Freelance writer specializing in digital healthcare and tech. Sometimes I write about food and culture, too.
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Articles by Genevieve Diesing
Catching Defects Earlier: How Automotive Manufacturers Are Rethinking Inspection
Automotive Automotive Selecting inspection tools for a production environment involves more than matching technical specifications to quality requirements. By Genevieve Diesing Image credit: 3alexd / E+ via Getty Images June 4, 2026 Automotive manufacturers have long relied on end-of-line testing to catch defects before vehicles leave the plant. Increasingly, that approach is giving way to something more proactive.
When Automation Fails, the Process Is Usually to Blame
Automation Automation Automation done well is genuinely worth pursuing. By Genevieve Diesing Image credit: quantic69/iStock/Getty Images Plus, Switzerland. Royalty-free. Creative #2265756989. May 15, 2026 Automation promises efficiency, cost savings, and fewer errors. What it cannot do is fix a broken process. Quality and manufacturing teams that rush into automation without the right groundwork often end up with faster versions of the same problems — or new ones.
Before AI Can Help, the Data Has to Be Ready
AutomationSoftware Artificial Intelligence Manufacturers who want their data to support AI in the next several years need to make decisions now about how they collect and store information. By Genevieve Diesing Image Source: MicroRidge May 6, 2026 Manufacturers increasingly want to use artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics to improve quality and reduce waste.
Getting Automation Right from the Start
AutomationManagement Automation Automation doesn’t improve a broken process; it runs it faster. By Genevieve Diesing Image Source: AT Sensors Semiconductor device inline planarity check with AT-Sensors 3D laser profilers. Image Source: AT Sensors Soda can pressure check with AT-Sensors 3D laser profilers. May 5, 2026 Many manufacturers want to automate but struggle to figure out where to begin.
Force Testing Adapts to Smaller, Smarter, and More Connected Products
Test & Inspection Test & Inspection As testing becomes more integrated, standards and calibration practices carry added weight. By Genevieve Diesing Image Source: Instron Operator reviewing method modifications as part of the traceability process. Image Source: Instron An example audit trail shows who did what and when on connected testing systems. Image Source: Instron Instron autoinjector testing system – capable of running a complete sequence of tests for full functionality testing.
Air Gaging Finds New Life in Digital Production
Measurement Measurement Air gaging has moved from the inspection bench to the factory floor, where manufacturers are connecting decades-old measurement physics to modern data systems and inline process control. By Genevieve Diesing Image Source: Fowler Image Source: Fowler Image Source: Fowler Image Source: Fowler March 1, 2026 Instead of waiting until the end of production to confirm size, quality teams increasingly collect dimensional data during machining and finishing operations.
Handheld Gaging Adapts to a More Connected, Hybrid Inspection Process
Test & Inspection Test & Inspection Handheld inspection remains part of daily work as teams connect more processes and shift responsibilities. By Genevieve Diesing Image Source: ScanTech The KSCAN-E is an intelligent, wireless, and all-in-one 3D scanner. February 11, 2026 Manufacturing teams continue to use handheld gages during daily quality work, even as they expand their automated inspection systems and adopt more software-driven processes.
Medical Device Manufacturers Redefine Quality Amid Digital, Regulatory and Supply Chain Pressures
Medical Medical As engineers inspect more complex geometries, validate software-based functions after release and monitor suppliers across global supply chains, they now expect quality systems to support faster innovation. By Genevieve Diesing Source: ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions and Sai Ranjith Ramakrishnan Kumar Manufacturers must integrate new technologies that handle quality data in increasingly intelligent ways to keep up.
How Data and AI Are Reshaping the Work of Aerospace Quality Engineers
NDTAerospace Aerospace As inspection systems capture more visual and dimensional data than ever before, aerospace manufacturers are using artificial intelligence to find variation earlier, connect processes in real time and redefine what it means to manage quality.
Putting People at the Center of Continuous Improvement
AutomationManagement For decades, manufacturers have invested heavily in lean tools, automation and continuous improvement systems. Yet some leaders have neglected to engage, develop and respect employees—the people responsible for sustaining those improvements. “We realized that most organizations have not achieved the success they hoped for on their lean journey,” said Lisa Weis, who leads the People-Centric Leadership initiative at the Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME).
Rethinking NDT Training for a Changing Industry
NDT Manufacturers that produce critical parts and equipment rely on nondestructive testing (NDT) inspectors to ensure components meet safety and quality standards. Today, new technology, evolving standards, and a shortage of qualified technicians are forcing training organizations, equipment providers and manufacturers to rethink how they prepare the next generation of inspectors.
