Gold: Fix It Before It Breaks: The Power of Preventive Maintenance in Manufacturing (Ep. 40 revisited)

Factory equipment rarely fails without warning. More often, it begins to wear, drift, or produce inconsistent results before eventually breaking down. When maintenance is only carried out after a failure, the consequences can go far beyond the repair itself. Production … Continue reading →

A product can meet every specification, pass every technical test, and still disappoint customers. That is because users do not experience specifications, engineering reports, or phase-gate approvals. They experience how quickly the product responds, whether its controls make sense, whether … Continue reading →

A product’s electronics work correctly on the test bench. Its firmware performs as expected. The mechanical parts fit, and each subsystem appears to have passed its tests. Then everything is installed inside the final enclosure, and new problems suddenly emerge. … Continue reading →

Trade shows can put hundreds of potential suppliers in front of you within a few days. They can also waste a great deal of time if you arrive without a clear plan. Events such as the Canton Fair, Global Sources, … Continue reading →

Quality problems are often discovered during an inspection, but they usually begin much earlier. They begin when the buyer and supplier have not agreed on what quality means, how it will be checked, who is responsible for testing, or what … Continue reading →

More companies are taking a serious look at setting up a new factory, relocating production, or bringing manufacturing back under their own control. The reasons are understandable. COVID exposed supply chain risks. Tariffs and trade policies have made some China-based … Continue reading →

Tooling delays do not usually start when steel is being cut. By that point, the design may already have been released, the tooling order placed, the deposit paid, the launch timeline shared internally, and the first sample date built into … Continue reading →

Quality control should not start when finished products come off the line. By that point, the design may already be frozen, suppliers selected, components approved, tooling made, work instructions written, and the production process set up. A final inspection can … Continue reading →

A working prototype can make a product feel almost ready for production. The design works. The team has seen it function. The customer may already be thinking about launch dates, tooling, production quantities, and delivery schedules. But a working prototype … Continue reading →

A working prototype can give a product team a lot of confidence. The device functions. The team signs it off. The design looks ready. Everyone starts thinking about tooling, production schedules, and launch dates. But then production starts, and unexpected … Continue reading →