Quality Control

Rocklin Manufacturing, Sioux City, Iowa, has a long and storied history that began in 1934 during the height of The Depression. Just 8 years later, founder I.J. Rocklin moved the company to a uniquely constructed, two-story brick building built in 1912. Now, after a massive restoration effort that began in 2016, the company once again is calling this historic building home.

If a spindle breaks down, what is your company’s plan of action? Is it the most practical and efficient way to deal with a down spindle? Spindles need maintenance at varying intervals based on the length and design of their operation. Normal use of any machine will cause wear and tear, the spindle being the component that receives the majority of the wear. It is necessary for spindles to run at the right speeds and feeds to minimize wear. Because of this, a good spindle program should consider the specific operational information of each individual spindle.

Last week's blog post on the successors of Rosie the Riveter inspired a reader to share her own experience as an early woman in manufacturing. Lois Anderson was tasked with walking into plants in Southwestern Michigan to convince dubious managers and workers to use new methods to improve their production quality and efficiency. In the end, she helped them excel.

Easy, accurate tracking of items through the manufacturing process is becoming more and more important in the quality-conscious 'Smart-Factory' era. RFID tagging has distinct advantages as a tracking method, but barcode scanning has its adherents too.

In the digitized manufacturing world being born, the product that a job-shop produces is less a piece of engineered metal and more a piece of intellectual property. So said Tom Kelly, the executive director and CEO of Detroit’s Automation Alley. That difference brings risks but also unprecedented opportunities for those who are ready.