Quality control in manufacturing and engineering relies heavily on compression force testing to determine material strength, durability, and stability. This article highlights the key uses and equipment needed for such testing.

Listen to this podcast featuring Harshala Patil, a Senior Quality and Reliability Engineer. In it, she discusses her journey into quality, the significance of quality across various industries, and what attracted her to the manufacturing sector.

In a world where every minute matters, a car rental turns into a frustrating ordeal of delays and inefficiencies. Will I reach my important meeting on time, or will I be exposed to the 8 deadly wastes?

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?

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?

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.

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.

One of the major challenges in the manufacturing industry is the skills gap and the need to attract more individuals, especially young people, to pursue careers in this field. Organizations like IMTS and ASQ emphasize the importance of showcasing the opportunities that a career in manufacturing offers.

This article considers how quality professionals and practitioners can more effectively prepare for their certification exams which are proctored or supervised as they complete a selection of responses from multiple-choice questions.

Process validation is becoming ever more important within regulated and non-regulated industries.

Personal resources may often dictate pace, but they should never govern your commitment.

If you are blinded by any stigma, you are limiting your creativity.

The most frustrating moment in problem-solving is fixing an error only to see it reappear the next day. Until the root cause is identified and addressed, the issue will persist.

Real-world problems often have multiple causes, so it's beneficial to extend your root cause analysis by considering the problem from various perspectives.

Process mapping is a method to visualize and understand manufacturing processes, similar to a flowchart. It helps identify inefficiencies and delays in the workflow. For example, it can pinpoint the source of delays in an assembly line.

Manufacturers are prioritizing low-code AI tools to simplify application development, enabling non-experts to create and customize AI workflows.

Our company often gets asked how to choose quality inspection software and how to maximize its potential. Quality is crucial in manufacturing, and the right inspection software can be a game-changer. Our experts shed light on the benefits of choosing the right fit for your organization and maximizing its utility.

Monte Carlo simulation helps companies understand process variability and make informed decisions. It's beneficial for quality control in manufacturing.

The Digital Twin Consortium (DTC) Composability Framework provides a transformative approach to digital twin system development, focusing on interoperability, security, trustworthiness, scalability, and design reuse to align with businesses’ objectives and evolving needs.

Manufacturers thrive in a competitive market by prioritizing customer needs: price, quality, and delivery. However, long-term success hinges on quality, which ensures products perform as expected from manufacturing through to post-sale. While price is influenced by costs and market dynamics, and delivery by productivity, quality is key to building trust and customer loyalty.

Regulatory bodies like the FDA and MHRA are adapting guidelines to accommodate the evolving AI landscape, stressing the importance of innovative compliance approaches alongside traditional software regulations, including audit trails, electronic records, and signatures.

Calibration is essential for maintaining quality and safety in industries like pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and chemicals. The future looks to digital certificates and AI technology to make calibration processes faster and more efficient. This article discusses how AI is set to transform calibration.

The automotive industry is innovating to produce safer and more efficient vehicles. Quality standards are vital, as small defects can lead to serious safety issues. Digital twins and augmented reality (AR) are transforming quality management. This article explores their impact and associated challenges.

Statistical process control (SPC) charts are crucial for process stability, especially with improved data collection. Introduced by Walter Shewhart in the 1920s, SPC uses random samples to estimate statistics and assess variation. With better data availability, techniques like the Rbar method, which estimates standard deviation using subgroup ranges, need reevaluation.

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.

As electric vehicles (EVs) reshape the automotive industry, manufacturers are pressured to enhance processes and achieve first-time quality. The demand for sustainable transportation requires a rethink of production strategies, with a focus on establishing a one-piece flow—ensuring each unit moves through the line without interruptions. This efficiency is vital for meeting consumer expectations and setting industry benchmarks.

With great sadness, The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) shared the passing of founding member and first president, John William Locke, at the age of 91.

REGO-FIX, a Swiss toolholding company and inventor of the standard-setting ER collet, has partnered with tool measuring and management solution company Omega TMM for the creation of ORION powered by REGO-FIX – a tool measuring machine using REGO-FIX’s powRgrip® toolholding system with Omega TMM’s presetting technology.

MSI Viking announced the expansion of its long-standing partnership with Mahr Inc.

And they are a terrific way to engage young people, a key to addressing the workforce challenges facing manufacturers.

Three Missouri higher education institutions are working together to modernize the state’s manufacturing industry and develop its workforce, with $9.1 million in Missouri’s fiscal year 2025 budget being awarded to support their efforts.

Students at Washburn Rural High School (WRHS) will benefit from a new state-of-the-art facility designed to enhance career and technical education.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that five organizations will receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s only presidential award for performance excellence.

Breaking news today after the month-long strike of the Boeing Factory workers is that Boeing will be laying off 10% of their workforce soon in an effort to conserve cash.

Zygo, a business unit of AMETEK, Inc., announced that two of its distinguished team members, Dr. Peter de Groot and Dr. Vivek G. Badami, have been recognized by the American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE) for their significant contributions to the field of precision engineering.

Sandvik Coromant recently participated in the annual awards ceremony at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).

The 12th Annual Assembly Show wrapped up at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, with the announcement of the New Products Award winners.

43 schools receive sustainability awards, 16 schools for first time.

INFORM has hired two senior managers to help the company with their goals.

Partnership enhances product offerings to aerospace, automotive, defense, and manufacturing industries in the Midwest.

Renishaw was recognized for committing its expertise to the CNC Machining program, as well as a host of the company's advanced manufacturing equipment.

3D measurement tools offer incredibly precise and accurate measurements. However, using them correctly requires specialized knowledge, and integrating them into current processes can be quite complex.

This article discusses the connection between surface finish and factors like friction, wear, and fatigue life. It explores how precise surface finish measurements improve product reliability and analyzes the evolving measurement technologies.

Metrology is the science of inspection. It includes various measurement tools such as calipers, gauges, micrometers, and vision systems, which are often used for quality control in nondestructive testing (NDT).

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson advocated for weights and measures in the US, and a recent Saturday Night Live episode highlighted the confusion around this topic. This industry impacts everyone today.

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.

In manufacturing, microscopes and magnified viewing systems are crucial for inspecting products. Digital microscopes offer enhanced capabilities and AI-assisted inspections, revolutionizing the way manufacturers view and interact with macro and microscopic details.

Today, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) operations are a significant sub-industry within manufacturing, valued at $656 billion and projected to exceed $800 billion by 2032. MRO involves maintaining machinery, equipment, and systems in optimal condition through repairs and overhauls to extend their operational life.

Justin Novak talks about what’s next for the society, the future (and past) of electric vehicles, and how to do well at your next CMSC 5K.

This article is an adaptation of my popular presentation, “Beyond the Sticker & the Cert (Ensuring Better Measurements & Reducing Risk).” Product manufacturers, testing labs, and calibration labs often overlook the importance of thoroughly reviewing calibration certificates, leading to potential measurement inaccuracies and increased risks.