Dec 01
“The economic success of manufacturing firms depends on their ability to identify the needs of customers and to quickly create products that meet these needs and can be produced at low cost.”
- Karl T. Ulrich and Stephen D. Eppinger,
Product Design and Development, 2004
A great book! Should be required reading for all product engineers.
My thought is that functional dimensioning supports Karl’s quote because it protects the customer needs and provides the largest possible tolerance for manufacturing.
Nov 13
We’ve had a lot of interest in our free one-hour GD&T live web public workshop this coming Monday. The “mini-workshop” on Rule #1 and bonus tolerance is from 1-2pm EST.
The course includes sample exercises, and attendees will receive a 10% off coupon to a future live web workshop. Read more about this course.
To take advantage of a GD&T live web public workshop, you need a Windows-based computer, with high-speed internet access (T1 or faster) and a phone line for teleconferencing.
It’s free, so why not try it? If you sign up by 10am Monday, we’ll still have time get you into our class and send you the bonus tolerance problems we’ll be going over. You can try live web training for yourself and learn a little more about GD&T at the same time.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Free one-hour workshop
1 pm - 2 pm EST
(EST - Eastern Standard Time)
Nov 06
American culture's impatience with time...
Charging into building the product, without sufficient thought into the design, results in a product built to many incorrect assumptions. These assumptions remain unidentified until very late and are costly to fix.
Joshua Hammond and James Morrison
A gem from "The Stuff Americans are Made Of."
Most drawings that I see require assumptions to interpret. We could make great strides in quality if we just made "technically correct drawings."
Quality really begins with the drawing.
Oct 27
Have you wondered if live web training is right for you? We’ve had a lot of interest in our new live-web format. If you wonder how it would work for you, you can attend a free one-hour GD&T live web public workshop and find out for yourself.
The “mini-workshop” covers two important GD&T topics: Rule #1 and bonus tolerance. The course includes sample exercises, and attendees will receive a 10% off coupon to a future live web workshop. Read more about this course.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Free one-hour workshop
1 pm - 2 pm EST
(EST - Eastern Standard Time)
No Special Equipment Required
Attending an ETI live web public workshop doesn’t require specialized equipment. It runs in a web browser, and the technology required is commonly found in most homes and organizations.
To take advantage of a GD&T live web public workshop, you need three things:
- A Windows-based computer
- High-speed internet access (T1 or faster)
- Phone line for teleconferencing
Take advantage of this short workshop to try live web training for yourself or your organization.
Oct 15
The American culture’s acceptance of mistakes…
“We are more loyal to a supplier who quickly fixes a mistake he makes than we are to a supplier who never makes a mistake.”
“Most people in product development assume that mistakes are inevitable. Some mistakes are; however, we often confuse some preventable ones with the inevitable ones.”
Ivy Hooks and Kristin Farry, “Customer Centered Products”
This quote is a real slice of truth.
We so often expect and forgive mistakes on product development programs, but we tend to reward problem solvers and overlook problem preventers.
In my 30 years at GM, I found that there is seldom time to document and analyze the design, but there is always time to solve the issues after the parts are made. I have always felt that most product problems are preventable.
Oct 09
ETI is having a Fall special.
From October 1st to November 30th, if you order a GD&T Trainer Multi-User or LAN version, you’ll receive 50 free GD&T Ultimate Pocket Guides for every $1000 spent on the software.
For example, if you purchase a GD&T Trainer Multi-User for $2595, you’ll receive 100 Pocket Guides ($600 value)
You can receive up to 650 Pocket Guides (a $3900 value) if your company purchases a 10-seat LAN.
The chart at the right shows some more examples. Click on it to enlarge.
Read more about the GD&T Trainer Professional Edition.
Oct 01
Where did the year go? It’s already time to start thinking about next year’s GD&T training plan. 
To make it easier, we’ve already posted the whole year’s public workshop schedule online.
In 2009, we’ll be offering the following workshops at our Detroit area headquarters in Westland, Michigan:
- Fundamentals of GD&T 2-Day (ASME Y14.5M-1994)
- Advanced Concepts of GD&T 2-Day (ASME Y14.5M-1994)
- Tolerance Stacks 2-Day (Concept Driven)
- Intro to Statistical Tolerance Stacks 1-Day (Concept Driven)
All workshops include:
- Course materials/handouts
- An official certificate of completion
- Continental breakfast and snacks
There are also bonus materials given out with each workshop.
If you have 5 or more employees who need training, ETI can bring the training to your site, but our public workshops are perfect for companies who have fewer employees to train and for individuals who need training.
Come visit us next year. We’ll get the snacks ready!
Sep 18
Hopefully by now, some of you have taken a look at the draft of the new ASME Y14 Standard and have developed some comments. The October 21st deadline to submit them is just around the corner. The comments we receive from the public are an important part of the review process.
I have compiled a list of about 150 comments that I would be happy to share. You can take a look at some of the issues that I found and consider them while you develop your own comments.
Email alexk@etinews.com and I will send you the list.
Remember, if you can’t attend the upcoming ASME Y14 Committee meeting, you can still comment. Here’s more info from the ASME site.
The public review proposal is available in hard copy for $85 from:
Mayra Santiago, Secretary A
E-mail: ansibox@asme.org
ASME Codes & Standards
Three Park Avenue, MS/23E2
New York, NY 10016
Sep 09
I found some great quotes about the importance of tolerances. They exemplify the importance and impact of GD&T.
Tolerances have far more impact on cost, quality, and customer satisfaction than they have traditionally been accorded. Often during product design, the focus is on the nominal specification and its effect on functional quality.
The discipline and clarity that GD&T brings to the tolerancing task in undisputable. The methods of GD&T are profoundly useful in communicating tolerances, and play a critical role in how tolerances are ultimately relayed to the manufacturing community.
- C.M. Creveling
Tolerance Design – A Handbook for Developing Optimal Specifications
Sep 04
Over the past few years, more and more ETI clients have requested GD&T training outside the U.S. This year, our “global” GD&T training has taken us to more places than ever before.
We started out the year in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Soon after, we trained in Malaysia, England, and Colombia.
Our upcoming GD&T training schedule takes us to India, Venezuela, China, Thailand, Mexico, and another trip to Colombia, by the end of the year.
In most of these places, the students learned English as a second language. This means the “language of GD&T” will be their third language.
My hat is off to these dedicated students. I can’t imagine learning a new skill in a language other than my own.
To see a map of all the places ETI has trained, click here.
Ancora Imparo,
Alex
“The economic success of manufacturing firms depends on their ability to identify the needs of customers and to quickly create products that meet these needs and can be produced at low cost.”
