Eric Hayler is a Lean Six Sigma Master Blackbelt and principal of the Hayler Group. He's also an adjunct professor of business analytics at the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
By knowing the material, thickness, composition, and smallest feature of interest, you give your testing partner the information they need to design an efficient and accurate inspection.
X-ray inspection has long been one of the most trusted methods for inspecting a part without cutting it open. Within the broader field of nondestructive testing (NDT), radiography remains a remarkably flexible tool—able to reveal hidden flaws, confirm weld quality, or verify internal structures that can’t be seen by eye. It’s used everywhere from aerospace and defense to energy, electronics, and manufacturing.
Additive manufacturing (AM), often referred to as 3D printing, has changed how metallic components are designed and produced, enabling layer-by-layer fabrication directly from digital models.
Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report, a collaboration between AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI), totaled $250.1 million in October 2025.
When asking a few of my favorite friends and colleagues about whether a CMM holding or checking fixture should be made by traditional welded base plates with common clamping methods versus a modular fixturing system, I tried very hard not to be “partisan” about the fixturing needs for manufacturing everything from rocket engines to automobiles.
Precision has long been the backbone of manufacturing. But today, precision alone no longer guarantees performance. As automation, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation redefine production systems, the science of measurement—metrology—is evolving at an unprecedented pace.
Erik Nieves is the co-founder and CEO of Plus One Robotics. He's been in the industry for more than 30 years, and he also serves on the board of directors of A3 and is a frequent speaker and contributor to public policy and robotics.
Six Sigma is entering a fourth generation—one that connects operational excellence directly to enterprise strategy. This article explores how leaders can evolve continuous improvement (CI) into a portfolio-driven discipline that links financial outcomes, innovation, and customer experience.