Industrial Engineer articles from May 2007

Industrial Engineer archives from May 2007

Springing into action.(IIE Annual Conference and Expo)
May 1, 2007... Spring didn't come in like a lamb or even a lion for much of the United States this year. It swooped in like a mythical beast, beating its gargantuan wings and huffing a frigid breadth. Frosty winds, biblical rains, and bewildering snows became...

Collaborating on e-scrap standards: public-private partnership seeks solutions.(Solving the E-Waste Problem)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Standardizing recycling processes globally to harvest valuable components in electrical and electronic scrap (e-scrap), extending the life of products, and harmonizing world policy approaches to e-scrap are goals of a new global public-private...

Toyota chooses Mississippi.(Toyota Motor Corp.'s assembly plant)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Highlander sport utility vehicles will roll off the lines in Blue Springs, Miss., when Toyota builds its eighth North American vehicle assembly plant there. The plant, slated to begin production in 2010, will have the capacity to build 150,000...

Look out!(PRIME NUMBER)
May 1, 2007... Eye injuries account for more than $300 million a year in lost production time, medical expenses, and workers' compensation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Robert Morris adds IE curriculum.(Robert Morris University)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Robert Morris University will restructure its existing logistics engineering curriculum to a new concentration in industrial engineering this fall. The university will also add a mechanical engineering concentration. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Musical dream maker.(Charity Music)
May 1, 2007... THE TASK AT HAND: Charity Music, headquartered in Sterling Heights, Mich., specializes in making musical dreams come true. Through the nonprofit organization, students, senior citizens, community groups, and military personnel can obtain...

Seeing the abstract.
May 1, 2007... What's the best way to illustrate data, abstractions, and concepts? That's a question often asked by engineers tasked with presenting material to non-technical groups of stakeholders, clients, and internal departments. Dozens of examples are...

Robots give hospitals a hand: automating supply delivery improves patient care.(Front Line)
May 1, 2007... Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., is employing a small battalion of robots that serve as a transport system and asset tracking solution. The robotic system, devised by Aethon Inc., consists of two components: Tugs act as couriers to...

Honda Aircraft lands in N.C.: headquarters and manufacturing facility to emerge in Greensboro.(Front Line)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Honda Aircraft Co. Inc. will establish its world headquarters in Greensboro, N.C., with the construction of a 215,000-square-foot office facility and hangar at Piedmont Triad International airport. The company will manufacture its light...

Extravagantly inefficient: Contest celebrates wacky contraptions.(Rube Goldberg Machine Contest)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... A team representing Ferris State University pressed on to victory in the 19th annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest with a machine that used 345 steps to squeeze and pour orange juice. The competition honors the late cartoonist Rube Goldberg,...

Researchers: open access great (but not for me); Do online journals adversely affect academic careers?(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Researchers in academia appreciate the speed at which online journals can distribute new findings, but they fear such non-traditional publications will adversely affect their careers, according to a study by professors at the University of...

Stopping injury before it starts: blood test warns of repetitive stress.(Medical condition overview)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... For the first time, scientists have found early indicators of inflammation that could serve as a warning of work-related repetitive motion injuries. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new study by Temple University researchers found that the...

Engineering position.
May 1, 2007... "No profession unleashes the spirit of innovation like engineering. From research to real-world applications, engineers constantly discover how to improve our lives by creating bold new solutions that connect science to life in unexpected,...

Dilbert.(Cartoon)
May 1, 2007... www.dilbert.com scottadams@aol.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2-23-06 [c] 2006 Scott Adams, Inc./Dist. by UFS, Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [c] Scott Adams/Dist. by United Feature Syndicate, Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

India to overtake U.S. in cotton production: demand grows, as does technology.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Worldwide demand for cotton is projected to grow by about 20 million bales or 16 percent in the coming decade, according to an analysis by Texas Tech University's Cotton Economics Research Institute. China will remain on top in production,...

Do the right things.(Getting the Right Things Done)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... If companies are to be successful, employees at all levels must focus their energy and be able to apply lean principles to everything they do. Strategy deployment has proven to be the most effective process for meeting this challenge, according...

