All Features
John Hilgendorf
Whether you’re an executive with limited energy or an hourly employee trying to minimize work, the bottleneck in your productivity isn’t time or money but mental effort. And in a digital age where all data can be stored electronically, the most valuable functions of software—especially those in…
Mike Figliuolo
Reading the news (or even your email) can be distressing to the point of despondency. It can also be fun. It’s especially fun when people say or write silly stuff, and the reporter or editor has to write [sic] after a misspelling or a stupid comment in the original transcript. Sic, usually placed…
Quality Digest
(NCMS: Ann Arbor, MI) -- The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) announces the publication of a new technology brief focused on a new corrosion risk assessment tool to help combat the high cost of corrosion.
Corrosion is an insidious problem worldwide, costing industries and…
Daniel Marzullo
The “comfort zone” is that cozy space where everything feels familiar and stress-free. It’s where we stick to what we know, using the same old strategies that keep things steady but can also lead to feeling stuck.
In this zone, there’s not much motivation to push for new achievements, so progress…
Quality Digest
(CIMdata: Ann Arbor, MI) -- CIMdata Inc., a leading global PLM strategic management consulting and research firm, has announced an upcoming free webinar, “The Elevation and Expansion of Model-Based Systems Engineering—Initial Findings From Industry Research.” The webinar, the second of two on model…
Del Williams
In food processing, bulk-bag discharge systems are used to transfer food ingredients such as flour, sugar, and spices from bulk bags to mixing and blending equipment. However, when not designed or installed properly, bulk discharge systems can become a production bottleneck.
Complicating the issue…
Etienne Nichols
On Jan. 31, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its final rule for the new Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR).
The new QMSR is the result of aligning the current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) requirements of the FDA’s quality system regulation (QSR) with the…
Quality Digest
(CIMdata: Ann Arbor, MI) -- The Aerospace & Defense (A&D) PLM Action Group (AD PAG) has released the third edition of its PLM Global Collaboration position paper.
The purpose of the position paper is to document AD PAG’s collective vision for a common mechanism to support original…
Quality Digest
(Hexagon: Stockholm) -- Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has introduced its fully automated PRESTO XL inspection cell, tailored to inspecting large aerospace components. It’s the latest addition to a modular series of turnkey systems that can be deployed into manufacturing lines…
Creaform
The WAB-GROUP is where innovation and tradition come together to provide customers with world-class solutions in the areas of wet grinding technology, three-dimensional-shaking mixing technology, and flow chemistry.
Present in 42 countries worldwide and anchored since 2008 in its state-of-the-art…
Megan King
In 2018, the world agreed to redefine the kilogram. Instead of being pegged to the mass of a physical object in a vault in France, the kilogram is now defined by a few fundamental constants in nature.
This means researchers no longer have to worry about a physical object that can decay or change…
Quality Digest
(Michigan Metrology: Livonia, MI) -- Registration is open for a new one-day Surface Metrology and Tribology class, to be held in Livonia, Michigan, Nov. 14, 2024.
The one-day class offers a unique opportunity to learn the fundamentals of surface roughness, friction, and wear analysis, and their…
Quality Digest
(Teledyne DALSA: Waterloo, ON) -- Teledyne DALSA has announced that its AxCIS family of high-speed and high-resolution, fully integrated line scan imaging modules are now available in color. These easy-to-use contact image sensors (CIS) combine sensors, lenses, and lights all in one, offering a…
Stephanie Ojeda
There’s no question about it: Should an auditor or inspector visit your facility, one thing that will certainly be under the microscope is your corrective and preventive action (CAPA) system.
CAPA management is a recurring theme in U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letters, a fact…
Chip Bell
‘T ake out the papers and the trash.” That was the opening line of the song “Yakety Yak” by The Coasters. It spent weeks as the No. 1 hit in 1958. Teenagers everywhere wore out their shoes dancing to the hot song. The lyrics hold a strong message about delivering a superior customer experience.…
Quality Digest
(NewTek: Pennsauken, NJ) -- NewTek has introduced the NT-HL-750 series of intrinsically safe LVDT position sensors, which are approved for use in hazardous and explosive environments. These displacement sensors are designed to operate safely and accurately in corrosive environments where flammable…
Quality Digest
(Rockwell: Milwaukee) -- Rockwell Automation Inc. has announced the results of its ninth annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report: CPG Edition.” The global study encompasses the responses of 158 leaders from consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers, including home and personal care, as well…
Quality Digest
(Dürr: Southfield, MI) -- The EcoPaintJet, initially introduced for overspray-free paint applications in industrial vehicle painting, is now benefiting other industries.
Refrigeration manufacturer PAN-DUR insulates glazing for commercial refrigeration equipment and has been using Dürr’s innovative…
NIST
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Ultraviolet (UV) light may seem like an invisible hero, quietly disinfecting our hospitals, curing our nail polish, and killing pathogens in our water. But how can we be sure it’s being used in ways that are safe and effective?
To help ensure that every UV beam serves…
John Tschohl
Everyone makes mistakes. When you screw up and say, “I’m sorry. That’s our mistake,” it’s good customer service, but not service recovery. Most organizations never admit mistakes, and fewer than 1% practice service recovery.
Keeping customers is critical to your growth. Gaining a new customer is…
Henrik Bresman
Traditional productivity metrics are used by many companies to assess the value that employees bring to the organization. These tangible, quantifiable, results-based measurements include work quality and output, efficiency, and the number of projects completed on time and on budget. Some managers…
George Schuetz
In this job, I get a lot of questions. In fact, I did some figuring the other day and estimated, conservatively, that we have probably answered at least 50,000 gauging questions over the past 35 years or so.
Some of these questions have been challenging. They’ve pushed me to learn more about my…
Quality Digest
(Morehouse: York, PA) -- Morehouse Instrument Co. announces the release of the third edition of Force Calibration for Technicians: Top Conditions, Methods, and Systems that Impact Force Calibration Results, by Henry Zumbrun, president of Morehouse. This free, authoritative guide is designed to…
Chris Rush
Ensuring the accuracy and security of clinical data, as well as compliance with good clinical practice (GCP), will in large part determine the success of your study and regulatory submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Data management and reporting are essential practices when…
Mike Figliuolo
We take ourselves too seriously, and in doing so we become boring and no fun. Sometimes it’s OK to let loose, act silly, and have a good time. It’s energizing.
So often we while away the days being the consummate professional. We read professional journals. We write professional messages. We hold…