PM Blog

Quality documentation can be improved. Whether you use a simple word processing program such as Word to document your processes, or a more sophisticated documentation software program, organizing your material and identifying the simplest way to meet your needs is the key to documentation success. Let’s reaffirm the purpose of work instructions:

All documents within your quality system should be reviewed at some point. Not only is this a requirement of most standards, it just makes good sense. Whether you are developing a new system or just going through a review, the following four steps will help you as you go through the process of definition, review and simplicity.

Learning about the surface finishing industry can help your machine shop deal with increasing customer demands and provide operations beyond your shop’s traditional comfort zone. One opportunity to learn more about the surface finishing industry is to attend the National Association for Surface Finishing’s SUR/FIN Manufacturing and Technology Trade Show and Conference, which will take place June 15-17 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Right now, SUR/FIN is actively accepting technical paper and presentation abstracts for the 2020 conference. The NASF’s Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) is seeking experts from around the world to give informative, non-commercial presentations about their latest experiences with surface engineering and finishing technologies impacting business today or trending for tomorrow.

While working her way up to V.P. of operations (her current position) at a

140-person shop that E.J. Basler Co. recently acquired, Hayley Serruya has worn many hats during her eight years of employment there so far. She’s also managed to use her prior experience in sales at Nordstrom to benefit her in a customer service role at E.J. Basler. But before her manufacturing career beginnings, Hayley attended Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, studying abroad for four years.

The third annual Top Shops Conference presented by Modern Machine Shop concluded in Cincinnati on September 11, 2019. The three-day event connected leaders in CNC machining and announced this year’s Top Shops Honorees.

“Component quality” is a buzzword often mentioned in gear manufacturing. However, at Humbel Gear Technology in Switzerland, it is particularly important. The gears and transmission components developed and produced here are used in applications including motor sports and prototypes to enhance electric drives—extremely challenging fields with small batch sizes. A “standard” measure of component quality is not enough in these cases.

Humbel recently expanded its machine inventory to include a VL 4 vertical turning center from Emag. According to the company, the machine’s automated pickup spindle provides a boost in productivity while the machine’s other features ensure the required component quality in the main machining operation. After only a few months in operation, the Swiss specialists said they were “surprised by the machine’s stability and performance.” It has helped the company fulfill its mission to produce precision gear and transmission components and could help the company add new business in the future.