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(ECM: Topsfield, MA) -- East Coast Metrology has announced the official launch of its new division dedicated to 3D surveying and building information modeling (BIM) services.
Metrology instruments are no longer just for metrology labs and manufacturing plants. As the quality control industry…
What if all failures occurred truly randomly? Well, for one thing the math would be easier.
The exponential distribution would be the only time to failure distribution—we wouldn’t need Weibull or other complex multi-parameter models. Knowing the failure rate for an hour would be all we would need…
All process activities can be broken down into one of five categories: waiting, handling and setup, inspection, transportation, and transformation. Of these, only transformation of the product adds value.
A figure in Frederick Winslow Taylor’s 1911 book, Shop Management makes it clear that, while…
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Among the many test and measurement tools available to the shop-floor professional, the videoscope (also known as a video borescope) is one of the most practical, with great portability and ease of use. Videoscopes allow users to inspect for flaws, faults, or deformations in…
Recently I came across the PriceWaterhouseCoopers U.S. CEO Survey and watched several videos about leadership challenges for manufacturers. The speakers talked about new and old trends they’re focused on as company leaders, as well as several trends that could apply to small and medium-sized…
Today’s article is inspired by the politically-charged gobbledygook we call presidential primaries. This battle of principles turned battle of wills reminds me that the role of the change agent can be as much theater as science. In a public forum, at least, the positions of the opponents are…
I have written many times about the importance of the employee experience, both on its own in terms of retention and performance, and with regard to the effect of the employee experience on the customer experience.
Sadly, many companies still aren’t focusing on the employee experience. IDC’s 2015…
(ISO: Geneva) -- Vape and vapor products represent a technical and economic novelty. The electronic cigarette devices and their consumables, called e-liquids, are recognized as a genuinely disruptive innovation, having reached mass markets in many countries in just a few years. The use of…
People say that I overthink everything. I’ve given this assertion considerable thought, and I don’t believe that it’s true. After all, how can any one person possibly overthink every possible thing in just one lifetime?
For example, suppose I live 85 years. That’s 2,680,560,000 seconds (85 years…
A self-made leader doesn’t make much. I first wrote that statement in my book, Leadership Gold (Thomas Nelson, 2008). Eight years later, I still believe it. After all, I’m not a self-made man; it took a lot of people investing in me to get me where I am today.
You may wonder who helped me. Well,…
(CADENAS: Augsburg, Germany) -- Since 2012, the 3D CAD models engineering app from CADENAS has served engineers and purchasers as a download service and calculation tool for 3D data. Due to the growing popularity and the increasing download figures in Google Play and the iTunes Store, the…
Across the clinical research enterprise, there is a growing awareness of serious shortfalls in the current model for generating the scientific evidence that supports medical product evaluation and clinical care decisions. As a result the FDA seeks to modernize methods and satisfy expectations…
Across the clinical research enterprise, there is a growing awareness of serious shortfalls in the current model for generating the scientific evidence that supports medical product evaluation and clinical care decisions. As a result the FDA seeks to modernize methods and satisfy expectations…
Not long ago, most Americans could safely ignore congressional deliberations about Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authority, leaving the details to industry experts and lobbyists. But this time, we may need to fasten our seatbelts and actually read the card in the seat pocket.
A bill under…
The 2016 Masters Tournament is in the history books. Jordan Spieth had what some are calling an epic meltdown on the final nine holes of the tournament, and in a come-from-behind victory, Danny Willett earned the green jacket. The tournament is touted as a tradition unlike any other. Edge-of-your…
When asked about the thing most managers dread about their job, the No. 1 response is giving constructive feedback. Yet this is the most important task for any leader.
As someone who came out of college and was leading a team at 22 years old, I wish I’d had some guidance on how to make feedback…
(IRMA: Washington, D.C.) -- On April 5, 2016, the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) has released the second and revised draft of the “Standard for Responsible Mining” for a 60-day review and public comment period ahead of the first-ever global certification program for industrial-…
(Etalon: Braunschweig, Germany) -- Absolute Multiline Technology is a worldwide unique measurement system for monitoring the geometric accuracy of machine tools by means of high-precision length measurements: An absolute distance interferometer measuring with submicrometer resolution serves as the…
Adam Grant, a professor of psychology at Wharton, admitted how wrong he was to pass up on the opportunity to invest in an online startup selling glasses. Because the company didn’t have a functioning website the day before its launch, and because other competitors were already operating in the…
In yesterday’s column, I discussed how a DOE was chosen to optimize a chemical-mechanical polishing process in the microelectronics industry. This important process improved the plant’s final manufacturing yields. We selected an experimental design that let us study the effects of six process…
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W hen you work on projects like NASA’s Space Launch System and deep-space radio telescopes, the opportunity for accolades and large revenues can be great. However, due to the massive scale and demanding tolerances of such projects, the opportunity to have your lunch eaten by…
Ionce worked in the manufacturing industry. Some processes were so complex that even a very experienced and competent engineer would not necessarily know how to identify the best settings for the manufacturing equipment.
You could make a guess using a general idea of what should be done regarding…
A leader’s ability to communicate is fundamental to building trust and forming a cohesive team. Transparency has become a necessary element of team support. It may be scary to share everything, but the benefits are undeniable.
As I was walking back from the gym one morning, I passed by the local…
The search for a truly revolutionary engine design that can make dramatic gains in efficiency requires deep scientific understanding and tools. Lots and lots of tools.
In the past, tools were needed to make prototypes, requiring repeated testing and retrofitting along with a healthy dose of…
About a year ago, a reader asked if I could try to explain degrees of freedom in statistics. Since then, I’ve been circling around that request very cautiously, like it’s some kind of wild beast that I’m not sure I can safely wrestle to the ground.
Degrees of freedom aren’t easy to explain. They…