Reframing Quality Roles for a New Generation
As experienced workers retire, manufacturers are reexamining how to attract and retain younger employees in quality roles — including how they present quality careers to Gen Z, a generation with different priorities. The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte project that 3.8 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2030.
Machine Vision Gets Smarter
TechnologiesTest and Inspection Assembly Machine vision systems are experiencing a significant transformation. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning, and 3D imaging are improving inspection capabilities and making these systems more accessible. What once required extensive programming and vision expertise can now be accomplished through AI-powered systems.
Machine Vision Gets Smarter
Vision & Sensors Machine vision systems are experiencing a significant transformation. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning, and 3D imaging are improving inspection capabilities and making these systems more accessible. What once required extensive programming and vision expertise can now be accomplished through AI-powered systems. “There has never been a time when this was more real,” says James Witherspoon, director of systems engineering at Zebra Technologies.
Tariffs Trigger Shifts in Supply Chains and Quality Strategy
Management As tariffs impact global supply chains, U.S. manufacturers are reevaluating how they source, staff and maintain quality across increasingly complex systems. These pressures have triggered renewed interest in reshoring, with some seeing it as a long-term solution. Many are accelerating efforts to bring production back to the United States, building on a reshoring trend that has grown for more than a decade. Harry C.
Automated Calibration Systems Improve Manufacturing Accuracy
Automated calibration systems are changing how manufacturers maintain measurement accuracy. These systems reduce reliance on manual processes and improve precision. The technology now covers sensors, dimensional tools and industrial equipment such as CNC machines and coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). “Recent advancements have improved accuracy and efficiency,” says Chad Kallmeyer, product manager at The Modal Shop.
Smarter Software and Non-Contact Tools Drive Adoption of Laser Measurement
More factories now use laser measurement systems to improve quality control on production lines. These automated systems replace manual inspection methods, measuring parts faster and more accurately. Laser trackers, laser radars, and other optical measurement devices have gained adoption across several industries. These technologies use laser beams to precisely measure the position, dimensions, and features of manufactured parts.
Compliance Standards Are Experiencing Disruption
AutomationManagement Engineers use published industry standards as rulebooks that tell them what’s considered safe. These standards provide specific measurements, limits and requirements they must follow. However, these standards typically require years of development. And with today’s smart production technologies iterating at rapid speed, standards might not be able to keep up.
Leveraging Automation for Quality Gains
Manufacturing automation is increasing and becoming easier to use, and experts say it gives quality control workers who adopt it a significant advantage in their careers. Manufacturers’ use of automation is growing year-over-year, and every year automated systems become easier to use, making it easier for new quality control workers to learn how to use a robot or deploy new software, says Stefan Friedrich, marketing manager, New Scale Robotics.
Manufacturers Navigate New Sustainability Regulations
Manufacturing companies must now document and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, energy usage and hazardous materials handling as regulators implement new sustainability requirements. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Climate Disclosure Rules represent one of the most significant changes to reporting requirements, requiring public companies to report greenhouse gas emissions in SEC filings.
Energy Costs, EV Growth Drive Changes in Leak Testing Methods
Leak testing is changing quickly as manufacturers face new challenges in electric vehicle production, sustainable practices, and automated testing solutions. These changes are reshaping how companies approach quality control across industries, from automotive to HVAC and medical devices. The emergence of electric vehicles and hydrogen technology is creating new demand for specialized leak testing solutions.
Probes and Styli Are Becoming Smarter
Despite their small size and relative obscurity, probes and styli are helping to lead the shift to smart manufacturing. These tiny, often unseen tools are evolving from simple mechanical devices into sophisticated, data-generating sensors — generating data that enables automation and improves quality control. As probes and styli evolve, they allow factories to make more complex products with higher precision.
3D Scanning and Model-Based Definition: A New Look at GD&T
The increasing quality and accessibility of 3D scanning tools, particularly computed tomography, are giving quality control experts much more information about the parts they look at, experts say. These tools are changing how industries design, make, and check their products. Software companies are building Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) into their design products, and companies are moving towards digital product definitions.
Adapting to Modern Demands in Fatigue Testing
Fatigue testing is changing. While its technology is mature, and recent improvements may only be incremental, it’s still developing in subtle ways, experts say. Organizations are increasingly adopting linear electric motor-driven actuators over hydraulic ones, as they offer more cleanliness and precise control of small forces — both of which are mission-critical in biomedical testing laboratories, said Pete Bailey, principal scientist, Instron Dynamic Systems.
