Develop a Data Strategy
Carpenters gave us the expression “measure twice, cut once." It’s an accurate guideline because the cost of an error is almost always greater than the cost of expediency. In manufacturing, there’s a lot of measuring, but not nearly as much cutting. The greater error is measuring and then not doing anything with the measurement.
As Marcia Gadbois, president and general manager of ADISRA noted in a Machine Design article, it’s the actions that follow data collection that are the key to an effective data strategy. “Defining and understanding the problem to be solved and the associated unanswered questions determines what data must be collected,” she wrote. “Although there is no sense collecting data that will not improve decisions or operations, sometimes insights come from unexpected data sources, so it is advisable to cast a wider data-gathering net than may be initially anticipated.”
As the article notes, it’s important to measure more and then figure out where the cuts need to be made.
Increase Torque in Your Motor
The bigger the motor, the bigger the torque—or at least that’s the expectation. But what if a bigger motor isn’t possible?
A white paper from Machine Design and Lin Engineering, there are other ways to address the issue. When designing for a next-generation product where the footprint and mounting have already been determined, this may not be possible. The white paper, which can be found here, offers other ways to provide the necessary torque without having to adjust other aspects of the system.
IDEA! Awards Entry Deadline is July 9
The time is running short to showcase the best in manufacturing innovation. The deadline is this Friday, July 9 to enter the 2021 IDEA! Awards.
Click here for a link to the entry form.
The IDEA Awards is a way to showcase the tremendous work your design and marketing teams have accomplished in the last 12 months. The August issues of Machine Design and Hydraulics & Pneumatics will present all the entered products for evaluation by our readers in print and online. You’ll also receive marketing collateral recognizing your product as a 2021 IDEA! Awards Finalist as part of your $500 entry fee.
The products with the highest vote totals will be recognized at the 2021 IDEA! Awards luncheon at the 2021 IDEA! Conference in Cleveland. The conference on Nov. 9-11 will be three days of great information and an opportunity to reconnect after more than a year apart.
Get your entry in today, as the deadline is July 9.