Reed Switch Developments Corp. (RSD), a woman-owned manufacturer in Racine, WI, specializes in magnetic reed switches and sensors. Recognized as last year’s Quality Plant of the Year, RSD has achieved a 25% increase in sales year-to-date, leveraging in-house technical expertise and automation to manage growth amid rising costs and economic uncertainty.

In March 2023, after a GPT model passed a biology exam, Bill Gates noted on his blog that AI could save lives and address climate change. If AI can tackle such significant challenges, it can also help with issues faced by manufacturers, metrologists, and quality control professionals. This article will examine the challenges metrologists encounter and highlight potential AI-driven solutions in the metrology value chain.

Women are increasingly sought in manufacturing, a field now prioritizing inclusivity and diversity. Employers recognize that diverse perspectives boost creativity and morale, and they are actively showcasing opportunities for success in this dynamic industry.

Today’s manufacturing environment demands greater product variety, shorter lead times, and higher customer expectations. To meet these challenges, manufacturers need agile and efficient intralogistics solutions, specifically scalable, modular systems that adapt to production changes and optimize resources while ensuring high quality.

Recent quality issues with Boeing aircraft reveal critical flaws in ISO certification processes, despite adherence to standards like AS 9100. Strengthening these certifications is essential for maintaining credibility and ensuring that they truly reflect an organization’s commitment to quality and safety in aerospace products.

Many continuous improvement (CI) champions encounter resistance to adopting the necessary mindset, often perceiving individuals as closed-minded or too comfortable. Unlearning long-held beliefs can be stressful, especially for those whose careers depend on them, and psychologists note this process can often be harder than learning new skills—particularly for the most successful individuals.

Are you throwing away a significant portion of your budget without realizing it? How often do engineers, scientists, and analysts regenerate knowledge work—solving problems or similar problems that have already been solved?

The first part of this series covered the basic principles that make high-accuracy measurements possible for machine vision. The second part of the series looked at challenges to accurate measurements due to the application conditions. This third part looks at characteristics and components of the vision system that can limit the achievable accuracy.

American manufacturing is making a comeback, fueled by billions in investments and new technologies. This reshoring not only boosts job quality and economic opportunity but also mitigates supply chain risks exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. But is there a catch?

Initially seen as science fiction, machine vision in manufacturing faced hesitance due to high costs and lack of awareness. However, interest has surged, shifting the focus from "Can it be done?" to "How will we do it?" This reflects significant transformative changes in the industry.