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Quality: the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something.

Today’s manufacturers face an array of disruptions from emerging technologies, agile manufacturing, and supply chain localization. The 2021 Quality Forum Series, will take place on Tuesday, June 8th, and Tuesday, July 13th from 1 to 4:30 pm EDT.

This series will focus on all facets of organizational excellence and will provide actionable strategies and deep insights into organizational excellence, disruptive technologies, leadership and change management, and quality fundamentals.  Attendees will come away with vital tools and tactics to affect change, increase value and drive their organizations towards quality goals.

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Tuesday, June 8

1:00 PM            Welcome

1:05 PM          The Quality Minded Organization Presented by  James Habecker, Connstep

During the past year, companies have been met with challenges that few, if any were prepared for.  Some of these issues included strains to our supply chains, workforce development challenges, ever-increasing part complexity and market uncertainty.  While these challenges have come fast and furious, these issues were always there, it was just a matter of time before they became apparent.   During the one-hour webinar, we will discuss the four characteristics of companies that are successfully managing these challenges.

1. Systems Thinking
2. Increased workforce flexibility and involvement
3. Risk-based thinking throughout the organization
4. Developing Critical thinkers

2:00 PM          Surviving--Even Thriving--in a Global Pandemic  Presented by Dana Halverson, Motoman

This past year has been challenging for nearly every field, and the robotics industry was not immune to the effects of Covid-19. From disease control, social distancing and staff reductions to furloughs, pay cuts and schedule changes, nearly every aspect of the business was impacted.  In this session, we will share the experiences of numerous Yaskawa Motoman Robotics departments (from upper management to manufacturing), methods used to continue to build quality into our products, and our formula for achieving success and profitability during this unprecedented year.

Virtual Material Review system Presented by Craig Swanson, Dymotek

The Material Review System is a system of recorded investigative checks done on failed components or processes to improve quality. A Material Review system is typically comprised of a team of experts within a wide range of areas that include planning, manufacturing, stress, design, quality, among many others. Typically the Material Review System is just addressing a part that does not conform.

Learn from this member company that has created a Material Review System that empowers EVERY employee to get involved in the quality process and reviews EVERY part produced.

3:00 PM Accreditation, Certification, Compliance – How to navigate the risk/benefit question. Presented by Ron Coiner

Companies need to recognize that compliance requirements can be used strategically. Because compliance affects every part of a company, the challenge is going beyond surface-level requirements. Decisions can put companies in a position to assess business practices and consider the associated business risks and opportunities.

Compliance is a business decision. From a regulatory perspective, it is the cost of doing business. From a market perspective, it may be a defensive strategy to preserve market share or an opportunity for growth and revenue generation.

The discussion will focus on laboratory accreditation the same principles can be applied to decisions related to management system certification, compliance with customer requirements, competency, and self-declaration.

4:00 PM End of Programming – See you Tuesday, July 13th!

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Tuesday, July 13

1:00 PM        ISO 17025 Laboratory Requirements - Best Ways to Track & Communicate Quality Problems  Presented by Brandon Kerkstra, Management Solutions Group

Laboratories that are accredited to ISO 17025 or have quality systems that comply have several requirements to track and communicate issues, including customer complaints, nonconforming work, audit results, quality checks, risk & improvement actions, and proficiency testing results…

Many struggle to track these efficiently and communicate them effectively.  There is not one single method for meeting this requirement, but we have created more effective processes over the past 30 plus years.

In the beginning, we created many different logs and forms to address each type of quality-related issue, this created paperwork and bureaucracy and labor-intensive documentation. In more recent years we have moved to electronic records that reduced the documentation, but not necessarily the resources required to manage these systems or the effectiveness of the processes.

We will discuss processes and methods to address the recording, assigning action, tracking, and communicating these issues both inside and outside the lab proactively with a focus on effectiveness and efficiency.

2:00 PM          Gaining Efficiency Through Machine Vision Presented by: Dean Elkins, Motoman

While Machine vision has become more sophisticated over the years, its evolution has led to ease of use and robustness that allows it to be integrated into solutions in a simpler and more cost-effective way than ever before.  Whether it is 2D or 3D vision, its deployment is saving companies time and money while increasing quality in a variety of applications including insert picking, feature detection, part location, part verification, and more.

2:00 PM          Repair? Rebuild? Or Replace Equipment?  Your Decision’s Impact on Quality Presented by: Josh Kane, Bear Industrial Group

Every business utilizing costly manufacturing equipment shares a common goal to realize the maximum possible value of their capital assets. Production equipment does important work that keeps production moving and affects the bottom line as well as overall efficiency.
So, any company that manages costly manufacturing equipment face the ultimate decision at one point or another – to rebuild/repair or simply replace it.  When replacing though, do you buy new or used? 
This presentation will cover the key factors to take into consideration when deciding whether to repair, rebuild or replace your equipment and will assist in lessening your stress and help you make higher quality work.

3:00 PM          Presentation on Vision Systems Place Holder

3:00 PM          Understanding Part Sensitivity to Process Parameters Changes  Presented by Michelle Di Biase, Sigmasoft

What are the key process parameters that influence critical dimensions on an injection molded part? What is the impact that changing cooling time has on critical dimensions for injection molded parts? When a plastic part is out of spec, do you know exactly what process parameter to change to meet print requirements? These and several other questions will be answered throughout the presentation.

SIGMA works with molding companies that are frustrated by issues that arise in the design and production stages of their parts. Anything from filling-related issues like air entrapment, knit lines, flashing, short shots, or shrinkage & warpage, to name a few are all concerns for our customer. We also know that trying to decide if issues are coming from the process, material, part design or tool design can be a challenge. Some molding companies are concerned about the number of trials & errors that are happening on the production floor, which affects their bottom line. We help solve these problems through SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding and our 'Autonomous Optimization' technology. Especially, during these times, we see companies are evaluating their entire operation and exploring new opportunities to run lean and be more efficient, we are becoming part of the conversation.

4:00 PM End of Programming

This virtual event will include all the same features as our in-person events, along with additional benefits such as:

• Easy access — no software or plugin downloads required.
• The ability to choose which sessions to attend and set reminders so you don’t miss out.
• Access to recorded sessions for a full 60-day period after the event.
• Virtual networking and live Q&A sessions following presentations.
   

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR!

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