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(Toshiba: Irvine, CA) -- Toshiba Imaging Systems Division announces the IK-4K, UltraHD 4K, the world’s smallest three-chip video camera with an unprecedented 8-megapixel, 3,840 x 2,160 pixel output.
The versatile camera delivers extraordinary detail with up to 1,600 TV lines of resolution and…
For veterinarian Dr. Rona Shapiro, running a small business can be challenging. “Many times, I’m the person pushing the broom, and being the veterinarian, and answering the phone,” she says. “Running my own business—sometimes it tends to run you and you don’t run it.”
Then Shapiro began using the…
A while back, I spent an afternoon with some folks at the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC, one of the MEP centers in Pennsylvania), becoming enlightened on a topic known as “digital intensity” (DI). The phrase, coined by Irene Petrick, a Penn State professor and managing director…
Intuition would say (at least to me) that I should read, listen, question, and maybe read or listen again to learn. So, I was caught by surprise when I recently read a Washington Post article by Barry Ritholtz in which he said, “Writing is a good way to figure out what you think.”
It suddenly…
Healthcare in 2014 is in a state of flux. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance exchange marketplace opened in October of 2013 with a rough start, and it has still not gained traction. Meanwhile, Medicare and Medicaid are squeezing reimbursement, and there is a growing population paired…
One of the most common obstacles to effective decision making by teams is groupthink. The term is used to describe the observation that many groups make poor decisions because they try to reach a consensus and minimize conflict. In doing so they suppress dissenting viewpoints, eschew controversial…
(Keysight Technologies: Santa Rosa, CA) -- Keysight Technologies Inc. has introduced the industry’s highest bandwidth and lowest noise oscilloscope probe for making power integrity measurements to characterize DC power rails.
The new Keysight N7020A power-rail probe specifications are tailored…
Nondestructive testing (NDT), as the name implies, is a methodology used for examining the hidden internal structure, measuring the thickness, or characterizing the material of industrial parts without cutting or otherwise damaging them.
NDT offers important tools for ensuring both safety and…
Nondestructive testing (NDT), as the name implies, is a methodology used for examining the hidden internal structure, measuring the thickness, or characterizing the material of industrial parts without cutting or otherwise damaging them.
NDT offers important tools for ensuring both safety and…
Handan Iron & Steel Group (Han Steel) was established in 1958 in the Hebei province, China. The company is capable of producing up to 10,000,000 tons of steel annually and plays a vital role in China’s steel production. To maintain quality control in the production process, Han Steel relied on…
Have the leading figures in the lean community walked the “Respect for People” talk? Not in my view.
Most of these leaders have only recently begun to understand and embrace the “Respect for People” principle. Although there are many dimensions to the “Respect for People” principle within lean,…
(Teledyne DALSA: Waterloo, Canada) -- Teledyne DALSA, designer and manufacturer of digital imaging and semiconductor technology has introduced its high-resolution, 8k line-scan camera to its Linea series of low-cost, high-value cameras. Linea cameras address the mainstream market for machine…
Not every idea threatens change to the status quo, but those that do are met with a fairly predictable response: attention, which can diverge into derision or fascination; resistance; and sometimes, acceptance. I just finished reading a book that’s bound to trigger all three, with plenty of…
(Wiley: Hoboken, NJ) -- Change is a constant, and leaders must do more than keep up—they must innovate and accelerate to succeed. Yet people are often unnerved by change.
As a leader during a time of transformation, you may stand before teams that are indifferent, or even hostile, and need to…
If you work in the automotive industry, you should already be familiar with ISO 26262, the international standard for the safety of electrical and/or electronic (E/E) systems in series-production automobiles. Otherwise you’re likely asking, what is ISO 26262? As a basic introduction to the…
The term “days inventory on hand,” aka “days of supply,” along with “inventory turns,” is a measure of inventory investment.
Although turns may be one of the most basic measures of an organization’s “leanness,” days inventory on hand perhaps helps lean practitioners better visualize the magnitude…
If you’re new to designing and implementing a voice of the customer (VoC) program, you’re probably scratching your head and wondering where to begin. There are a lot of components to consider as you dive in, from executive buy-in to organizational alignment to governance and more.
In this column…
AToyota kata is not a list of stuff to do. To help people understand this, I often ask, “What obstacles do you think are preventing you from reaching the target?” I also like to insert the word “now” in there sometimes for emphasis. The intent (as I interpret it) is for the improver or learner to…
(The Sensor Connection: Troy, MI) -- The Sensor Connection, a division of Harold G. Schaevitz Industries, has expanded its line of measurement and control instrumentation with the addition of the model TCA-MS-K-8-A4. This amplifier module converts the low-output voltage signal from eight-channel,…
I give workshops on creative leadership for major organizations around the world. I always ask delegates, “What is impeding innovation in your business?” The answers often involve cultural issues such as aversion to risk, complacency, or lack of motivation to experiment.
When I gave a workshop in…
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a laser-based imaging system that creates high-definition 3D maps of surfaces from as far away as 10.5 meters. The method may be useful in diverse fields, including precision machining and assembly, as well…
If you’re already using Personal Kanban or another kanban system, you are likely at least thinking about limiting your work in progress (WIP). You’re probably finding that challenging.
We know that the more work we take on, the more our brains’ resources are taxed. That tax limits our ability to…
(AMETEK: Philadelphia, PA) -- To understand how hip implants perform in vivo, Exponent, an engineering and consulting firm, along with the Implant Research Center at Drexel University in Philadelphia, are working together to utilize the unique capabilities of the Talyrond 585 metrology instrument…
I have four clocks hanging on my office wall, each one individually set for a strange and different time zone somewhere on this planet. I need to know these various times, as I am sure to engage with someone somewhere else at some point during the day.
From clock to clock, each second ticks…
(Shimadzu: Columbia, MD) -- Shimadzu Scientific Instruments has released the DSES-1000 long-travel contact extensometer, an easy-to-use and precise tool for measuring displacement in rubber and other soft materials with considerable elongation. With 1000 mm maximum movement distance, the DSES-1000…
