2026 April

Check out the April 2026 edition of Quality! Read our cover story on The 2026 Quality Magazine Professional of the Year. Also in this issue: features on Air Gaging, Force and Torque Sensor Integration, Force Testing, and much more!

Management

2026 Quality Professional of the Year: Heather Wade, The Measurement Expert

Our 2026 Professional of the Year is an enthusiastic metrology expert and a great teacher.

Michelle Bangert

March 9, 2026

If you need someone to teach you about measurement, Heather Wade would be a good person to call.

This image shows a person working in a laboratory setting with specialized equipment.

Medical

When Milestones Lie: Why Medical Device Teams Fall Out of Alignment and How to Prevent It

The most effective medical device organizations don’t slow innovation to achieve compliance.

Chiratana Pot

February 24, 2026

From a regulatory standpoint, progress in medical device development is measured by evidence, not by phase completion.

This image depicts a logistics manager using a tablet to monitor an automated supply chain system.

Critical Thinking in the Age of AI: How to Utilize AI the ‘Right’ Way in Quality

Let’s debunk five common myths that hinder effective AI use.

Attrayee (Atty) Chakraborty MS, MSc.

March 5, 2026

The application of AI in quality receives mixed responses: to some, it solves many problems; to others, it feels like Pandora’s box.

Robotics

The ‘Dark Factory’ Myth

Why Human-in-the-Loop Manufacturing Still Drives Progress

Erik Nieves

March 6, 2026

The idea of the ‘dark factory’ has gained new attention as advances in robotics and AI accelerate. Stories range from fully automated automotive plants that operate around the clock and lights-out facilities in China, to experiments with humanoid robots on production lines, often framed as early signs of factories that no longer require people on the shop floor.

Operator reviewing method modifications as part of the traceability process.

Test & Inspection

Force Testing Adapts to Smaller, Smarter, and More Connected Products

As testing becomes more integrated, standards and calibration practices carry added weight.

Genevieve Diesing

March 4, 2026

Force testing rarely draws attention until it fails. When components crack, seals leak, or devices do not activate as expected, engineers often trace the problem back to how force was applied, measured, or interpreted.

This image depicts a scientist or technician reviewing technical data sheets or schematics

Test & Inspection

When Test Results Can’t Be Trusted: Solving Repeatability and Measurement Drift

The Hidden Cost of “Good Enough” Physical Testing

Noah Morgan James Fusco Albano Bala Paul N. Gardner Company (GARDCO) USA

March 3, 2026

In many laboratories, confidence in physical testing is based on the assumption that results are consistent and that, if a method works once, it can be repeated. However, shifts in operator technique, environmental conditions, or instrument calibration can undermine that confidence.

Measurement

Force and Torque Sensor Integration Has Come a Long Way

Force and torque measurements are direct indicators of how a process is behaving.

Mark Fridman

March 3, 2026

Quality managers and engineers, like many other professionals, are often judged by what goes wrong. A product failure, a recall, or a customer complaint draws negative press, while processes that run smoothly can be taken for granted.

This item appears to be a tribometer, a precision instrument used for measuring friction, wear, and lubrication properties of materials.

Measurement

Air Gaging Finds New Life in Digital Production

Air gaging has moved from the inspection bench to the factory floor, where manufacturers are connecting decades-old measurement physics to modern data systems and inline process control.

Genevieve Diesing

March 1, 2026

Instead of waiting until the end of production to confirm size, quality teams increasingly collect dimensional data during machining and finishing operations.

This image depicts a smart, automated factory floor utilizing digital twin technology and advanced robotics

Manufacturing Excellence

Exploring Quality of Autonomous Systems

To improve quality, reliability, and integrity of an autonomous system, quality must be designed in.

Praveen Gupta

March 15, 2026

My career started with the early days of the semiconductor industry, and a few years later techies started dreaming of large-scale semiconductor memory.

This image depicts a car factory engineer wearing a work uniform and a hard hat while using a tablet computer to oversee vehicle production with robotic arms.

Management

Who Will Be the Next Deming?

The giants of quality did more than write books or create tools. They taught a way of thinking.

Patrick Jester , JD., CQA

March 14, 2026

In laboratories, manufacturing plants, hospitals, testing facilities, and certification bodies around the world, quality systems are quietly losing their soul.

This image illustrates a regulatory compliance and information governance diagram

Quality Edge Column

ISO 10012 Measurement Management System

Measurement management standards can be determined by commercial contracts, other ISO standards, or market requirements.

John Vandenbemden

March 11, 2026

I have over the past couple of years presented the journey that ISO 10012 has followed to reach the time for release as the latest revision.

This image shows two industrial workers in a manufacturing facility reviewing information on a tablet computer.

Face of Quality

Sustaining a Quality Culture, Part 2

A culture of quality flows from organizational values.

Jimmy L. Smith

March 17, 2026

I felt it might be of interest to continue the discussion from my previous column on organizational culture. It is not easy for some organizations to convert to a culture that is truly focused on establishing a robust culture of quality.

This image shows young children practicing basketball in an indoor gymnasium.

Speaking of Quality

Expanding One’s Skill Set Through Actual Practice

When I entered the work world, I naïvely thought I was finally free of having to write reports.

Jim Spichiger

March 10, 2026

We all have likes and dislikes. When I was young, I liked to wear sneakers and play; what kid didn’t? Sunday mornings were the worst; not only did attending church cut into playtime, but I had to dress up and wear shoes.

This image represents the concept of online customer feedback and reputation management, featuring a digital overlay of a five-star rating.

From the Editor

How Do We Get to the Positive?

When the focus is on the negative.

Darryl Seland

March 28, 2026

You see it a lot with e-commerce. Online shopping is said to offer an advantage. An array of “reviews” posted by other shoppers of the product you are considering. Amazon and others have converted these comments on the worthiness of a product into tools that help browsers decide if they want to become purchasers.

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Quality Magazine

Cover Story