Move it to reduce risk: physical activity may alleviate work-related repetitive strain injuries.
May 1, 2007... A study published in the April 2007 issue of Arthritis Care & Research found that being physically active during leisure time is associated with a decreased risk of work-related repetitive strain injury (RSI). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Taking human inventory.
May 1, 2007... I SPEND 25 TO 30 HOURS A MONTH AT a minimum taking human inventory--waiting in line. Time spent in the airline system constitutes the bulk of these hours, but I also spend my fair share of time taking human inventory in banks, hotels, grocery...

America's lagging productivity.
May 1, 2007... IS THE UNITED STATES LAGGING BEHIND THE rest of the world in productivity? According to government reports, this key metric to the overall health of the economy dropped precipitously during the fourth quarter of 2006. Does this reading spell...

A hard sell: Carolina Logistics Services reverses the route of controlled substances.(Cover story)
May 1, 2007... Foxy Methoxy, Blue Mystic, and Maria Pastora are not names of entertainers. Street names for counterfeited, widely used pharmaceuticals have clever, catchy enunciations because they are easier to reference than pharmacological names of origin...

Systems bypass, process breakdown: don't let employees evade the ERP.
May 1, 2007... Several members of our project team were walking the warehouse portion of a client's facility, familiarizing ourselves with the stacks and rows we would possibly be reconfiguring, when we turned down an aisle and came upon a sight that would be...

The new essential skills: you need more than technical wizardry to make your career take flight.
May 1, 2007... Industrial engineers can attest that technical know-how is only half of the battle. You might work 80 hours a week to analyze and improve systems in your organization. However, if you can't articulate processes, present a winning business case,...

Leadership and diversity: constant companions; Understanding differences begets productivity.
May 1, 2007... On any given day, more than 300 million people move from one geographic region to another. This global migration is equal in number to the population of the United States. War, famine, drought, terrorism, natural disaster, and economic...

Road to gold: Red X drives quality at General Motors.(General Motors Corp.)
May 1, 2007... To accelerate production of its top selling-brands Buick and Pontiac and eclipse rival automakers in a teeming industry, General Motors has buttressed its Global Manufacturing System Division with lean initiatives. Initiatives have been...

Quality satisfaction.
May 1, 2007... Sometimes making improvements isn't about fixing a problem but taking advantage of an opportunity. In a competitive marketplace where yesterday's numbers can read like ancient history, being proactive can mean being the industry leader. ...

Research.
May 1, 2007... This month, we highlight two articles on the design of production and distribution networks that appear in May's scheduling and logistics-focused issue of IIE Transactions (Vol. 39, No. 5). The first article looks at designing manufacturing...

Financial industry options.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Q: I am an undergraduate student in Canada. My current major is industrial engineering, but I'd like to work for a financial organization such as a bank or investment corporation. Would I have the opportunity to work for the financial industry...

Forecasting turnover.(ANSWERS TO YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Q: Is there a standard approach for forecasting labor turnover rates? Is it appropriate to forecast the rate or should I forecast the actual turnover and head count and then calculate the rate? A: If employment conditions do not...

Material handling efficiency.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Q: I'm trying to increase material handlers' efficiency by implementing a productivity tracking report. This allows us to examine the number of pallets each material handler loads and unloads per hour. I did time studies to come up with an...

Cultural effects of lean.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Q: What is the effect of lean implementation strategies on employees' sense of job security? A: Lean implementation strategies have two critical aspects: proper use of the tools and culture of the organization. You won't reap the full...

U-shaping the line.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Q: I would like to change to a U-shaped assembly line in our facility. How do I proceed? Any recommended procedures or tools? A: While there are many potential benefits to cellular manufacturing, the primary purpose is to arrange sequential...

Timing work elements.
May 1, 2007... Q: I work in a foundry and we have a problem with our cutoff process. Right now, we treat it as indirect labor. Should we treat it as direct labor based on standards? If so, how do we establish standards in that area? I know that we can do a...

