There’s an old saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Throughout the years, that expression has been adapted to fit different situations, including a “team is only as strong as its weakest player” or “your brand is only as strong as your weakest link.” 

Before the vast majority of manufacturers can successfully adopt the technologies and capabilities that industry experts have collectively labeled “Industry 4.0,” some serious work needs to be done. 

Medical devices can present unique challenges for manufacturers. Consequences for malfunctioning equipment can be dire. Because of this, medical device manufacturers must work hard to ensure that their products never fail.

The first thing we can do to understand revolution versus evolution is to turn to the pure definition of these two words. The word evolution˜refers to the gradual development or changes in something over a period. 

It’s titled Senate Bill (SB) 206. Recently passed by the unanimous vote of state legislators in California, the measure would allow student athletes to hire agents and make money from their name, image, and likeness.

Quality 4.0 must be a significant contributor to the Industry 4.0 revolution happening in manufacturing, however, right now there is a significant gap between the two. 

79% of organizations are still managing shop floor quality processes with spreadsheets and paper. But the truth is, to remain competitive and reduce risk across your operations, it's time to modernize your programs and say goodbye to the spreadsheets.

In a lean manufacturing process, a poka-yoke method is employed to eliminate product defects by preventing, correcting, or drawing attention to human errors in real time. Industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo first applied the term poka-yoke (“mistake-proofing” in Japanese) to the Toyota Production System. 

The MD&M East, Atlantic Design & Manufacturing, EastPack, ATX East, PLASTEC East, and Quality Expo came to New York this week.

At IMTS 2018, like at any industrial trade show, the predominant theme was Industry 4.0. Although Industry 4.0 still has not scaled up to cover a significant percentage of manufacturing setups, its vision of near-total automation—and the promise of resulting cost savings—has clearly captured the industry’s imagination.