Measurement Uncertainty 101: Automation, Bias and Advanced Management
Automation relies on precise and accurate data at each step to function correctly. As manufacturing becomes more automated, tracking measurement uncertainty becomes more important. This monitoring requires careful attention and ongoing effort on the part of metrologists, especially in longer processes with less human involvement. If uncertainties are not properly managed, small errors can accumulate and lead to significant issues in a manufacturer’s final product.
The Current State of Liquid Penetrant Testing
There are several advantages to using liquid penetrant testing (LPT) for surface defect detection, experts say. LPT is versatile, portable, simple, and sensitive, and can be used on a wide range of materials and even very complex parts. The liquid penetrant testing process is excellent at finding surface discontinuities such as surface defects, porosity, lack of fusion on a surface, or surface-breaking cracks, said Cheri Stockhausen, product applications manager, Magnaflux.
How to Manage Security, Compliance and Best Practices in the Automation Age
Manufacturers are focusing on low-code artificial intelligence (AI) tools to simplify application development, allowing non-experts to create and customize AI workflows. Low-code tools for AI application development are an area of focus for manufacturers, said Ed Goffin, vice president, product marketing, Pleora Technologies.
How IoT Integration Enhances Quality and Speed, Part 2
In plain language, Internet of Things (IoT) integration is the process of connecting sensors and objects with one another—and with applications and databases, says David Wick, manager of product management, ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions. CMMs are already benefiting from IoT through the integration of multiple plug-and-play tactile and non-contact sensors with metrology software and measurement databases, says Wick.
Precision Trends in Metrology, Part 1
Metrology is becoming more integrated, efficient, and predictive. Manufacturers are increasingly embedding measurement processes within production, using advanced data analytics, and using more sophisticated software to automate maintenance. Here are four ways these changes are taking shape: Quality departments are shifting toward measuring directly within production, experts say.
How FMEA is Adapting Over Time, Part 2
As Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) continues to be embraced as an important tool in risk management and quality assurance across various industries, it has evolved over time. One of the biggest changes has been shifts in requirements across industries. AIAG’s 5th edition incorporated European standards into a common format. It is significantly different from FMEA 4th edition and it’s focused on automotive.
How to Sharpen Your FMEA Skills, Part 1
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a step-by-step approach to identify all possible failures in a design, a manufacturing or assembly process, or a product or service. This includes identifying ways in which a process or product could fail to meet quality standards or pose safety risks. It’s particularly relevant in manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and healthcare.
Leveraging automation for quality gains
Manufacturing automation is increasing and becoming easier to use, and experts say it gives quality control workers who adopt it a significant advantage in their careers. Manufacturers’ use of automation is growing year-over-year, and every year automated systems become easier to use, making it easier for new quality control workers to learn how to use a robot or deploy new software, says Stefan Friedrich, marketing manager, New Scale Robotics.
Maximizing Precision: How to Care for and Integrate Your Handheld Gages
Dave Leboeuf, product manager at Fowler High Precision, emphasizes the importance of strict manufacturing specifications for handheld gages. Each gage is built to very strict specifications to ensure accurate measurements, and higher-end gages are often accompanied by setting masters. These masters help both calibration and the accuracy of measured readings. Regular, thorough inspections and calibration of these gages are needed to maintain their accuracy over time, Leboeuf says.
How Modern Warehouses are Redefining Efficiency Through Automation - Part 2
In modern warehouses, people and machines work hand-in-hand to boost efficiency. As businesses constantly refine their methods and gather data from various tools to get a clearer picture of how products move, they are increasingly reliant on automation. From robots skilled in handling complex items, to self-driving vehicles in warehouses, and precise tracking systems, manufacturers are set to gain a clearer view of the entire supply chain.
Skilled Workers Pivot in an Automated Age - Part 1
Automation helps move skilled workers from repetitive tasks to more important roles, experts say. It’s essential to train them to use these new technologies properly. “The primary benefit derived from automation lies in transitioning high-value employees seamlessly from more repetitive tasks and enabling them to undertake more versatile and value-enhancing tasks,” says John Rosenberger, director, iWarehouse Gateway & Global Telematics, The Raymond Corporation.
How Technology and Data Analytics are Revolutionizing Auditing - Part 2
Data analytics and advanced information technology have made some traditional auditing methods outdated, experts say. Instead of these older methods, many audits can now be streamlined through email communications or regular data sharing. “Data analytics and information technology has both made many forms of auditing obsolete and opened doors to auditing processes and methods that have not existed in the past,” says Timothy McClung, a self-employed test systems architect.
