All Features
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is seeking candidates for the 2024 Baldrige Executive Fellows Program, a year-long leadership development experience designed to facilitate dialogue on all aspects of leadership and how it relates to a visionary focus, strategy…
(Dürr: Southfield, MI) -- Plastic parts are often painted using conventional spray guns. But with prices for materials and cleaning rising, high-speed rotary atomizers are becoming more cost-effective. Valeo, a global technology company, is using Dürr's EcoBell technology for the first time at its…
Scott A. Hindle, Douglas C. Fair
Parts 1, 2, and 3 of our series on statistical process control (SPC) have shown how data can be thoughtfully used to enable learning and improvement—and consequently, better product quality and lower production costs. Another area of SPC to tap into is that of measurement methods. How do we ensure…
Etienne Nichols
At one point in my career, after managing design controls and risk management documentation, I decided to move on.
When the day came to put in my two-week notice, I walked over to another engineer’s cubicle with the news. “From now on,” I said, “design controls are yours.”
I’ll never forget the…
Lee Simmons
Why are some pro sports teams perennial contenders while others can’t seem to get out of the cellar? Great players are essential, but that’s not enough. Often, the unheralded MVPs of a successful team are people who wear suits, not uniforms, to work.
In his research, George Foster, the Konosuke…
(AMT: McLean, VA) -- September 2023 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $201.4 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and the Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report collaboration,…
(L.S. Starrett: Athos, MA) -- L.S. Starrett Co., a global manufacturer of precision metrology systems and measuring tools and gauges, will be featuring the automated inspection capabilities of its metrology and force measurement systems at ATX West, an Informa Advanced Manufacturing show co-located…
(MasterControl: Salt Lake City) -- MasterControl, a leading provider of quality management and next-generation manufacturing execution software, has announced a major milestone with more than 150 customers adopting Manufacturing Excellence, its modern manufacturing execution system (MES),…
Mike Figliuolo
Nothing annoys me more than being told how to do something. It’s OK to have an opinion, but to position oneself as having the authority of an expert and tell others the right and wrong way to do something is a slippery slope. Unless you’re instructing someone on brain surgery, defusing a bomb, or…
Margaret Graziano
Dealing with troubling workplace environments can be difficult. It’s not always clear what the deeper issue is, and the friction and conflict that breeds can be tough to reverse.
At the heart of any organization are its people. Without a dedicated, aligned, and fully engaged workforce, no progress…
(Canon Medical: Irvine, CA) Canon Medical Components USA (CMCU)/Digital Radiography (DR) (https://mcu.canon), global leaders in advanced flat-panel detectors (FPDs), X-ray components, X-ray tubes, and innovative imaging software, has introduced a clinical white paper, ““An Analysis of Canon…
(Nanoscribe: Karlsruhe, Germany) -- Nanoscribe, a BICO company, has introduced a new 3D microfabrication technology called 3D printing by 2GL.
Two-photon grayscale lithography (2GL) is setting new standards for 3D nano- and microfabrication. The technology merges the high resolution of two-photon…
Donald J. Wheeler
Fourteen years ago, I published “Do You Have Leptokurtophobia?” Based on the reaction to that column, the message was needed. In this column, I would like to explain the symptoms of leptokurtophobia and the cure for this pandemic affliction.
Leptokurtosis is a Greek word that literally means “thin…
Graham Ward
In the workplace, we are often in a semidependent state. We seek approval and guidance from colleagues and superiors, all while hiding our deepest vulnerabilities.
Our insecurities drive us to seek external validation, which shapes our actions and decisions. In essence, we exhibit what…
(DNV: Høvik, Norway) -- DNV, a risk management and assurance company, has published a suite of recommended practices (RPs) that will enable companies operating critical devices, assets, and infrastructure to safely apply artificial intelligence (AI).
High-quality AI systems require strong building…
(Capgemini: Paris) -- The 15th edition of the World Quality Report, published by Capgemini, Sogeti, and OpenText, highlights the rising importance of quality engineering (QE) to enhance both sustainability in business operations and value delivery to customers and end users. According to the report…
Henning Piezunka, Sanghyun Park, Linus Dahlander
In the quest for groundbreaking solutions, businesses actively seek a wide range of distinct ideas. However, the suggestions they receive—whether from employees or external contributors—eventually end up being quite similar. Why does this happen?
Our research shows that businesses influence the…
NIST
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues have built a superconducting camera containing 400,000 pixels—400 times more than any other device of its type.
Superconducting cameras allow scientists to capture very weak light signals, whether from…
(Starrett: Athol, MA) -- The L.S. Starrett Co., a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, metrology systems and more, has introduced three wireless electronic depth gages made in the United States: W640JZ, W643JZ, and W644JZ.
They are part of a line of more than 40 new…
NIST
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology Human-Centered Cybersecurity program is pleased to announce the release of the NIST Phish Scale User Guide.
The Phish Scale is a method designed to rate an email’s human phishing detection difficulty. It has been…
Chris Caldwell
As the growth in fulfillment warehouses, e-commerce, and third-party logistics skyrockets, and unique customer demands evolve, more companies are exploring the concept of dark warehouses—fully automated, “lights-out” facilities that use intelligent, interconnected devices to operate without human…
Dawn Bailey
During the recent celebration of Manufacturing Day, thousands of U.S. manufacturers showcased the realities of modern manufacturing to students as a way to inspire the next generation.
The importance of this can’t be overemphasized. During the next decade, four million U.S. manufacturing jobs will…
Leah Chan Grinvald, Ofer Tur-Sinai
Cars are no longer just a means of transportation. They have become rolling hubs of data communication. Modern vehicles regularly transmit information wirelessly to their manufacturers.
However, as cars grow “smarter,” the right to repair them is under siege.
As legal scholars, we find that the…
(Aigen: Kirkland, WA) -- Aigen, an AI-driven robotics company, closed $12 million in Series A financing from leading investor ReGen Ventures along with NEA, Cleveland Avenue, Incite, and Susquehanna Private Equity Investments. The funding expands Aigen’s manufacturing capacity to meet high preorder…
(Siemens Digital Industries Software: Plano, TX) -- Siemens Digital Industries Software announced that Ricoh has begun a collaboration to realize the industrial aluminum binder jet technology (BJT) solution for mass production. Ricoh is leveraging Siemens’ Additive Manufacturing Network…
