college graduates will expand 6 percent to 10 percent from 2000, according to the 30th annual recruiting trends survey conducted by the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University Extremely...

Tools to enhance e-mail functionality.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... E-mail makes communication easier than ever, and e-mail tools just enhance its capabilities: * A free e-mail forwarding service known as Bigfoot for Life allows you to switch service providers as often as you want without changing your...

Neglecting supply chain collaboration.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Despite the financial benefits of supply chain collaboration, only a small minority of manufacturers share information across the Internet with their immediate vendors or customers. According to the fifth annual PulseMark survey of U.S....

No feedback, no motivation.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Someone shared the above phrase with me when I was speaking at an IIE conference. I have found myself passing it along to others because of the powerful and logical message it conveys. How can we be expected to improve, especially in the manner...

An ergo tool you never use.(statistical process control)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A friend of mine works for a company that makes sheet metal boxes with drawers in them. The company stamps, forms, welds, paints, assembles, and inspects a lot of sheet metal boxes with many, many drawers in them. The business is interesting,...

Up and away with efficiency.(industrial engineers keep airplanes flying efficiently)
April 1, 2001... Have you ever wondered about the intricacies of air transit, thinking -- but not too deeply -- about so many millions of people embarking on journeys many thousands of feet above the ground? Perhaps one of the reasons the skies are so friendly...

Are you up to the Cycle-Time Challenge?(cycle-time reduction)
April 1, 2001... Managers of companies that are looking toward achieving significant improvements in current performance have a number of options, but the choices can be confusing. A myriad of initiatives and philosophies exist that have similar goals. Although...

Just-in-time project management.
April 1, 2001... In a perfect world, project management would begin before projects got underway. But who works in a perfect world? In an ideal environment, several planning tasks are completed prior to the initiation of a project. The tasks are intended to...

Customer relationship management and you.
April 1, 2001... Industrial engineers are uniquely qualified to assist in CRM implementation I am a loyal Intuit customer. I have been addicted to their Quicken personal finance software and have purchased their TurboTax software to complete my taxes...

Simulating in the real world.(marketing simulation methodology)
April 1, 2001... See beyond these 12 myths for a smooth simulation project The process of conducting real simulation studies differs from the idealized process often presented in marketing literature, textbooks, and many published articles. Simulation...

Students have high visibility at annual conference.(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Students are an important presence at the IIE Annual Conference. This year, in addition to having access to educational sessions, students can enjoy an informal icebreaker and four competitions. The student activities begin with an...

Honors and awards take center stage.(Institute of industrial Engineers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Every year, the IIE Annual Conference offers an opportunity to honor those who have made significant contributions to their profession and to society through their profession, which is why the Honors and Awards Banquet takes center stage at...

A gift that reproduces.(Heifer Project International, livestock gifts)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Each December, the IIE staff reaches out to the community with a charitable gift. Last December, staff members made a charitable donation to Heifer Project International, a non-profit organization that promotes self-reliant families and...

Mitchell begins timeless retirement.(Ed Mitchell)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... After nearly 14 years of dedicated service on the IIE staff, Ed "Mitch" Mitchell bid co-workers farewell in February and entered retirement. Mitchell, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes at headquarters, handled everything from coordinating...

Rangers and Mavericks, and Stars, oh my.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Sports fans visiting Dallas in May for the IIE Annual Conference will revel in the number of professional teams hosted by the city. By the time of the Annual Conference, two sports will be in the throes of their professional playoffs and one...

In-house training available.(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Every seminar offered by IIE is also available to companies that wish to hold them at their own facilities. "Many companies prefer to hold seminars in-house rather than send a large number of employees away for several days. This way, there...

Engineer in training.(William Kluck)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Aspiring industrial engineer William Kluck wants to be "just like dad," according to his father, IIE member Bill Kluck, a senior industrial engineer with Hexel Structures. While the content of IIE Solutions might be a bit much for the...

UPS gives students a boost again this year.(United Parcel Service Foundation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The UPS Foundation, a philanthropic division of the United Parcel Service, gave the Institute of Industrial Engineers a $15,350 grant for IIE's Women and Minority Industrial Engineer Outreach Program. Patrick Canavan, an IE at UPS, presented...