Auditing 101: Understanding Audits and Tips to Prepare - Part 1
Auditing is integral to a quality management system (QMS). While a QMS defines a company’s commitment to quality, auditing ensures that this commitment is met and maintained. “Auditing keeps everyone honest. Your QMS is the gospel truth of your work, and audits evaluate your adherence to this truth,” says Timothy McClung, a self-employed test systems architect. An audit ensures that what a company says it’s doing aligns with what it’s actually doing.
Part 2: The Impact of Miniaturization on Machine Vision Lenses
Machine vision lenses play a pivotal role in diverse industries, from smartphones to drones, wearables, and beyond. As technology scales down and the trend towards miniaturization accelerates, how does it affect the design and application of these critical lenses? According to Jon Chouinard, vice president, sales and marketing at 1stVision, the path of miniaturization in lenses is generally not a core focus in machine vision.
AI and Machine Vision Lenses: Enhancements, Trends, and Evolution
Machine vision has been a rapidly advancing sector, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into the system has propelled its functionalities to new heights. The evolution of machine vision lenses now incorporates AI and ML to provide superior object recognition and defect detection. “One big movement we see is with liquid lenses being integrated into camera technology,” says Jon Chouinard, vice president, sales and marketing, 1stVision.
Evolution of PMI Technology: Advancements in Handheld XRF Propel Accuracy, Connectivity, and Efficiency
PMI (positive material identification) has significantly evolved over time. Advancements in handheld XRF technology have led to improved accuracy, measurement speed, connectivity, and ease of use.
Ensuring Quality and Safety in Manufacturing: The Role of Positive Material Identification
Positive material identification, or PMI, is a method of nondestructive testing (NDT). It is as critical for quality control and assurance as it is for safety, says Matt Kreiner, head of global product management, Hitachi High-Tech.
How Manufacturing Organizations Can Meet Their ESG Goals: The Role of Quality Departments
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals have become increasingly important for manufacturing organizations as they strive to align business practices with societal expectations. As leaders weigh variations in standards, frameworks, and discretionary reporting requirements, quality departments can play a key role in helping organizations meet their goals.
Advances in Automation and Robotics Make CMMs More Efficient, Accurate
Automation and robotics significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and CMM software. By utilizing new metrology technology coupled with data analysis, automation eliminates the need for human intervention in the process of taking and recording measurements. This automation allows for continuous operation, enabling CMMs and CMM software to function 24/7.
Reimagining Sustainability: A Comprehensive Guide to ESG Integration in Manufacturing
In an era marked by a growing concern for the environment, ethical practices, and transparent governance, the task of integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals has become a primary focus for manufacturers. But this integration goes beyond mere compliance and regulation; it’s about weaving sustainability into the very fabric of an organization’s ethos and operations.
The Essential Benefits of ISO Standards for Manufacturers
ISO standards provide a framework for organizations to operate efficiently, ensure product quality, and meet regulatory requirements. Their benefits are far-reaching and impactful. ISO standards, such as ISO 9001, are specifically designed to improve quality management systems. By implementing these standards, manufacturers can establish robust quality control processes, ensure consistency in product/service delivery, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Advances In SPC Software Make It Indispensable
Statistical process control (SPC) software has become an indispensable tool for quality managers. It provides a comprehensive view of the production process, enabling managers to detect any deviations from the standard process and take corrective actions to ensure that the final product meets the desired specifications.
Revolutionizing Color Quality Control through Technology and Sustainability
Over the years, color quality control has evolved significantly, driven by advances in technology and changing industry needs. In the past, color measurement was a manual and subjective process, relying on the human eye to discern differences in shade and hue. However, with the advent of digital color measurement technologies, the process has become more objective and precise, with greater accuracy and consistency across various industries.
As Robotics Gain Hold, Here’s How to Manage Them
As manufacturing requirements continue to increase, and reshoring and lack of personnel continue to challenge the manufacturing industry, robotics can help. The pandemic has exacerbated this dynamic. The global demand for robotics and automation has never been greater, says John Tuohy, executive director, global accounts, FANUC America. During the pandemic, "Robots were bought and deployed at a faster rate than any time prior," he says.
Rebranding Information Blocking: A Cultural Shift Toward Information Enabling
Data sharing and interoperability efforts have transformed how health information is exchanged, allowing for better patient care and access to information. The 21st Century Cures Act’s Information Blocking (IB) Rule aims to ensure that patients have access to their medical information without any barriers. However, there are gray areas in the rule’s language, and implementation can be challenging.
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