Carnival of Quality Management Articles and Blogs – June 2019

Welcome to June 2019 edition of Carnival of Quality Management Articles and Blogs.

Our core subject of Quality Management – Road Ahead to Digital Transformation during the year 2019, we have covered The Basics of Digitization, Digitalization and Digital Transformation, The foundation of the Digital Quality Management, Quality 4.0 and Industry 4.0 technologies Big Data Analytics and Cloud computing.

We will now take up third of the nine disruptive technologies of Industry 4.0 – Robotics.

Robotics is a branch of engineering that involves the conception, design, manufacture, and operation of robots. This field overlaps with electronics, computer science, artificial intelligence, mechatronics, nanotechnology and bioengineering. Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field, as technological advances continue; researching, designing, and building new robots serve various practical purposes, whether domestically, commercially, or militarily. Many robots are built to do jobs that are hazardous to people.[1]

Industry 4.0 enables a model that’s built on a new paradigm for automation: one that taps the power of software to orchestrate the actions needed…. With performance, task data collection and introspection built into the design – not as an add-on or layer that sits on top of the design – manufacturers no longer will find themselves drowning in a sea of data. Instead companies will have a powerful way of making sense of the data, and more importantly, deriving value from that data. In the race to build the digital factory, manufacturers will find robots the perfect physical and cognitive partner.[2]

Thus the robots do not merely automate the work they also work autonomously, i.e. from working at the fixed station, now they move the work as well. The autonomous robots can independently navigate in a dynamic environment thanks to their sensor systems and security algorithms without interfering with the infrastructure of production facilities. This enables them to operate safely side by side with humans.[3]

These types of collaborative robots are also known as cobots. For example, Welding is a discipline that typically requires advanced training and extensive safety precautions; robots can eliminate the need for trained professionals while minimizing the risk of an accident on the job….[4]

Cobots now serve as colleagues to many workers. Humans are able to get out of “3D jobs” – jobs that are dangerous, dirty, or dull. People can now focus on more financially and mentally-rewarding tasks. No prior programming experience required! Collaborative robots are capable of cranking up production levels, but they also are able to add value to existing jobs. This lets humans once again find passion and amass knowledge about what they produce.[5]

Asides is a more vivid example of (not-so-distant) future Industry 4.0-enabled using cobots alongside the human beings[6]:

The following figure depicts the growth curve of Robots and industry 4.0[7]

Robotics is penetrating the field of quality management fast enough, in applications where movement of parts accurately on the test beds is involved or where inspection is carried out by human eye by replacing or supporting it with machine vision.

Implementing or integrating an automated quality inspection system can be a daunting task. To justify the cost, the system must be highly accurate, provide analytical insight, and allow the operator to communicate with and control the system. These are the Three Tiers of Quality Inspection.

We have listed a few representative articles that gives us the overview of the subject:

• • Robot, Robots, Everywhere!
  • Quality control testing role for robot
  • Increasing Productivity in Manufacturing: Quality Control
  • BMW – Automated Robot Inspection Cell for Quality Control on Sheet Metal Components
  • Automated quality control at Opel for car body engineering quality assurance.
  • How Automated Quality Control Reports Improve Efficiency and End Paper Processes

Here are a few video clips, too –

Robotic Inspection: The Future of Flexible Manufacturing – This is the first robot-integrated inspection system that digitizes and simplifies quality control while improving cycle times. It consists of a 3D white-light scanning sensor mounted to the arm of an ABB robot, relying on the agility of the robot to provide the precise movements necessary for the sensors to access most areas of both simple and complex parts from the optimum angle.

Robotic 3D Scanning System for Manufacturing Quality Control – ARIS Technology developed this automated robotic 3D scanning solution to utilize the versatile and compact FANUC LR Mate 200iD robot for manufacturing quality control. The system performs complex 3D inspection of parts in four simple and easy steps.

We will now turn to our regular sections:

For the present episode we have picked up article, The Key to Powerful Leadership Presence, by Marshal Goldsmith on Things Manager Should Know column of Management Matters Network …. It is the capacity to be fully present. …True leaders are present for a task, for a conversation, for the moment, for an opportunity. Present for their larger purpose in the world.

We now watch ASQ TV, wherein we look at a few recent videos:

• • • Effective 21st Century Quality Leadership – Mike Turner, Managing Partner, Oakland Consulting, discusses the business challenges of the 21st century, and how quality professionals should respond in order to meet them. He focuses on three key areas: accelerate change, reduce costs and protect reputation. He would like to see development of effective leadership model rather than the leaders, be it at strategic level or team /local level or at any level… People should be proud of what they do.

Jim L. Smith’s Jim’s Gems posting for June 2019 is:

• • Importance of Psychology – Many managers seem to think they can forget it and run their business by numbers alone…Malcolm S. Forbes, the late American entrepreneur most prominently known as the publisher of Forbes magazine, once said “There are those of us who think that the psychology of man, each and together, has more impact on markets, business, services, construction, and the entire fabric of an economy than all the more measurable statistical indices.”… The best evidence tells us that quality, productivity, and customer service are the results of beliefs, attitudes and expectations as much, or more, than the good skills and systems. It is the people working within the organization who really define your organizational culture, and psychology lies at the very foundation of your people.
  • For a Robust Quality Environment There Has to Be Teamwork – Teamwork, however, is much more than a few isolated teams. James Cash (JC) Penney said “the best teamwork comes from people working independently toward one goal in unison.”.. It is important to recognize that teams are not an end to themselves. Teams are a vehicle to take an organization toward the goal of true teamwork and a robust quality environment. As Andrew Carnegie said, “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

I look forward to receive your inputs / suggestions that can further enrich our discussions on the subject of Digitalization in the Quality Management

Note: The images depicted here above are through courtesy of respective websites who have the copyrights for the respective images.

[1] Robotics

[2] The role of robots in Industry 4.0

[3] The autonomous way to Industry 4.0 – Mobile Robots: the backbone of the factory of the future

[4] The rise of robots in Industry 4.0

[5] Cobots empowering humans in manufacturing

[6] Examples of Industry 4.0 technology we are watching

[7] Robots and industry 4.0