In recent columns I’ve commented on information requests accompanying calibration orders. Some of these are common and effective but some are not. Occasionally, they are brought about due to their inclusion in one standard or another but are misrepresented. In some cases, the standard they are from relates to in-house systems rather than calibration activities by outside parties.

If you’re old enough to remember The Lone Ranger, Tonto and Silver (the Lone Ranger’s trusty horse) you’ll also remember the famous silver bullets. Unfortunately, silver bullets only exist in Hollywood, not in the real world. I’ve had several conversations with people whose companies are using lean transformations to pursue the magical silver bullet.

AI (Artificial Intelligence), sensorization, connectivity, and IoT (Internet of Things) will be key to optimizing productivity. However, they are currently being held back by conservative attitudes toward data management and connecting machines. This will change as the market pressure mounts.

Organizations in the medical device industry are in the process of gaining—and maintaining—their European Union Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR) compliance certifications. 

The United States ranks as one of the top manufacturing locations in the world. According to Brookings Institution’s Global Manufacturing Scorecard released in July, the United Kingdom and Switzerland were the top ranked nations in overall manufacturing environment (both with 78 points out of 100). However, the United States was just behind with 77 points.

Ideagen is based in the UK and has operations in Europe, the United States, Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Solar has held AS and ISO quality management systems registration certificates since 2001.

Bell Flight, Boeing, Defense Logistics Agency – Troop Support, Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company and Oshkosh Defense top the list of out-of-state OEMs attending the expo.

Without a doubt, quality professionals are expected to be well versed in technical skills. Proficiency with the various quality tools and techniques is paramount for the quality professional to lead their organization to performance excellence. In the current environment, that’s just not enough to be truly successful.

Automation Tool & Die was audited by SAI Global to achieve IATF 16949 certification last year.