Blogs
The Lead
Printing Guns
May 17, 2013 | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | Comments
Somebody was going to do it sooner or later. And we have Cody Wilson, a law student at the University of Texas at Austin, to thank for the fact that, when it was finally done for the first time, the news media learned about it right away. All the same, now that somebody has used a 3-D printer to make a functional gun, we face a whole array of questions that up till now were hypothetical ones.
The Future of Google Glass
May 17, 2013 1:18 pm | by Kasey Panetta, Managing Editor ECN | Comments
There has been a lot of talk about Google Glass lately, mostly due to the prototype debut, but...
Root Cause Failure Analysis: A Tool for Reducing Costs & Increasing Customer Satisfaction
May 14, 2013 3:54 pm | by Joseph Berk, Principal Engineering Faculty, Eogogics Inc | Comments
Root cause failure analysis is a technology for objectively identifying all potential failure...
Much Ado About Nothing: The Impact of the Medical Device Excise Tax
May 14, 2013 2:19 pm | by EMichael Lewis, Writer, Money Crashers Personal Finance | Comments
Critics of the new 2.3% medical device excise tax are hitting new heights with their claims of...
CI Tools Aren’t Just for CI Events; They’re for Everyday
May 20, 2013 5:40 pm | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsI write a great deal about the difference between Lean and Six Sigma and Kaizen on the production floor and in the office. We learn a great many continuous improvement tools in training, then we forget them because we aren’t CI experts. Don’t! Use them anytime.
Corporations Kill Eagles
May 13, 2013 4:18 pm | by Mike Rainone, co-founder of PCDworks | CommentsEntrepreneurship is undergoing a renaissance all over the world, according to the media. It is the next “new” thing. From American to European corporations, everyone is touting the importance of being an entrepreneur, except for the French who, according to a former president, don’t have a word for entrepreneur.
Nowhere to Run
May 10, 2013 2:46 pm | by David Mantey, Executive Editor, PD&D | CommentsKarma certainly is a swift vixen, isn't she? I was a few hours removed from editing Meaghan Ziemba’s column, Smartphone Shakes, for the latest issue of Wireless Design & Development magazine (PD&D’s sister) when I was retelling the story of her troubles following an incident involving a barroom toilet and her smartphone — nothing pairs well with such sleazy settings, particularly electronics.
Respect for Trial & Error, & Success
May 9, 2013 12:59 pm | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsThere are many ways we transform questions and uncertainty into confidence, new products, or innovative solutions. Experimentation and trial is one that many seem compelled to avoid. Give respect to the power of trial and experimentation, and to its risks.
The US Market & Design for Test
May 8, 2013 9:14 am | by W. Scott Fillebrown, President & CEO of ACD | CommentsBecause many high-volume printed circuit assemblies are sent outside the United States, it is challenging to test the lower volume/high turnover assemblies domestically. But this does not need to be a problem — some simple planning and the right contract manufacturer (CM) can solve this issue.
What Price Cheap Clothing?
May 7, 2013 9:13 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | CommentsWhen the Rana Plaza garment factory building collapsed on April 24, crushing hundreds of workers under a pile of concrete and machinery that used to be an eight-story factory building, it was like lifting a rock in your garden and finding a snake’s nest full of baby rattlers. Something that most of the world preferred to keep out of sight was exposed to full view.
Should Engineers Be Licensed: A Process Improvement Perspective
May 3, 2013 1:21 pm | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsThe topic of licensed engineers spurs much debate, especially among engineers. What does a process improvement perspective reveal about the topic? Perhaps a way to answer the question is to answer the question phrased differently. Would the business, industry, or process of engineering be better, would things improve, if engineers were encouraged to be licensed?
The Green Death
May 2, 2013 11:18 am | by M. Simon, Technical Contributor | CommentsBeing "green" has gone from a technical effort to economically reduce energy use and avoid waste where such avoidance makes sense to actively reducing our effectiveness to show how committed we are to the Green Religion. And there is so much of this going on. In my opinion, we would be much better off worshiping trees. Or cows.
Open Innovation Spurs Ultimate American Success
May 1, 2013 10:06 am | by Louise Rainone, Vice President of Marketing, PCDworks | CommentsUnder Armour is always a great example of innovation as a whole. The company began with an idea, a need and pure hunger to be the best, and it has become the ultimate American success story. UA has a candid approach to roundtable conversations. They sit down and talk about a technology’s strengths and weaknesses; ponder the potential length of time-to-market; and have heart-to-heart conversations to explain the contract.
A Tale of Two Lamps
April 30, 2013 9:34 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | CommentsA few months ago, my wife bought a lamp at an office-supply place to light up the table where my father-in-law plays dominoes with us. He’s 87 and his eyesight isn’t what it used to be, so having lots of light in the right place is important. The ceiling light doesn’t quite do the job.
Are You a Process Drone?
April 26, 2013 4:20 pm | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsAn over-focus on process and process control breeds a culture of drones, mindlessly following process, without thinking. I am a big, big fan of process control and especially process improvement. My own definition of a good process reads as follows. “A good process is one that enables good people to perform their best.”
‘Internet Of Things’ — An Opportunity For Intelligent Device Manufacturers
April 25, 2013 3:20 pm | by Steve Schmidt, Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy, Flexera Software | CommentsThe “Internet of Things” is a phrase used to describe how the internet will link traditional smart devices, and a wide range of additional physical assets to allow these endpoints to generate and share data. Nearly every product will have an IP address and communication capability that will link to other devices and services via the web.
Smartphone Shakes
April 24, 2013 9:48 am | by Meaghan Ziemba, Editor, WDD | CommentsI never thought losing my smartphone to the porcelain god would give me withdrawals. But after speaking with the phone carrier, and receiving a brief lecture on why not to charge your phone after it’s been submerged in toilet water, I started to shake when I was informed that it would take about a week for me to get a new phone and had no option for a loaner.
Throw the Pilot Out
April 22, 2013 12:57 pm | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsWhen we propose the institution of a new program or change, a common directive is to try it out with a pilot. Don’t.
Should Engineers Be Licensed?
April 22, 2013 9:17 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | CommentsNot long after I chose electrical engineering as a major in college, someone asked me if I was planning to take the EIT exam. What was that? It stands for “engineer in training” and it is the customary first step in obtaining a Professional Engineer (PE) license.
