Simply put, product quality is always on the mind of a production manager. But what exactly characterizes a quality product? Is it when CMM inspection data reads good versus bad?

Plastic and sheet metal manufacturers and fabricators face similar issues in the form of costly tooling recuts. From the injection molding machine used to create a computer mouse to the stamping machine shaping sheet metal for an engine bracket, tooling is mission critical and can cause some of the largest workflow problems in a plant.

Starrett’s video based measurement system solutions feature  the company’s new HVR100 “FLIP” Digital Video System, the industry’s first vision system to work upright vertically, or on its side horizontally, a unique function for application versatility. 

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division launched DPA Industrial, featuring the new C1 Camera in combination with the well-established AICON DPA Series photogrammetry measurement system.

Bowman has debuted an important addition to their suite of benchtop XRF plating measurement systems.

L.S. Starrett Company announced the introduction of the HVR100-FLIP, a new large field-of-vision (FOV) Benchtop Vision Measurement System that is capable of being used in either a vertical or horizontal orientation, features a high-resolution digital video camera and minimal optical distortion for accurate FOV measurements of up to 90mm (3.65 in.).  

The process of analyzing gage variability is often highly structured, involving an examination of the gages themselves for sensitivity to temperature changes, magnetic fields, and other factors. These are the easy ones. The second area of variability has its source in gage operators themselves, who may have different levels of training, experience, fatigue, and even attitude. 

When I first got involved with quality, I learned about the “five M’s” that constituted most root causes: man, machine, materials, methods, and measurement. In manufacturing you know that measurement gages and how they are used can be a key cause of variation.

In-process gaging for this discussion is the continuous measurement of the workpieces during the grinding process in the work area of the machine. 

Have you ever stepped on a scale to weigh yourself, stepped off the scale, and then stepped back on to measure your weight a second time? Have you ever gotten two different readings?