Industrial Engineer articles from September 2004

Industrial Engineer archives from September 2004

Rah, rah, rah.(Editor's Desk)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR HAS COME AND GONE, STUDENTS ARE hitting the books, and cooler temperatures are in the forecast, all of which means I can start watching Sportscenter again. I know baseball is the great American pastime, but I can...

The process of valuation.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... "Man as Machine" (July) was an intriguing article. I just have a few additional thoughts on the process. If I buy a machine, I expect some revenue stream to be either created, maintained, or increased. The process of valuation as presented...

More apropos title, more emphasis on employees.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... The article by John Mansuy ("Man as Machine," July) was timely and supports my own contention that organizations need to place more emphasis on the value and productivity of their employees, often their largest single investment. However, I...

Taylor's unfair reputation.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Frederick Taylor did not treat workers as automatons. Monica Elliott's address of him by repeating a reputation ascribed by another is a repetition of misinformation ("Bottom-line Dwellers," July). The mistaken understanding is easily dispelled...

Disenchanted with direction.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Having received the June edition of Industrial Engineer, I can't help but feel that the publication and perhaps the Institute itself have gotten off track. Most discipline-oriented publications, whether in engineering, medicine, or another...

Unpleasant surprise.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... When I first read the [June] cover I was waiting for a great article, but what a surprise--it was more like a fashion magazine. I asked myself, is this an industrial engineering magazine? I was very disappointed. As a magazine of this category,...

Varied opportunity in Peru.(Rants and Raves)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... About the article "International Engineers" in the April issue, the equivalent of IIE is the School of Engineers of Peru (Colegio de Ingenieros del Peru) that is formed by all the different engineering careers. I studied in the Ricardo Palma...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2004... The photo caption on page 52 of the August issue misidentified the subject. Pictured is Jingshan Li of the General Motors Research & Development Center, Warren, Mich. Our apologies for the error.

Smart approach to product planning: a common design platform for product families offers economy.(News, Trends & Tactics)
September 1, 2004... As American continue to demand more individualized products, companies are looking for ways to fulfill those needs without starting from scratch. The answer may be found in a new software tool, says one researcher at the University of...

Energy invention portal.(Site to See)(www.eere.energy.gov/inventions)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Inventions & Innovation (www.eere.energy.gov/inventions), which falls under the U.S. Department of Energy umbrella, offers updated information about technologies, partners, funding opportunities, and resources related to energy inventions. An...

China losing jobs, too: manufacturing productivity hits workers hard.(Front Line)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... China is losing more manufacturing jobs than the United States. For the entire economy between 1995 and 2002, China lost 15 million manufacturing jobs compared with 2 million in the United States, according to The Conference Board. "As its...

The high price of fatigue.(Front Line)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Chronic fatigue syndrome costs the United States more than $9 billion a year in lost productivity, according to an article in the journal Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation. This estimate, which is similar to the financial losses caused...

In support of lean.(Book of the Month)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... One reason that so many lean manufacturing conversions have been abandoned is that production support processes have not assisted in making the transformation, according to authors Ricky Smith and Bruce Hawkins. And the most significant of the...

Penn State emphasizes service: teaching students how to bring engineering techniques to the service industries.(Front Line)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... "Historically, process improvement has been a part of engineering, but it's typically been applied to something physical, like a production line," notes Richard Koubek, head of industrial engineering at Penn State. "Today, service process...

Events.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... > SEPTEMBER SEPT. 12-16 * Lean Management Solutions Conference, Los Angeles; www.leanmanagement.org SEPT. 13 * Lean Enterprise: An Introduction, Norcross, Ga. SEPT. 13-14 ASQ Service Quality Conference, San Antonio;...

An honest look at cheating: engineering students are likely to do it.(Front Line)
September 1, 2004... Engineering students are among the most likely to cheat in college. This disturbing revelation is based on a project conducted by Trevor Harding, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering at Kettering University in Flint,...

Wanted: scientists and engineers.(Front Line)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced in July that the Department of Energy and its national laboratories are launching an initiative to promote science literacy and help develop the next generation of scientists and engineers. ...

TI:GER tale: Ph.D., M.B.A., and law students learn the ropes together.(Front Line)(Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results)
September 1, 2004... An innovative program is giving graduate students in seemingly disparate fields the opportunity to work together as they prepare for real-world careers that include cross-functional teams. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TI:GER (Technological...

