2026 March

Check out the March 2026 edition of Quality! Read our cover story on The Plant of the Year. Also in this issue: features on Creativity Influences, Optical Surface Metrology, Modular Tooling, and much more!

This image captures a moment of recognition for employees at the Phoenix Tube Company, celebrating their "Quality Plant of the Year" award

Quality Plant of the Year Winner

2026 Quality Plant of the Year: The Power of the Right People

This Chicago-area company is doing big things.

Michelle Bangert

February 5, 2026

The team at Power Plant Services is working hard to keep the lights on. Power plants depend on them—they are known as the emergency room for power plants—and they are available around the clock.

The image displays the ZEISS ZEN core microscopy software with its GxP Module

Medical

Medical Device Manufacturers Redefine Quality Amid Digital, Regulatory and Supply Chain Pressures

As engineers inspect more complex geometries, validate software-based functions after release and monitor suppliers across global supply chains, they now expect quality systems to support faster innovation.

Genevieve Diesing

February 7, 2026

Medical device manufacturers are changing how they inspect devices, manage suppliers, and evaluate performance over a product’s lifecycle.

The image depicts two industrial workers in a manufacturing setting

Software

From Cost Center to Profit Driver: The Rise of Quality Connected in Manufacturing

When quality is genuinely connected to the shop floor, digital guidance behaves very differently.

Richard Milnes

February 4, 2026

For decades, quality has been treated as something that sits alongside production rather than as an integral part of it. Most organizations invest in quality primarily to avoid failure: recalls, regulatory findings, customer complaints, and brand damage.

The images display modular fixturing systems, which are used to hold workpieces securely during manufacturing processes like welding, assembly, and inspection

Test & Inspection

Modular Tooling Takes Flight: How Modular Tooling Can Reshape Aerospace Manufacturing

Because aerospace often involves frequent engineering model changes, the ability to modify a fixture in hours—rather than building a new one over weeks—is a major competitive advantage.

Linda Goodwin-Marino

February 3, 2026

Aerospace manufacturers face constant pressure to increase precision, reduce lead times, yet stay adaptable as designs and production volumes change.

The image shows a Mahr MarSurf3D MS coordinate measuring machine (CMM).

Measurement

Precision in Every Micron: Optical Surface Metrology in Medical Device Manufacturing

The optimal surface texture can reduce friction and wear, ultimately improving the performance and longevity of the manufactured device.

Christian M Wichern, Ph.D.

February 2, 2026

In medical device manufacturing, the difference between life-saving success and catastrophic failure is often measured in nanometers.

The image shows a technician performing ultrasonic testing (UT), a non-destructive testing (NDT) method

NDT

Creativity Influences of Nondestructive Testing

Nondestructive testing by its very nature influences our culture.

Eddie C. Pompa JSC/NASA, ASNT NDT Level III

February 6, 2026

In a rapidly changing world filled with technology, advanced science, and self-healing materials, nondestructive testing (NDT) stands at the forefront by offering creative solutions that keep the world safe.

This image shows an industrial worker monitoring a plastic injection molding machine.

Guest Column

Does the Machine Speak? We Just Need to Listen

If you understand the language of the machine, your production will never stop.

Mohammad Safar Ali

February 12, 2026

For the last 24 years, I have lived my life by the sounds of plastic injection machines.

This image shows a person working in a modern office environment using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software on a computer.

Aerospace Column

What Happens When Quality “Co-Owns” the Digital Thread?

A true digital thread requires a single, authoritative source of product dimensions and definitions. Not just a pretty 3D CAD.

Francois Gau

February 13, 2026

Since my early days in manufacturing, I’ve been participating in what is termed “digital twins.” It’s been largely covered and frankly overused in anything from construction planning to flight simulators.

The image shows two multi-ethnic workers in a factory setting at a control panel.

ASQ Fellows Forum

Welcoming Our Newest Fellows

As newly elected Fellows, you join an elite cadre of over 500 peers dedicated to fostering operational excellence, ethical standards, and collaborative progress.

Don Brecken Grace L Duffy MBA, LSSMBB Jim Bossert

Daniel Zrymiak Teresa Whitacre Lyle

February 11, 2026

In the ever-evolving landscape of quality management, where innovation meets unwavering commitment, the ASQ Fellows community stands as a beacon of excellence.

This image shows two engineers in high-visibility safety vests and hard hats inspecting industrial machinery.

Quality Edge Column

Why Process Variation Control Matters for ISO 9001 and Quality

Controlling variation is vital for product consistency, and ISO 9001 encourages standardization and continuous improvement.

John Vandenbemden

February 9, 2026

Previously, I discussed my concerns about organizations not properly managing corrective actions or process variation. While corrective actions were covered before, this piece focuses on variation.

The image depicts a diverse business group standing in a heart formation, symbolizing unity, teamwork, and collaboration

Face of Quality

Sustaining a Quality Culture

Strong quality cultures are built on core values.

Jimmy L. Smith

February 10, 2026

What is culture? Culture is the shared beliefs, values, attitudes, and behavior patterns that characterize the members of a family, a community or an organization.

This image shows two people in a professional setting, likely discussing a business topic.

Speaking of Quality

How ASQ Transformed My Career—and Why It Can Transform Yours Too

I didn’t fully understand just how transformative the organization could be until I experienced it firsthand.

Scott Moeller

February 8, 2026

Was there a spark that ignited your professional journey? Maybe it was a person, an experience, a moment that set or changed the direction of your career.

This image shows a businessman opening his suit to reveal a superhero emblem

From the Editor

The Origins of Superheroes

And their real-life counterparts in quality.

Darryl Seland

February 13, 2026

The concept of heroes with extraordinary abilities is far older than the comic books—which then became movies, which became television or streaming shows—that we know today.

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Quality Magazine

Cover Story