All Features
William Fetter
The Internet was abuzz recently about the revelation that according to a high-school class experiment, Oreo Double Stuf cookies are, in fact, not double stuffed but only 1.86 percent stuffed. The original blog post by the math teacher was actually made on March 3, 2013, but not discovered as “news…
Ford Motor Co.
(Ford Motor Co.: Dearborn, MI) -- The new F-Series trucks are the latest vehicles to benefit from Ford Motor Co.’s new dirt-detection technology to ensure optimal paint and surface quality. The system uses high-resolution cameras and reflected light to digitally identify surface imperfections finer…
Umberto Tunesi
Stone Age men, so the story goes, got the wheel inspiration by observing trees rolling downhill. So they sliced trees and fit the rounds they got to their sleds, to move them faster and with less effort. In so doing, they also invented carts while expediting transportation.
But friction’s thermal…
MIT News
Scholars have long been interested in tracking “knowledge spillovers,” the way technical and intellectual advances spread among communities of researchers and innovators. A significant body of work has shown that distance matters when it comes to the dissemination of knowledge. Advances are more…
MIT News
MIT chemical engineers have discovered that arrays of billions of nanoscale sensors have unique properties that could help pharmaceutical companies produce drugs—especially those based on antibodies—more safely and efficiently.
Using these sensors, the researchers were able to characterize…
Jack Dunigan
Editor’s note: This continues Jack Dunigan’s series about unsung heroes in the workplace, and the 16 traits they all share.
What is the purpose in employing associates? They are brought on board to extend your reach, multiply your effectiveness, and divide your work. Then you train and teach, but…
Jack Dunigan
Editor’s note: This continues Jack Dunigan’s series about unsung heroes in the workplace, and the 16 traits they all share.
A few years ago it was my privilege to officiate at the memorial service of an old friend. The family did not want a traditional structured ceremony. They asked that time be…
NIST
Three-dimensional (3D) scanners used at crime scenes for forensic investigations aren’t just the stuff of prime time television. Investigators and crime laboratories do use 3D laser scanning measurement systems to measure and model critical aspects of crime scenes. But during the ensuing legal…
Jerry Wilson
There are many reasons why organizations decide to register or certify themselves to the various standards and specifications in industry; all are important, but not all are vital. Standards registration in support of sales, marketing, and PR efforts certainly helps companies grow, for example.…
Ron Hicks
For the Coordinate Metrology Society, CMSC 2013 will be recognized as a landmark year in its quest to provide state-of-the-art information and best practices to the metrology industry. Twenty-seven technical presentations were delivered at this conference, and I could not be more impressed with the…
Patrick Runkel
It’s wildfire season out West. Time to be in awe of the destructive power of nature.
According to the USDA Forest Service active fire maps, more than 300 fires are burning across 1.5 million acres—including 35 large, uncontained blazes.
Shifting winds, humidity, and terrain can quickly alter a…
Akhilesh Gulati
Editor’s note: This article continues the series exploring structured innovation using the TRIZ methodology, a problem-solving, analysis, and forecasting tool derived from studying patterns of invention found in global patent data.
The members of the executive council had been focusing on TRIZ for…
(1factory: San Jose, CA) -- 1factory, Inc. has launch an online supplier quality management platform that enables buyers to implement quality controls, access inspection and process capability (Cp, Cpk) data, and collaborate with suppliers to improve manufacturing processes across the supply chain…
AJ Sweatt
I’m not one to rely solely on statistics to tell the entire story. There are usually intangibles—the human element, seemingly unrelated activity—that fill in the blanks.
We’re seeing a seemingly endless stream of upbeat manufacturing stories lately, that either extol the latest bump in U.S.…
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
(Hexagon: North Kingstown, RI) -- Hexagon Metrology has officially unveiled HexagonMetrologyU, the first e-learning portal designed to engage and support the metrology industry. The interactive platform debuts more than 30 online courses covering metrology fundamentals, basic and intermediate…
Georgia Institute of Technology
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology want to put your signature up in lights—tiny lights, that is. Using thousands of nanometer-scale wires, the researchers have developed a sensor device that converts mechanical pressure—from a signature or a fingerprint—directly into light signals…
Kyle Toppazzini
How many of you have been through a lean Six Sigma (LSS) project or business transformation and there was no internal conflict between employees or among managers? My guess is very few. In any LSS project, company transformation, or change initiative there are going to be instances of love and war…
FARO
(FARO: Lake Mary, FL) -- FARO Technologies Inc., the world’s most trusted source for 3D measurement technology, was the proud sponsor of Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing Team, campaigned by Pratt & Miller Engineering, that raced in the 90th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 23–24, 2013, in Le…
New River Kinematics
(New River Kinematics: Williamsburg, VA) — Beginning September 2013, SpatialAnalyzer (SA), the portable metrology solution for large-scale manufacturers, is coming to a city near you. Attend a free SA user seminar at one of 16 cities around the United States and learn more about how SA can help you…
Creaform Inc.
(Creaform: Lévis, Québec, Canada) -- Creaform, developer, manufacturer, and provider of portable 3-D measurement solutions and 3D engineering services, has announced its financial results for the first half of 2013. The company reports sales growth of 41 percent over 2012.
“We are extremely happy…
Brunson
(Brunson: Kansas City, MO) -- Brunson Instrument Co. has unveiled their newly redesigned website with detailed product descriptions and photos, featured videos, company news and more. The company also rolled out their new mobile website application at m.brunson.us. The websites cater to alignment,…
Basis Software Inc.
(Basis Software: Redmond, WA) -- Basis Software Inc., designer, marketer, and supplier of 3D laser scanning systems and products, released the “IR” version of the Surphaser 100HSX, their latest phase-shift, hemispherical laser scanner at the 2013 Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CSMC) held…
Verisurf Software Inc.
(Verisurf: Anaheim, CA) -- Verisurf Software Inc., developer of metrology software, has released the 7th generation of its Verisurf X software. With model-based geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) inspection technology at its core, the all-new computer-aided inspection, reverse…
Automated Precision Inc.
(API: Rockville, MD) -- Automated Precision Inc. presented the North American debut of the Omnitrac 2, the world’s first completely wireless laser tracker, at the Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC) held last month in San Diego.
In addition demonstrating the Omnitrac 2’s Absolute…
Tripp Babbitt
S
ometimes it’s necessary for a person to offer up views that seem to be an affront. Because these views often challenge the status quo, people’s reactions can be mixed. Some will consider the person a heretic for expressing them, and others will wonder why anyone would say such a thing. The…
