Quality Control News

As the saying goes, "Nothing happens until someone sells something," and the same holds true when launching a Six Sigma program, argues improvement strategy expert Jeff Cole. He recommends a sales formula defined by the acronym "AIDA": Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action. In his view, if you want somebody to buy your product, first make them aware of it, get them interested, and make them desire it to the point that they take the action of purchasing it. This column describes how to make that formula work for you on quality campaigns. Do you agree with Cole's approach?

This 111-page eBook written by Vaisala metrologists is suitable for Quality professionals but easy to read for anyone interested in the calibration of humidity and temperature instruments. Topics include:

•  Calibration Requirements
•  Calibration Activities
•  Calibration in Practice

Download the eBook.

Learn about Vaisala Veriteq solutions for continuous monitoring in critical environments.

When the world needs precise temperature and humidity control, the world needs Parameter.

Parameter is the leading global provider of environmental control rooms and chambers for a range of industries: pharmaceutical, semiconductor, electronics, textile, and many more.

Precise. Reliable. Energy efficient. Exceptional customer care. To learn about Parameter, visit humiditycontrol.com.

MobileCollect gives you the greatest range of options and flexibility for wireless measurement collection. Collect your measurements with handheld gages (calipers, micrometers, etc.) and other instruments. Send measurements wirelessly to your PC. MobileCollect eliminates cumbersome cabling, is small, compact, easy-to-use and reliable. Learn more...

Cmmsimulator is an innovative approach to simulation of Coordinate Measurement Machines (CMM). It combines full 3D realistic representation of the CMM, the inspection part, and detailed fixtures within a single simulation. The highly visual results allow users to quickly make any necessary edits to 'fine tune' the program. Learn more about AC&E Inc.

If you need an inspection tool that can provide fast detection and analysis of flaws in tubular components, such as heat exchangers, acoustic pulse reflectometry (APR) may be the answer, argues an expert in NDT magazine. APR uses acoustic waves to probe tube interiors and identify defects, based on analysis of the reflected waveforms. The technique lets you inspect 100% of targeted components, versus only samples with more time-consuming methods.

By introducing automated inspection, Germany's Ibea provides auto manufacturers with a documented and reproducible method of achieving brake disc quality, reports Quality Digest. The system features a centering device that rotates a disc 360 degrees, while high-speed DALSA line-scan cameras take images of the component (see video). Discs are inspected at a rate of 6 to 10 per minute for diameter and height, as well as for such defects as blowholes, flash, bubbles, and cracks.

How do you apply process improvement principles learned in manufacturing to fields like heathcare? In this Businessweek podcast, engineer and Six Sigma Black Belt Jason Kilgore shares secrets found in his book, The Elegant Process: The Guide to Enhanced Quality and Reduced Costs. What resonates most with people, says Kilgore, is the streamlining process that comes with Lean methods. He starts every project by constructing a value stream map to understand what's wrong with a process.

Enhancements to its Polyspace tool will help development teams meet their quality objectives for embedded software, claims MathWorks. Improvements include: a new metrics web dashboard, automated scheduling of verification jobs, e-mail notification, and increased code metric support. The tool is designed to help engineers reduce the iterative work of manual verification tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-level verification challenges. See case study on use of Polyspace by Delphi Diesel.

The compact and cost-effective SPI series (Models #75 and #130) from Lapmaster International are contact flatness measuring gauging systems and utilize grazing incidence interferometry. An air gap between the prism and the part being checked means maximum protection of the mechanism and facilitates ease of handling. Learn more...

With the backing of a 22-strong team of highly qualified engineers, technicians and designers, Endress+Hauser's new, most precise flow calibration facility sets standards worldwide. Endress+Hauser is a global leader in measurement instrumentation, services and solutions for industrial process engineering.

If your company is developing products to comply with DOE's new Energy Star(RM) requirements, Underwriters Laboratories is offering a complementary webinar series, podcast, and micro Web site to help you navigate the certification process. As of January 1, 2011, any product seeking participation in the Energy Star program must have its energy performance evaluated by a certification body prior to product labeling. It must also undergo post-market verification testing to ensure continued compliance.

For the first time, manufacturers of near field communication (NFC) devices, such as card readers and smart phones equipped for mobile purchases, can submit these products to approved test houses for certification. Companies whose devices pass the certification process, developed by the NFC Forum, will be able to display the certification mark on their Web sites, manuals, and packaging materials. Certified products will also be posted on the forum Web site.

Answering a rising demand for X-Ray flat panel detectors for non-destructive test, PerkinElmer has expanded its product line with two lightweight, compact models designed with an Ethernet interface. The XRD 0822, with a 20 cm² field of view, offers over 78 dB dynamic range and up to 100 frames per second. Providing a 41 cm² field of view, the model 1622 detector offers over 87 dB of dynamic range and multiple read-out modes.

Citing UN studies showing that half the world's food supply is lost through supply chain inefficiency, California-based Intelleflex has launched new RFID technology to read tags on perishable foods from distances of up to 100 m. The new RFID readers work with Intelleflex tags to enable wireless, on-demand, product-level monitoring, even in RF-challenging environments that include metals, liquids, and interiors of packages and containers. See this video on advances in long-range RFID.

Hawkeye® Rigid Video Borescopes offer the convenience and image quality of video, built right into the scope! When used with our Portable Video Monitor, or a computer, image and video capture is as easy as the touch of a button with all the features and excellent optical quality of Hawkeye Pro Rigid Borescopes.

Allied Reliability Inc. provides full service inspection, including:

•  Crane and material handling safety inspections
•  NonDestructive testing (radiography, ultrasonic, load testing, and much more), welder qualification testing, and nondestructive testing training
•  Gage calibration services include both dimensional and electronic precision calibration

Learn more.

Submit your proposal to speak at one of GlobalSpec's upcoming online conferences and trade shows.

•  Quality, Test & Measurement

Events are open to GlobalSpec's six million registered users and are an opportunity for you and your company to be viewed by your target audience, competition, and peers as industry thought leaders. Increase brand awareness. Influence key decision-makers. Learn more or submit your proposal here.

How much do you know about the giants who laid the groundwork for the quality profession? Quality Progress profiles six gurus who are credited with developing many of the principles and methods that have become common practice in QA/QC. Read about the father of "zero defects," the developer of the "read bead" experiment, and the individual who created the concept of total quality management.

Machine vision has proved its worth in applications ranging from factory inspection to security, but now it has become a building block for exciting, controller-free video games, reports Machine Vision Online. Read about new vision-based features like Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360, which uses laser-triangulation and an image sensor to create 3D depth maps (see video). Germany's PMD Technology also offers a compact chip and illumination unit that can be designed into many gaming applications

People Power Brings Productivity Gains

Jobs have been slow to rebound during this economic recovery, in part because many companies have done such an outstanding job improving corporate efficiency by gleaning ideas from employees still on the job. Efficiency gains have helped profits of S&P 500 companies rebound nearly 25% since the fourth quarter of 2007, even though sales declined 9% over the same period. What techniques is your company using to boost efficiency and quality, despite lean staffs?