Annual Conference is this month: yearly gathering offers education, networking, and awards.(IIE Annual Conference and Expo)(Brief article)(Conference notes)
May 1, 2007... Hundreds of educational opportunities await attendees of the IIE Annual Conference and Expo this month in Nashville, Tenn. In addition, networking events, awards presentations, student activities, and facility tours are among the offerings....

Webaccess@IIEnet.org: webcasts, live and on-demand.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... IIE webcasts are multimedia presentations broadcast via the Internet. Covering a wide range of subjects, webcasts are an easy way to access topical information on the IIE Web site. Recent webcasts include "Establishing Conditions for Lean...

Seeking IIE leaders: call for Board of Trustees and national Leadership Council positions.
May 1, 2007... IIE is seeking nominees for several Board of Trustees and Networking Leadership Council positions for the upcoming election. Members who are elected to the BOT are required to attend four meetings per year. Spring, summer, and fall meetings...

Ergo excitement: Cup competition yields three winners.(Applied Ergonomics Conference and Expo)(GE Energy Learning Center)
May 1, 2007... More than 660 ergonomics, health, and safety experts packed the InterContinental Dallas Hotel in Addison, Texas, for the 10th annual Applied Ergonomics Conference and Expo. The March conference, which offered a wide variety of educational...

Colin Drury, a professor in the University at Buffalo department of industrial and systems engineering, was appointed a State University of New York Distinguished Professor.(KUDOS CELEBRATING MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS)(appointment of Colin Drury)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Colin Drury, a professor in the University at Buffalo department of industrial and systems engineering, was appointed a State University of New York Distinguished Professor. An internally known expert in human factors, human error, and quality...

Michelle McGaha was honored for her accomplishments and named USA Today All-USA College Academic Second Team.(KUDOS CELEBRATING MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Michelle McGaha was honored for her accomplishments and named USA Today All-USA College Academic Second Team. McGaha is completing her junior year at the University of Alabama with a major in industrial engineering. Through the computer-based...

Christopher Powis was hired by H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc. as a consulting analyst.(KUDOS CELEBRATING MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS)(appointment of Christopher Powis)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Christopher Powis was hired by H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc. as a consulting analyst. In December 2006, Powis earned a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. He was an active member in the IIE student chapter and served...

Russell Wooten won the District of Columbia Council of Engineering and Architectural Societies Engineer of the Year Award.(KUDOS CELEBRATING MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Russell Wooten won the District of Columbia Council of Engineering and Architectural Societies Engineer of the Year Award. In 2006, he was named an Edelman Laureate and was a representative for the Department of Homeland Security in the Edelman...

Minitab.(Quality software)
May 1, 2007... Managing Six Sigma projects can be a cumbersome task without the proper tools to ensure efficiency. Quality Companion 2.2 by Minitab can help professionals plan and execute their strategies. Equipped with an instructional CD, the program shows...

Digital Computations Inc.(Quality software)
May 1, 2007... Employees seeking to increase their knowledge of Six Sigma can simply click the Excel icon on their laptops and download the SPC XL software for enhanced training techniques. This program allows the user to develop histograms, Paretos, and...

PQ Systems.(Quality software)
May 1, 2007... PQ Systems has created its own version of SPC software offering short-run charts, three-way control, e-mail capability, and normal and non-normal distribution charts. The SQCpack allows users to log in and create their own custom settings and...

Harrington Group.
May 1, 2007... The Harrington Group has developed HQMS to help executives keep an organized record of data entry, team participation, quality management, and regulatory compliance activities. This program includes application modules that address the...

WinSPC.
May 1, 2007... To enhance in-line product and processes, managers must have the ability to take a hands-on approach to their work along with collecting quality data from various sources. WinSPC provides the real-time SPC tools and quality control features...

Work perfect: the day we strive for.(Interview)
May 1, 2007... I work for a software company that sells tools for industrial engineers and operations researchers. As far as marketing the software, that whole responsibility kind of fell in my lap. And it was because they wanted somebody who could talk the...