Magnetic particle inspection ensures that parts are free of fatigue stress, structural defects, or stress cracks. The technology, which can be applied to existing, in-use parts, or newly manufactured parts and components that require integrity testing, has been around for more than a century.

While COVID dampened demand early on, the skills gap and labor shortage that has plagued the industry for more than a decade is still in full swing. As new NDT methods advance, quality professionals require new training, and technicians transitioning from film techniques to non-film techniques need hands-on experience.

According to experts, the benefits of today’s quality standards are not well known. Take ISO 9001, ISO 14000, and ISO 17021. These standards reinforce quality in any management system, says Steven Wilson, ASQE chair elect.

Despite offering workers an average annual compensation of $84,832 in 2017, manufacturers struggle to fill positions. 

Lean manufacturing was originally focused on the manufacturing floor, but its methodologies have reached all levels of operations, from procurement to marketing. It has been adopted across a range of industries, from healthcare to hospitality.

What is the best way to encourage a continuous improvement culture?  While organizations have historically used rewards to entice employees to support these efforts, upper management’s ongoing and visible support is the best way to make continuous improvement “a way of life,”

Do quality certifications matter? It depends on who you ask.

Leak testing helps manufacturers boost quality without unnecessary costs. It enables them to improve their production process, ensuring efficient assembly and minimizes scrap, delays, and cycle times.  

Fatigue testing is unique in that it repeatedly exposes parts to “real-world” conditions, producing data and results that helps manufacturers predict the part’s durability. 

Proper fixturing addresses several key parts of quality: It ensures that inspected parts remain in a repeatable and reproducible orientation on a measuring device.