2024 September

Check out the September 2024 edition of Quality! Read our cover story on a practical guide to compliance for small manufacturers. Read our feature on the role of Kaizen in mass customization (MC), a special Vision & Sensors section, and much more!

Group of factory workers checking or maintaining CNC machine in industry factory.

Software

Compliance in Manufacturing: A Practical Guide for Small Manufacturers

Part of the difficulty in adhering to compliance regulations is being able to understand what auditors need and are looking for in quality systems.

Scott Ryan

August 10, 2024

Manufacturing compliance goes beyond ticking boxes; it's about trust and excellence. Small manufacturers can navigate complex regulations by understanding compliance history, using technology, and implementing effective strategies for success.

Quality 101

Measurement Uncertainty 101: Automation, Bias and Advanced Management

Understanding and optimizing measurement uncertainty naturally leads to consistent product quality.

Genevieve Diesing

August 9, 2024

Automation requires precise data and careful attention to uncertainty, especially in longer processes with less human involvement, according to Chris Gordon from Optronic Laboratories.

Female engineer monitoring and analyzing conditions at a modern tech electronics factory using a tablet.

Management

The Role of Kaizen in Mass Customization for Industrial Environments

And how existing continuous improvement techniques can be applied to how goods and services are designed, produced, and delivered to meet unique customer requirements.

Rochelle Cook PhD, CMBB, PMP, CPHQ

August 8, 2024

Mass customization (MC) aims to meet individual customer needs while controlling costs and maintaining quality. The paper explores the connection between kaizen, a continuous improvement tool, and mass customization practices.

Test & Inspection

Unboxing Paper Quality

In real-world use, a material only needs to be as strong as necessary, with other properties such as lightness, manufacturability and sustainability influencing its selection.

Carl Bramley

August 11, 2024

When discussing material strength, a material only needs to be as strong as necessary. Other properties like lightness, manufacturability, and sustainability also matter. Paper can be the ideal choice with resourceful processing and innovative design, despite being seemingly weaker as a raw material.

Measurement

A New Touch for Handheld Gaging

Making high-precision surface roughness, waviness, and profile measurements doesn’t always require that large system in the back corner of the manufacturing area.

George Schuetz

August 8, 2024

To simplify the interface, touchscreen monitors were integrated with metrology software. This eliminated dedicated controllers and made the system much easier to use, leading to the revolution of touch metrology. Today, touch technology and controllers are widespread on the manufacturing floor.

A Wooden head shape and words bias in it.

From the Editor | Darryl Seland

Bias in Measurement Uncertainty…And Horror Movies

Cognitive and more.

Darryl Seland

September 2, 2024

I kept waking up at 7:47 and also noticed the same time on the clock in the evenings. When I mentioned it to my niece, she said it happens to her too, at a different time of the day.

NCSLI

The Importance of Close Out Calibrations

Our intent is to bring awareness to the importance of close out calibrations and where not possible as in the case of catastrophic failure, having a system in place that provides confidence that non-conforming parts have not been released.

Danae Powell James (Smitty) Smith

August 5, 2024

Equipment failure disrupts routine calibrations, making it hard to verify specifications. Consider the impact on products since the last calibration and document assumptions about equipment tolerance.

The Metrology Corner

Metrology and Quality through Education

The history of metrology goes hand in hand with development of humankind.

Emil Hazarian CCPE, MSQA – MSME Dipl. Ing.

August 5, 2024

We're introducing a new column to share important metrology and quality news, interesting dates, and unique facts in a brief format. Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Robotics and planning with two engineers collaborating in a warehouse with robotics in the background.

Column | John Vandenbemden

The AIAG Control Plan Manual

If you are not familiar with control plans there are three types of quality plans referred to as control plans as outputs of APQP.

John Vandenbemden

August 2, 2024

Starting March 1, 2024, a standalone Control Plan Reference Manual will maintain linkages between core tools under APQP, providing more guidance for creating and using control plans.

Engineer working at the factory using laptop

Lean with Lazarus | Ian R. Lazarus

Don’t Surrender to System 1!

System 1 is satisfied to draw conclusions with limited data, and more often than not, System 2 never bothers to get involved;

Ian R Lazarus

August 6, 2024

Quality professionals know that even a little data can be misleading for upper management, leading to bad decisions in industries.

ASME Guest Column

The X Factor: Why Companies that Invest in Standardization Can Realize Their Growth Goals

Standards aren’t just one person’s ideas of how something should work; they are consensus-based, or industry specific requirements developed by subject matter experts.

Chris Cantrell

August 2, 2024

Technological advances enable global expansion, but growth presents challenges. Standardization and certification minimize risk and maximize opportunities.

Group of five businesspeople holding and fitting gears together in an office at work. United business professionals having fun connecting gear pieces during a meeting

Speaking of Quality | Tariq Masud

Collaboration is the Biggest Challenge

One of the most practical ways to achieve collaboration is to get all stakeholders to agree to the same definition of quality, and work together to deliver the project on time and within budget.

Tariq Masud

August 3, 2024

The most significant challenge for a complex construction project is the need for collaboration and the creation of a unified team from the multiple performing organizations involved in the project, despite being traditional adversaries with conflicting objectives.

Vision & Sensors | Battery

Image Processing in Battery Cell Manufacturing

Machine vision is an elementary part of quality assurance in battery cell production and is used in a variety of production steps.

Frank von Kittlitz

August 13, 2024

In battery cell production, maintaining high quality and reducing material waste is crucial. Digital image processing and machine vision solutions enable reliable defect detection, ensuring the production of safe, high-quality battery cells for electric mobility.

Pharmaceutical blister pack inspection using AI vision

Vision & Sensors | Artificial Intelligence

Machine Vision and the Role of AI in Quality Control

AI-based inspection ensures consistent inspection performance, scalability, and data-driven decision-making.

Johnny Chen

August 13, 2024

The growing use of AI in manufacturing has revolutionized quality control. Traditional inspection methods struggle to keep pace with complex production processes, but AI augments accuracy and efficiency, upholding high-quality standards.

ABB Robotics GoFa - Lead Through Programming

Vision & Sensors | Cobots

Collaborative Robots Emerge as Viable Automation Options for SMEs

Benefits and key steps for a successful system design and installation

Alex Miller

August 14, 2024

No robot can replace a person, but they can handle dull, dangerous, or repetitive tasks, freeing up employees for more fulfilling work. Businesses need to embrace robotics to efficiently adapt to production cycles and address supply chain backlogs and labor shortages.

Designed specifically for quality professionals in the manufacturing industry, this session aims to equip you with the tools and strategies to transform your role and your organization's approach to quality.

Unlock the power of 3D measurement data to identify root causes, prevent dimensional issues, and gain actionable insights for quality assurance in this comprehensive 60-minute webinar.

Quality Magazine

Cover Story