Your expertise is about to expire
(or how one Kodak executive said digital photography is a fad)

"The headline got your attention didn't it?" So says Ross Shafer (rossshafer.com), author of such books as Nobody Moved Your Cheese and The Customer Shouts Back.

"It's scary to think you might actually become obsolete. What's really frightening is to already be obsolete and not even know it," adds Shafer. When he attended a Kodak camera meeting in the late 1990s, a top sales executive stood up and told the group, "don't be freaked out by digital photography. It's a fad." Ouch!

Shafer recommends even going to a conference or convention outside of your core discipline. "I went to a grocery convention and found out that 42% of grocery shoppers still don't know what they want for dinner at 4:00 p.m. I passed on that valuable tid-bit to a chain of successful seafood restaurants.

"They immediately started running their radio ads at 3:00 p.m. Planting another meal option in the minds of the listeners (when they are starting to think about dinner) has caused their restaurant business to climb."

Ideas for new product designs and business directions come from exposure to many cultural influences, according to Shafer. "Don't just subscribe to your industry magazines.

"Every month, go to your local newsstand (or go online) and read a variety of publications you normally wouldn't read. Pick magazines about science, medicine, sports, money, guitars, and women's issues. Get a sense of what our culture is talking about.

"If you take an active interest in paying attention to life and humanity, obsolescence will never be your problem. Plus, you'll have plenty of time to focus on more important crises…like your hairline?"

Mike Edwards, Editor, DPN Magazine medwards@clbmedia.ca
Click for Newsletter Archives

WIN an iPod Shuffle! Click here
____________________________________________

USEFUL SITES

Manufacturer website design. ThomasNet design services (http://websolutions.thomasnet.com/ma) help drive buyers to manufacturers' websites, including hosting 2D/3D CAD models.

Rapid prototypes. Quickparts, an online provider of custom-manufactured plastic and metal parts, offers a Learning Center and Material Advisor functions to assist designers (quickparts.com).

Plastics. Online community presented by the Society of the Plastic Industry, Inc., helps locate suppliers, customers or industry peers (myplasticsindustry.com).

Structural framing. 2D/3D design tool from structural aluminum framing products manufacturer Darlex (darlex.com).

       
 _____________________________________________

       DPNCANADA.COM EXCLUSIVES

Programmable encoders. DRS26 CoreTech Incremental Encoders from SICK Stegmann are now customer-programmable, allowing users to program the width of the zero pulse and the number of lines from 1 to 8192.

Cylinder sensor. MTS Systems Corp., Sensors Division has announced an MH sensor suitable for cylinder applications with a 100 g shock and 25 g vibration rating.

Epoxy resin. Master Bond has developed a flexible two component epoxy resin compound called EP40 said to feature outstanding shear and peel strength and is designed for bonding, sealing and casting engineering plastics and metals.

Heavy duty joystick. Elobau Sensor Technology Inc. has introduced the J4/J5 line of industrial joysticks, designed for heavy-duty use on various vehicles and equipment. Housed in IP67 enclosures, the joysticks have a typical mechanical life of 2 million operations and are offered in analog, digital or PWM and CANbus output versions.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Tyco Electronics

PolyZen™ Micro-Assembly
Protects DC Power Ports

The PolyZen™ micro-assembly protects sensitive electronics from damage caused by inductive voltage spikes, voltage transients, incorrect power supplies and reverse bias. The device combines a stable zener diode with a PPTC layer that responds to diode heating or overcurrent, protecting both zener and follow-on electronics, effectively increasing the diode's power handling capacity
Contact:
Tyco Electronics / Raychem Circuit Protection
www.circuitprotection.com/polyzen


______________________________________________

Take part in the
Advanced Manufacturing/MPI Canada Manufacturing Study
for a chance to win one of 4 iPods!

Looking for a way to benchmark your company's performance, progress and opportunities for improvement? Look no further. DPN sister magazine, Advanced Manufacturing, in conjunction with the Manufacturing Performance Institute (MPI), will publish the results of the second annual Canada Manufacturing Study in AM’s October 2007 issue. Deadline for completing the survey is September 17, 2007.

The 2007 Canada Manufacturing Study will provide detailed insights into the manufacturing strategies, methods and technology in use in Canadian manufacturing along with results from a similar study conducted by MPI for IndustryWeek magazine.

All your answers are strictly anonymous. All you need to do is visit: www.2007CanadaMfgStudy.com
Fill out the survey and submit it.

For filling out the survey, you will receive a FREE custom benchmark report comparing your facility to hundreds of other plants. As an added incentive, once you've completed the survey, you'll also be eligible to win one of four prizes of an iPod Shuffle. Email your contact information to the AM editor at: jtenpenny@clbmedia.ca. (For a complete list of rules, click here.)

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 24-27, 2007. Rosemont, IL. National Manufacturing Week conference and exposition includes the Design Engineering and Assembly Technology Expo shows (manufacturingweek.com).

September 30-October 3, 2007. Quebec City. Canadian Wind Energy Association 23rd Annual Conference and Trade Show (canwea.ca).

October 7-10, Detroit. Association of Rotational Molders International annual meeting, including seminars and table top exhibits (rotomolding.org).

October 22-23, 2007. Montreal. CYCLE 2007: Towards a Life Cycle Economy is the third annual Canadian Forum on the Life Cycle Management of Products and Services (cycle2007.org). ________________________________________________

SPONSOR MESSAGE: PTC Corporation
 
Special Invitation for
DPN e-Newsletter Subscribers!

Moving from 2D Drafting to 3D Modeling?
See this Webcast First!



Choosing the Right CAD System – High Complexity Products & Small/Medium Size Business Join PTC and Aberdeen Group for a Free Webcast to help you choose the right CAD System for your business.

Who needs 3D CAD tools for product development? Large, global, Fortune 500 companies, yes – but so do you.

  

In an exhaustive study of 3D CAD users, Aberdeen researchers recently discovered that market leaders using 3D Modeling cut over $50,000 and 90 days out of the product development process. Aberdeen also found that successful small to mid-size companies that make complex products are:

• Three times more likely to use large assembly management capabilities for products with over 500 parts, and

• Twice as likely to use configuration capabilities of data management solutions.

Is 3D CAD Right for Your Business? Get Answers at this Webcast

View Chad Jackson of Aberdeen Research at this informative live Webcast, and hear first-hand why small and mid-size manufacturers are using 3D CAD tools to improve their product quality and time to market.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Vaisala

Vaisala Humidity/Temperature Transmitter

The Vaisala HUMICAP® Humidity/Temperature Transmitter Series HMT330 is optimized for HVAC and demanding industrial applications. Six models cover 0…100%RH, a wide temperature range -70…+180°C (365°F), pressure 0…100 bar (1450 psi). In humid/harsh chemical conditions, warmed probe and chemical purge function maintain reliability. Features a unique graphical trend display with one year of historical data.

Call: 1-888-VAISALA (824-7252)
Visit:
www.vaisala.com/instruments/products/
humidity/fixed/hmt330.

Coming soon in September/October:

• Automation in energy management
• Math software combats cataracts
• Hydraulics with "Lynch Inside"
• Bill Vance on vehicle Gear Wars


Click to see video of
Noble Metal Processing
blank inspection turntable