Stubborn intruder: Listeria contamination resists best efforts at eradication.(Front Line)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Despite the best efforts of food processors and food retailers to maintain a clean and safe environment, strains of the deadly pathogen Listeria monocytogenes can persist for up to a year or longer, according to Cornell University food...

What would Rip think?(Performance)
September 1, 2004... SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I was involved with helping local schools build stronger partnerships with area businesses. We used an exercise in which school and business leaders were asked to imagine what Rip Van Winkle would think if he returned to a...

Foiling corporate fraud.(Management)
September 1, 2004... THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 mandates that company management provide accurate and timely financial information to investors. Compliance requires management to file a statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission confirming that...

Where are the real IEs?(Member Forum)(Industrial Engineers)
September 1, 2004... INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS have experienced identity problems for more than 50 years. We have the Rodney Dangerfield predicament of getting no respect. There is no easy answer to how we can improve our public image. I faced a similar problem from...

The lean offensive: the U.S. Army Materiel Command is winning the battle against waste with continuous improvement.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... WHEN THE SUN RISES OVER THE IRAQI DESERT, MANY of the men and women responsible for safeguarding the lives of the soldiers, and, by extension, citizens, of the United States are sleeping safe in their beds countless miles away. These are the...

Game on.(defence simulation techniques)
September 1, 2004... Defending your country may not always be fun, but on rare occasions it can be a game. Ron Tarr, a senior program manager at the Institute for Simulation and Training based at the University of Central Florida, has spent the past five years...

All abroad! You are 19 years old and it's 3:00 in the morning. You're sliding into bed, happily exhausted from an adventure-filled day in one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities. In four hours, you're getting up to deliver a project report. It's not a dream; it's a Semester at Sea.
September 1, 2004... THE FASTEST CRUISE SHIP IN THE WORLD. Exotic ports of call. College students slathered in sunscreen. It's a recipe for one of the toughest semesters some engineering undergrads will ever undertake. Semester at Sea is a life-altering...

Eclipse Aviation wants to change the way you fly.(Eclipsing the Past)
September 1, 2004... YOUR ROW IS CALLED AND YOU SHUFFLE toward the gate, nudging your carryon with your feet. A family of five at the front of the queue has lost one of their boarding passes and the line halts as they frantically rummage through a diaper bag. After...

Mercy in Miami: simulating a state-of-the-art diagnostic center.
September 1, 2004... THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY HAS undergone several changes over the past several years that have created many challenges for hospital board members, administrators, and staff. These events are reducing profit margins and cash flow. To deal with...

Research: executive summaries.
September 1, 2004... This month's highlighted research tackles two related problems. The first paper discusses a novel process variability reduction technique that takes advantage of recent advances in online sensing technology. The second presents a new approach...

Ask the expert: answers to your technical questions.
September 1, 2004... Surgical tray solution Q: I work as a management engineer in a hospital. I am attempting to complete a cluster analysis of surgical trays and the surgical instruments they contain. The overall goal is to standardize the trays to gain...

Major manager: Robert Shadley serves by supervision.(Profile of a Winner)
September 1, 2004... Maj. Gen. Robert Shadley is proud of his three decades of military service and is proud to be an industrial engineer. Recently retired from active duty, Shadley said industrial engineering and the Army are really two sides of the same coin. ...

Just rewards.(Ask IIE)
September 1, 2004... Q: How do I nominate someone for an IIE award? A: IIE bestows a range of awards recognizing student, academic, professional, and lifetime achievements in the field of industrial engineering. Every year, dozens of members are acknowledged...

Listening in: IIE holds the first in a series of educational audio conferences.(Ask IIE)(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Lean Works Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... In July, IIE conducted the first of what is to become a regular slate of audio conferences. Hosted by IIE Lean Division president John Fargher, the conference was titled "Trends in Lean Enterprise." Nearly 60 participants called in to hear...

Gathering at the equator: chapters assemble for the region 16 conference.(Chapter Check-in)(first Region 16 conference)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... In March, student Chapter 988 from the Universidad de los Andes and Chapter 985 from the Universidad Distrital Francisco Jose de Caldas, met in Bogota, Colombia for the first Region 16 conference. The conference featured several talks,...

Intelligent design: Industrial Engineer looks good.(Chapter Check-in)
September 1, 2004... The Magazine Association of Georgia and the Southeast recognized Industrial Engineer magazine with a Bronze Award in the Best Design category at its 2004 GAMMA Awards. The award was given for the November 2003 issue. The honor represents a...

