The manufacturing industry has seen major upheaval over the past few years. From supply chain disruption to worker shortages, keeping the pipeline filled with quality products – free of defects – has been no easy challenge. Because of these issues, the promise of Industry 4.0, or smart manufacturing, has never been more important.

Along with a host of new products, THK had a record sales year in 2022. Perhaps you saw one of their two large booths at IMTS, with robots serving bottled water.

In 2022, this 100% woman-owned small business celebrated two key milestones: its 55th year in business, and 35th anniversary as a Wisconsin manufacturer.

Since they have achieved this cyber security status, EPM are currently ahead of the industry. Less than 30% of companies are where they need to be with cyber security compliance, according to their auditor.

Dealing with supply chain issues – lead times of more than a year for some components – means that the company has had to raise levels of inventory, not an ideal situation, but they’ve been able to adapt through it all.

Those in the automotive industry will likely recognize SEG Automotive. According to the company, their products are used by almost all major car makers.

Maybe it’s a chili cook-off. Maybe it’s recognition. Or maybe just respect. Whatever it is, top companies know how to treat employees well—and get results. When I spoke with this year’s top Quality Leadership companies, several themes emerged. The annual Quality Leadership ranking showcase companies leading the way despite manufacturing challenges.

In 2020, seeking to engage and contribute as a new member of the ASQ Board of Directors, I volunteered to participate in a diversity, equity, and inclusion task force.

Following the automation of manufacturing processes in industry, the fourth industrial revolution is addressing digital connectivity and communication between manufacturing, but also quality assurance systems, i.e., NDT or NDE systems.

Quality spoke with a host of NDT experts to discuss how the field has changed in recent years, trends, and challenges related to working with NDT technology.