Over the last couple of decades, stemming from changes in demand, competition, and market pressures, manufacturing has become a more complex and fraught affair requiring increased flexibility with a narrower margin of error. We can sum up this changing environment in three long-term trends affecting how stuff is designed and made: mass customization, increasing SKU proliferation, and shorter product cycles.

When it comes to selecting an industrial nondestructive test (NDT) inspection system, quality managers invest considerable time researching systems and considering the impact of every available feature on their business.

As a branch of metalworking, a subset of fabrication, metal forming is a foundational process, involved in a wide range of parts assembly: from the metal stamping of consumer goods used at home to many of the component elements of airplanes and automobiles.

Quality control has long been an integral part of the production process by contributing to smooth operations and avoiding extra costs. Today, we are seeing significant changes to the industrial metrology market due to the rising demand to collect data for statistical and monitoring analysis.

Today the demand for faster, more accurate measurement is growing. One method of achieving this goal is to turn to 5-axis rapid touch trigger measurement as part of a CMM. Let’s dive into why this technology is beneficial and why adoption is on the rise.

This column is the fourth in a series of overviews on gage calibration to give you some idea of what is involved at this level of measurement. A book could probably be written on each subject and not do the job very well so I will continue keeping it simple to avoid completely ruining your day.

So how do we take the law into our own hands? The best, and only, approach is to surround ourselves with the tools and knowledge to reap our vigilante justice. To facilitate that knowledge, check out “The Changing Face of Additive Manufacturing Inspection,” “A Corporate Commitment to Quality Requires a Digital-First Approach,” and everything else we have to offer in this month’s Quality.

Read about the four trends shaping the next generation in quality management and what's driving the new era in digital-first quality.

The rapid and unexpected growth in the production of alternative drive systems is presenting automakers and their suppliers with a host of leak-detection challenges to ensure vehicle safety and quality.

Generations of NDT professionals have used the magnetic testing method, and along the way, a handful of common misunderstandings have developed. This article explores these common and incorrect assumptions about magnetic particle inspection and how to combat these misunderstandings.