John Minnich.(Virginia Tech's Grado)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Virginia Tech's Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering named John Minnich to its advisory board. Minnich is vice president of H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc. The advisory board provides guidance to the department in developing...

G. Don Taylor Jr.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... G. Don Taylor Jr., Ph.D., was named head of the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. Previously, Taylor served as the director of the Center for Engineering Logistics and Distribution at the University of...

Theodore Trafalis.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Theodore Trafalis was honored by the University of Oklahoma's Board of Regents with a Regents Award for Superior Research and Creative Activity. Trafalis gained international recognition for his research on artificial neural networks. ...

Gary E. Whitehouse.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... IIE fellow Gary E. Whitehouse, Ph.D., was named University Distinguished Professor and Provost Emeritus at the University of Central Florida. Whitehouse served for more than 25 years as professor, chair of industrial engineering, dean of...

Mickey Wilhelm.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... After serving as part of the University of Louisville's industrial engineering faculty for three decades, Mickey Wilhelm Ph.D., was selected as the permanent dean of Louisville's J.B. Speed School of Engineering. Wilhelm has served as acting...

SEMS like old times: winners of the 2004 Management Award announced.(Chapter Check-in)(Transportation Security Administration)(Society for Engineering and Management Systems)
September 1, 2004... The 2004 SEMS Management Awards were presented during the Management Forum at this year's IIE Annual Conference in Houston. The SEMS Management Award recognizes members of IIE's Society for Engineering and Management Systems who are...

Life cycles: Industrial Management looks at the way needs change over time.(In Other Publications)(Industrial Management)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The July/August issue of Industrial Management helps managers stay on their toes by showing them several ways they can anticipate the needs of their company and the workers that keep it running. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In "The Right...

Double take: two society memberships for the price of one.(Focus)(Society for Health Systems)(Member benefits)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... IIE's Society for Health Systems and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society have joined forces to offer a greater level of benefit to their members. As of May, joining either organization ensures the membership benefits of...

Feel-good tools.(What Engineers Want)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Smart Handle Pro maintenance tools feature a curved handle to help make users more comfortable as well as 25 percent to 35 percent more productive in their work. Research conducted by the company shows that users' motions are three times...

Predictable teaming.(What Engineers Want)
September 1, 2004... Team/Project Acculitics is a tactical process for improving the performance and predictability of project teams. The service provides conclusions, results, and recommendations that can be applied to teams in lieu of using consultant-led...

Lean modeling tool.(What Engineers Want)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Mast Lean-Sigma is a modeling and analysis software tool that assists in planning and implementing lean sigma manufacturing operations. Designed for the black belt or project coordinator responsible for eliminating waste, the software fills the...

Disc-drive door.(What Engineers Want)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Albany Door Systems' RapidRoll 3000 industrial door uses an innovative disc-drive technology. The door's disc modules wind the aluminum slats of the door panel so they do not touch each other, resulting in minimal vibration and no friction...

CMMS for free.(What Engineers Want)
September 1, 2004... Small and mid-sized organizations have a no-cost way to try a computerized maintenance management system. Clueword DotCom, a Malaysian IT firm, offers CWorks Free, which provides CMMS features such as asset, labor, and material tracking as well...

20/20 machine vision.(What Engineers Want)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Priced at less than $1,000, the Presence Plus P4 Geo vision sensor offers high throughput, 360-degree rotation, and fixture-free inspections. It easily inspects for correct features regardless of product orientation or position in the sensor's...

Feel the heat.(What Engineers Want)
September 1, 2004... Jumbo-CelsiDot temperature labels are used in industrial applications to monitor excess temperature of electric motors, transmission gears, and other mission-critical parts used in chemical, energy, and food processing industries. The dots are...

Rugged tech.(What Engineers Want)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The GX-1200 is an industrial computer designed for forklift and fixed mounting in industrial applications. Equipped with a 1.2 GHz Pentium processor, the computer offers integrated dual-diversity antennas for thorough radio-frequency coverage...

Ditch dirty work disgrace.(Beyond the Norm)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it. And millions of people work in positions that get little positive recognition by society because their jobs are considered demeaning. But researchers at the University of Arkansas have found...

You be the judge.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Are you a good driver? Whatever your answer, you may be wrong. Most of us believe we can accurately gauge our performance and abilities against those of our peers, but the truth is that we are pretty poor judges of our own comparative...

Good pretty teacher.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Physical beauty appears to have substantial influence over how instructors are rated for their teaching ability, according to an economist at the University of Texas at Austin. Daniel Hamermesh, Ph.D., examined the impact of professors'...