Industrial Engineer articles from January 2008

Industrial Engineer archives from January 2008

Hello, goodbye.(editor's desk)(Editorial)
January 1, 2008... That learned Europeans for hundreds of years could refute the mathematical and astronomical evidence of a heliocentric universe is practically beyond belief even to laymen of the modern world. The idea of the planets revolving around the sun is...

Waste into energy: IBM repurposes millions of discarded silicon wafers.(Front Line)(International Business Machines Corp.'s a semiconductor wafer reclamation process )
January 1, 2008... IBM announced a semiconductor wafer reclamation process pioneered at its Burlington, Vt., manufacturing facility. The new process uses a specialized pattern removal technique to repurpose scrap semiconductor wafers--thin discs of silicon...

Treating depression improves productivity: outreach intervention proves better for patients and employers.(Front Line)
January 1, 2008... Employees seeking treatment for depression who participated in a program that included a telephone outreach intervention had fewer symptoms, worked more hours, and had greater job retention than participants receiving usual care. These are...

Project management jewel.(BOOK OF THE MONTH)(Reinventing Project Management: The Diamond Approach to Successful Growth and Innovation)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... For 15 years, Aaron Shenhar and Dov Dvir have collected data on more than 600 projects in the business, government, and nonprofit sectors around the world. While 85 percent of these projects failed to meet time and budget goals, the fact...

Faking it.(PRIME NUMBER)(Product counterfeiting contributes 5 to 7 % of world trade)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Product counterfeiting accounts for 5 percent to 7 percent of world trade, worth an estimated $350 billion a year. Source: International Chamber of Commerce Commercial Crime Services

Advancing engineering diversity: council seeks to unite efforts and provide national agenda.(Front Line)(Engineers Week Diversity Council)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Bringing more women and underrepresented minorities into engineering is the goal of the newly established Engineers Week Diversity Council. "The time has passed where we can assume that we can transfer this responsibility somewhere else,"...

Grade the graders.(SITE TO SEE)(www.ratemyprofessors.com)(Website overview)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Students turn the tables on their instructors at Rate My Professors (www.ratemyprofessors.com). Using the site, students can line up a semester's worth of great teachers by reviewing student-generated evaluations on more than a million...

Accenture acquires H.B. Maynard.(Front Line)
January 1, 2008... Consulting behemoth Accenture has acquired H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., a privately held consulting, software, and training firm that provides work force productivity management solutions to companies. "This acquisition helps us further...

Future engineers do the math: grant supports research in tackling tough scenarios.(Front Line)(engineering student's project to manage trafic accidents )(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... How can engineers help reduce tree-related fatal car accidents along a heavily traveled wooded road? Removing some of the trees would save lives, but what if protected redwoods are present? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Researchers from the...

Dilbert.(Cartoon)
January 1, 2008... www.dilbert.com scottadams@aol.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 7-20-07 [c] 2007 Scott Adams, Inc./Dist. by UFS, Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [c] Scott Adams/Dist. By United Feature Syndicate Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Science and engineering doctorates up: more Ph.D.'s for the fourth straight year.(Front Line)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... U.S. institutions awarded a record number of science and engineering (S & E) doctorates in the academic year ending June 2006, charting their fourth consecutive annual increase and a 6.7 percent increase over 2005. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

High schools focus on engineering.(Front Line)
January 1, 2008... The National Academy Foundation, in collaboration with Project Lead the Way and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, announced a national education initiative focused on exposing high school students to careers in...

The ultimate constraint.(performance)(Column)
January 1, 2008... I AM FASCINATED WITH TIME AND how we use it. The fire was lit in the sixth grade when I read. Cheaper by the Dozen. Running lap after lap in track practice against the clock fanned my time fascination, and pursuing industrial engineering with...

When things go badly.(management)(methods of lean manufacturing)
January 1, 2008... LEAN MANUFACTURING SUCCESS depends on partnerships between companies and their suppliers. A client of my company, a global supplier of high-end consumer goods, leads its industry in terms of lean manufacturing concepts, including close...

International shipping: the plane truth.(supply chain)
January 1, 2008... MORE THAN 80 YEARS AGO, CHARLES Lindbergh made transportation history by completing the first international flight. Today such a journey is routine to the millions of people who fly internationally each month. But it's still a rare occurrence...

Engineering K-12 education.(member forum)(Column)
January 1, 2008... AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER WORKING in a university is hardly unusual, but one working in the college of education is somewhat rare. While all three of my degrees are in industrial and systems engineering, I've been led to work in the field of...

Losing momentum? As Toyota faces quality and sales setbacks, questions arise about its production system.(Industry overview)
January 1, 2008... CLOUDS OF PERCEPTION, BOTH GOOD AND BAD, OFTEN hang over the head of the smartest student in the classroom. Some peers express admiration and seek the brainiac's help. Others show jealousy through revile. But what happens when the unthinkable...