A tale of lean presentation.(Roger Weiss)(Interview)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Many companies are attempting to ride the wave of lean manufacturing. Yet Roger Weiss of H.B. Maynard and Co. recognizes that while it is an effective strategy, it is neither new nor easy to implement. Weiss shares his thoughts about lean and...

Canadian conference targets students and industry.(National Canadian Society for Industrial Engineering Conference )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Recognizing a predominant student focus in past years, the coordinators of the National Canadian Society for Industrial Engineering Conference created a faculty/industry symposium to attract more professionals to the event. This effort to...

Calling all instructors.(innovative approach to teaching online)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Looking for a new and interesting way to serve as an instructor? Suffering from classroom burnout? Trying to get over first time teaching jitters? IIE is seeking instructors for its new e-learning program, which offers an innovative approach to...

New members, no problem.(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... For those who want to achieve and maintain an active membership in their association, the IIE Annual Conference will feature a motivational workshop titled "Recruiting New Members in a 'No Time' World" Cynthia D'Amour, president of People Power...

Daskin names issue editors for IIE Transactions.(Mark Daskin)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Mark Daskin, Ph.D., took his first steps as the new editor of IIE Transactions by naming editors for the monthly publication's four focused issues. The articles in these issues share a particular theme, covering design and manufacturing,...

New Economist available.(The Engineering Economist)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The first 2001 issue of The Engineering Economist is available. The journal devoted to the problems of capital investment features four articles discussing theories and applications. The articles include: * "Real Options Valuation and...

IIE welcomes Kirk aboard.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Leroy Kirk joined the IIE staff to help fill the shoes of Ed "Mitch" Mitchell, who retired in February. Kirk will have a number of responsibilities, predominantly in the mailroom, and he has already discovered what work is really like at IIE...

Heavy-duty pallet truck.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2001... Designed for heavy-duty applications, the Type EJE 60 Electric Walkie Pallet Truck provides excellent operator control on ramps and shipping platforms. According to Multiton MIC Corp., the truck is most productive in industrial and commercial...

Controlling processes.(Solumina, manufacturing process management program)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... An updated release of Solumina, a manufacturing process management program, provides increased flexibility and control for manufacturers by offering parallel and alternate work instruction paths with built-in decision points. An operation flow...

Quicker picking.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2001... A graphical user interface improves the kitting capability of FastPic Systems' FastPic4 inventory management and control software. The interface includes a toolbar that allows users to start functions by clicking an icon. A grid field, similar...

Ergonomic tailoring.(Lyon workbenches, Sky-Wal II components)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2001... Lyon workstations combine the company's standard workbenches with its new line of Sky-Wal II components to create workstations that are ergonomically tailored. Customers may select any Lyon workbench and add a Sky-Wal II package. Sky-Wal...

A straightforward look at quality.(Review)
April 1, 2001... Simple, straightforward, systematic, focused, and strategic: These are the words I use to describe the extremely well written book House of Quality (QFD) in a Minute, by Christian N. Madu. As a planning tool, quality function deployment...

Visual work instructions.(Simgraph by MPI)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2001... Simgraph from MPI provides visual work instructions for assembly, packaging, and training. Easy-to-understand graphic images can be developed that promise to improve workers' comprehension while increasing their productivity and efficiency. The...

Intellectual property guide.(Review)
April 1, 2001... "Intellectual Property: A Guide for Engineers" is a booklet designed to provide engineers from all disciplines with a basic understanding of intellectual property and its various forms. The 75-page booklet covers the basics of patents,...

Custom part handling system.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Quixxsmart Structures has introduced a Quixxstart Kit for creating customized part-handling operations. The kit features easy-to-assemble components that allow for any number of configurations: carts, racks, workstations, and flow racks. The...

Innovation ain't no picnic ... but it should be.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Research and development may create knowledge, but it doesn't guarantee improved innovation in multi-unit companies. For that, you need a picnic. Well, not a picnic necessarily; anything that creates personal contacts across business units will...

Younger management teams have greater impact.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... While experienced managers are a valued commodity in most companies, a study conducted at the University at Buffalo School of Management found that top-management teams composed of relatively young executives have more positive impact on a...