Curiosity and collaboration will get you everywhere. That was the theme of keynote session at the ASNT Annual Conference. NASA’s Adam Steltzner gave an inspiring keynote about his work landing the Curiosity Rover on Mars, and described the importance of being vulnerable and open to doubt.

The aerospace industry is known for manufacturing parts with critical dimensions and tight tolerances. Despite the high-demanding inspections they are required to perform, important players in the industry have managed to reduce bottlenecks and detect problems early in the manufacturing process.

Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, a five-time space shuttle astronaut who spent more than 50 days in space, described her experiences in flight – highlights included the 90-minute trip to circle the Earth and experiencing weightlessness – for a special Women in Metrology event at CMSC 2019.

“Since the beginning, humans have searched for superior more practical methods to fulfill holding and clamping needs.” I said this a long time ago about modular tooling and the beat goes on.

Two years ago, Process Engineer Bill Roberts and his team at Minnesota-based Roberts Automatic Products, Inc., were looking to improve the company’s statistical process control (SPC) and its overall data collection processes.

While you may be familiar with the concepts behind additive manufacturing, the inspection methods themselves may not be as well known.

Effective quality management is crucial for the success of aerospace, an industry where failure is simply not an option.

Aerospace components and structures come in all shapes and sizes and more importantly are made from different types of materials. 

The AS9100D transition timeline is moving towards mandatory assessments to the 2016 revision. Much has occurred since fall 2016 including the AS9100-series standard release, auditor training, certification body approval, and, of course, organizational implementation.

By now, you have most likely heard about the upcoming transition to AS9100:2016(D) and the 9110/9120 equivalents. As with any change, this one has its fair share of rumors and opinions.