Featured Stories - Articles - Page 64

Software & Analysis

How to Use Risk Evaluation to Develop a PT Participation Plan

Pao-Chu Kao, Jia-Fen Cheng, Shu-Fen Chang, Ju-Lin Wei, and Jia-Chi Chen

November 7, 2013

In the past, proficiency testing (PT) items and participation frequency were formulated by accreditation bodies, regardless of the scale, customer type, and economic conditions of a laboratory.

Close-up of gold gears with "Lean Manufacturing" etched on them.

History of Lean Manufacturing

Matthew Barsalou

November 4, 2013

Lean manufacturing is an indirect descendant of the early manufacturing methods used during the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution was followed by the American system of manufactures and the quest for interchangeable parts.

Test & Inspection

The Vickers Hardness Test

Over the past 90 years, the Vickers test has proved to be an all-around respectable performer in a wide variety of applications, some of which the inventors never dreamed possible.

Walter Wardzala

November 1, 2013

The Vickers hardness test, an offshoot of the venerable Brinell test, has been used since the early 1920s.

Measurement

Wireless Measurement & Data Acquisition

Increased quality control requires measurement of increasingly more parameters in a cost-efficient way.

Rolf Nilsson

November 1, 2013

Professional measurement systems such as laser distance meters, laser scanners, level-instruments, machine-control and monitoring systems are often mobile or temporarily installed and are thus ideal applications for wireless communication.

Measurement

Chasing Microns: Getting the Most from Dimensional Gages

If you’re trying to measure to microns, every micron counts.

George Schuetz

November 1, 2013

In the production environment, where tight tolerances are a way of life, it’s critical to think about gaging requirements before putting instruments out there and possibly having them not meet expectations.

Case Study

GCH Gets TLC from Zeiss

In-house inspection proves machining capabilities for precision manufacturer.

November 1, 2013

For a number of years, the GCH Group out of Warren, MI had successfully used outside resources for their quality inspection and reverse engineering needs.

Quality 101

Measure Your Needs for the Proper Height Gage

Selecting the right gage for the right job.

Gena Johnson

October 30, 2013

Height gages are a general purpose tool, which can be used in a variety of industries and applications by anyone who needs to measure precision parts.

Quality 101

Meet the New Microscopes

Today many microscopes can magnify parts in three dimensions, allowing for a more complete view of your part.

Michelle Bangert

October 26, 2013

Adrianus Pijper, in the South African Journal of Science, called the microscope “man’s noblest, supreme, and most far-reaching tool,” according to the Microscopy Society of America. And this was in 1939.

NDT - Back 2 Basics

Advances in SEM Technology for the Quality Control Lab

A scanning electron microscope reveals information about changes in microscopic properties of particles.

Jeffrey D. McGinn

October 11, 2013

Recent advances in scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particularly in the benchtop realm, enhance quality control procedures of laboratories across a wide range of industries.

NDT - Helium Leak Testing

Helium or Air? Leak Testing Realities, Economics and Opportunities

Consider these variables when weighing your leak testing options.

Jacques Hoffmann

October 11, 2013

Advanced technology for leak testing now provides opportunities to improve quality and save money even in applications where expensive helium systems are customary.