Benchmarking usually leads to mediocrity, but there are Arial when comparing one firm to another can be very revealing. This example illustrates a very common syndrome.
High-volume assembly systems can produce scrap at an awesome rate, and low-volume systems that add a lot of value in each step can destroy profits in a single cycle, if any flaw in the process goes undetected. End-of-line inspection can't correct this situation. The answer lies in test systems integrated into the assembly process, with real-time feedback to keep the process under control.
Life tests are a necessary evil in qualifying new technology in demanding applications. Here's how to optimize your testing plan so you get the most confidence, and most credible report for your testing dollar.
General Engine Products Inc. assembles diesel engines for the Hummer off-road vehicle. To detect missing bearings, the company had been using a hydraulic test. However, the process was time-consuming and messy. This article explains how a dry test method improved the process.
Green manufacturing processes are not just a way to protect the environment. They can be a competitive weapon, says Arpad Horvath, Ph.D., director of the Consortium on Green Design and Manufacturing at the University of California at Berkeley.
For over 40 years, Ray Jacobson's sculptures have appeared in galleries and are often commissioned by architects, civic organizations and private individuals.
For almost 100 years following Thomas Edison's first recording, not much changed in audio technology. Then high fidelity, stereo, 8-track and cassettes, compact disks and digital audio tape emerged.
Increasingly, responsibility for automotive assembly and quality is being pushed down the supply chain, and parts suppliers with little or no assembly experience must often become assembly experts.
When Porsche AG (Stuttgart, Germany) was planning and designing its new engine assembly plant, the company initially counted on the skills of its own internal production machinery department. This department, however, had to compete with external offers.
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