Zones of endurance: a primer on quality to improve business performance.
January 1, 2008... WHERE DO I BEGIN? THIS QUESTION IS RELEVANT to senior managers as they determine how to drive quality and improve business performance. To help managers answer the question effectively, I offer an executive primer on quality and how to manage...

Only in India: express economic gains demand infrastructure investment.
January 1, 2008... INDIA MADE A STRONG ALLIANCE IN THE BATTLE FOR economic growth when JP Morgan Chase & Co., the third largest U.S. bank, set up a $2 billion fund focusing on infrastructure investments. The initiative spawned a series of committed investments to...

Smart loop: simulation improves passenger travel between cars, planes.
January 1, 2008... PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTERNATIONAL Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States and the third largest in terms of rental car transactions, with over 1.5 million per year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In January 2006, a...

Green * DNA: Philips exercises sense and simplicity in production.(Philips Consumer Products S.A.)
January 1, 2008... THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF electronic products is increasing in the eyes of policymakers, regulators, and the public in general. Not only is there an increased responsibility on the part of companies to make sure that they...

Canned lean.(SOLUTIONS IN PRACTICE)(Impress Group)
January 1, 2008... No matter how many canned goods appear on the grocery store shelf, Michael Borne will be the first to remind grocery shoppers that the can industry is smaller than it appears. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Borne is the director of North...

Research.
January 1, 2008... Firms can make significant improvements in their profitability by properly coordinating decisions. The articles highlighted here describe two situations in which coordination provides substantial benefits. The first article is concerned with...

Incentive pay system.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)
January 1, 2008... Q: I am researching different types of pay systems. We're currently using a combination of hourly pay and incentive pay (based on units produced). I would like to create a system that rewards all employees at a particular site. What suggestions...

Higher education.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)
January 1, 2008... Q: What disciplines can industrial engineers complete their master's or doctorial studies in other than industrial engineering? A: Interestingly, many engineering fields feed into industrial engineering graduate programs. This is because as...

Macroscopic standards.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)
January 1, 2008... Q: My company has products with thousands of SKU numbers, which makes figuring the cost of each SKU very difficult. If you have thousands of SKU numbers and about 50 different machines in the plant, what is the best way to figure out a cost for...

Ensuring quality.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Q: I work in an operation where operators place vials into a kit. Some vials are required to be placed into a specific location in the kit. What is the best way to ensure that the correct number of each of the vials is present and in the...

Two months until ergo conference: workshops add to experience.(KEEPING PACE WITH IIE)(Conference news)
January 1, 2008... Anticipation is growing and workshops are adding up as the country's premier ergonomics event fast approaches. Applied Ergonomics Conference and Expo 2008 is set for March 10-13 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. As part of the...

Students, mark your calendar: university conferences set for January through march.(Calendar)
January 1, 2008... The 2008 university regional conferences get underway this month when the first meeting among 10 worldwide IIE regions opens in Canada. The conferences provide opportunities for students to broaden their understanding and creativity through...

Regions reloaded: new plan increases participation, improves access to benefits.(KEEPING PACE WITH IIE)(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... With an eye toward strengthening the reach to its membership, the Institute of Industrial Engineers is retooling its networking system. Over the years, some members haven't been able to enjoy their benefits in full because they lived or...

Aearo.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... When the outdoor work site is bright, shades are a necessity. Aearos 400 Series Protective Eyewear has a soft, adjustable bridge supported by a high-gloss, high-impact nylon brow. Soft rubber tips complement the flat-finish, magnesium, and...

Elvex.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(Elvex Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Elvex has combined safety with reading necessity in its Rx-100 Safety Reading Glasses. The pair comes in a black frame with clear or gray lenses, complete with temples that adjust to four different lengths. The panascopic angle can be adjusted...

The Speakman Co.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The Speakman Co. has created its Countertop Eye/Face Wash and Drench Hose for easy and fast eye cleansing. An automatic stay-open valve keeps users' hands free so they can hold their eyes open. An angle-mounted spray head directs overflow into...

API.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(American Polarizers Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... API's Glare-Bar Display Filters are designed to improve the readability of light-emitting displays for a wide range of applications in computers, electronics, instrumentation, and medical equipment. Contrast enhancement filter options include...

Humanscale.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Several hours of stating at the computer can be harmful to the eyes. Humanscale's Universal Contour Glare Filter has self-adjusting foam gaskets that seal out ambient light for maximum contrast and glare reduction. Dust and dirt also are sealed...

Fend-All.(WHAT ENGINEERS WANT)(Fendall Co)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Fend-All's Eyesaline Solution is a preserved, buffered, and sterile saline supplement to eyewash units for emergency eye care. The solution comes in bottles ranging in volume from 1 to 36 ounces, topped with a single-use, twist-off tab without...

Work perfect: the day we strive for.(Roy Allen of Blood Bank of Alaska )(Interview)
January 1, 2008... We're a 24-hour service supplying about 29 hospitals in the state with their blood needs. Alaska is big--about half a million square miles. The two most distant hospitals we service actually span a distance equivalent to the width of the...