5 Reasons to Install an Automated Optical Inspection

In the production process, the importance of electronic board inspection can't be denied. In fact, it's the final step in the inspection process before the products are offered to the customers. Fortunately, we have automated optical inspection machines these days. The role of these machines is to inspect a panel of boards and notify the operator of the detected errors. Let's consider some solid reasons to use AOIs for businesses.

1. Inspection Speed

The first greatest benefit of these machines is that they are quite fast. They can do an hour of work in a few minutes. And then the operator can take a few more minutes to validate the errors. So, inspection speed is one of the most prominent benefits of these devices. In fact, speed is paramount if you want to stay ahead of the competition in the industry. Your business depends on it.

2. Inspection Accuracy

Apart from the fast speed, precision is another great feature of these machines. An experienced operator operates the unit and detects the smallest defects in the products. After all, catching the defects and fixing them is the most important aspect of accuracy.

3. Quick Catches

Another great feature of these machines is that they allow you to catch the errors quickly. With an optical inspection unit, the SMT (Surface Mount Technology) offers great support. While the unit detects errors, the operator can inform the SMT line so that the errors could be fixed as soon as possible.

As a result, you can enjoy an awesome first-pass-yield. Plus, you won't have to spend a lot of time on rework either.

4. Inspection Consistency

It can be difficult to remain consistent while visual inspections are in progress. Although an experienced inspector can use a quick process for all the boards, there is a lot of human error involved in the process.

With an AOI unit, it's important to note that the captured images are in the same place. Therefore, the camera will inspect all the parts in the line. It can offer a much better consistency than a man can. The reason is that humans get tired but machines don't.

5. Less Strain

Lastly, it's important to keep in mind that an AOI machine can help you prevent a lot of stress. In fact, it lifts a lot of burden off the entire process. During the inspection process, quick catches can allow an efficient movement of the products. Since there are not too many errors, inspectors find it easier to catch errors and report them. Since they don't have too much work to handle, they don't suffer from exhaustion, which is another great benefit.

Long story short, you may want to keep in mind that visual inspection machines offer a lot of benefits. Some of the main benefits are listed above. However, they have their shortcomings as well. But it's great to have these machines in your facility as they can reduce errors and make the entire process less stressful for the unit. Hope this helps.


TopVision is your best resource if you are looking for reliable automated Optical Inspection Machine Manufacturers. You can buy a good CCD Visual Inspection Equipment.

Make Your Business More Accessible to Customers With Mobile Applications

Due to stiff competition in the world of Smartphones, it is important to introduce the innovative and the updated applications that can create a huge demand for the mobile device in the market. Every organization is taking the initiative of introducing the high-end apps so that they can turn out to be beneficial to users and create an impact in the market. Among all the Smartphones, it is found that the iPhone is ruling the present world. There are numerous features available which has attracted the crowd. The developers have the ability to create the features based on the needs of the business within time and budget on the customers.

The mobile apps development has gained enormous popularity in the present market and it has been widely accepted by the people. The simple layout and the powerful application have really changed the world. But, when the developers focus on the application development they need to understand the target customers of the business. There are many companies around who demands to provide the world best service, but their delivery of service can be understood by their level of interaction with the clients.

The security is the main reason which attracts the attention of the users. The iPhone development is eye-catching and it is popular because:

It has given the opportunity to customize each element available in the iPhone.
It actually runs on iOS which is not found in any other mobile device. Android OS is the open source so it can be used by any mobile phone producers and can be customized based on the requirements. Whereas, iOS is exclusive to the Apple phone and it won't function in any other device.
iPhone app development companies are highly experienced and they can develop the mobile application based on different business needs. It is in trend and the need for the service is ever-increasing.The iPhone apps come up with the robust security system, but it is not so in the case of Android. iPhone users can also get genuine mobile apps through the iTunes which offers better protection when it comes to iPhone development. The success of the mobile application lies in its usability. If it is not user-friendly, then the apps will not be adopted by people in spite of having brilliant graphics. With the use of the application you can easily manage the personal and professional task.

The mobile application development companies in India are creating the mobile applications for the business and there is the wide range of services that includes gaming, faxing, surfing and emailing. The developers play a huge role in these companies and they have in-depth knowledge on different mobile platforms, SDK tools and other important technologies that can contribute in the development of the resourceful applications. There is business, travel, sports, social networking e-Commerce applications available which gives the convenience of managing your work. With the effective mobile application, the user can certainly run their business smoothly and effortlessly.

5 Basic Insurance Mistakes to Avoid

Having basic insurance coverage is essential. If you don't apply for insurance, know that it will be a big mistake. Therefore, you may want to have enough coverage to meet your needs. Also, it's important that you realize the importance of insurance. Given below are a few common mistakes that you may want to avoid when it comes to buying insurance.

1. Ignoring the Importance of Basic Insurance
You must have at least basic insurance. For instance, it can protect you in case of car theft and accidents. In addition, basic health insurance can help you save on your medical bills. If you can't go for a comprehensive policy, make sure you get a catastrophic or deductible plan.

According to the Affordable Care Act, you must have health insurance. Otherwise, you may have to face fines at the time of filing your taxes. The health plan you opt for should meet your minimum requirements. A plan designed for disability protection, for instance, can protect you if you fall seriously sick or get injured.

2. Opting for an Expensive Plan

Another common mistake is to purchase a plan that is more expensive. It can be hard to estimate how much you should spend on a plan, especially when it comes to liability insurance. Therefore, we suggest that you have a discussion with an agent about your assets. At young age, you won't have to pay for an expensive plan as you won't have a lot of assets to protect.

3. Opting for a Cheap Plan

Under insuring yourself is another common mistake. Ideally, your basic plan should be able to cover your expenses. In other words, in case of an accident, your plan should be able to pay for all the medical expenses.

For a health plan, the same is true. If you are in the United States, one million dollar can be enough. However, if you have a major illness like cancer, your medical expenses will be much higher.

4. Opting for the Wrong Insurance

Getting the wrong type of insurance policy is another common mistake. It's not a good idea to opt for policies that won't be of any use to you. For instance, if you are under the age of 30, you don't have to get different types of policies.

Keep in mind that you don't have to go for all types of policies. If you know what you are going to get, you won't have to get surprised at the time of filing a claim.

5. Not Considering Different Policies
Make sure you shop around before deciding on a policy. It's better to do this every now and then. This will help you save money by opting for a different policy. In addition, you may consider policies that offer discounts based on your location or profession. Shopping around won't take much time but save you a lot of money. Plus, it will help you avoid common mistakes.

In short, these are some common mistakes that you may want to avoid when it comes to buying the right type of insurance policy. It's much better to consult a health insurance agent to make an informed decision.

If you are looking for a California health insurance agent, we suggest that you check out Health Insurance Agent.

Usability, Accessibility, and Configurability in a SaaS-Based Portal Package

Insurers who resist change and continue to depend on their aged Policy Administration Systems are missing out on the amazing advantages offered to them by the new age SaaS-based PAS which offer amazing advantages and enhanced usability, accessibility and configurability. This article addresses these aspects and lists the advantages offered by a PAS to enhance the competitive edge of an insurer. All PAS systems do not offer such advantages and some actually fail to replace the legacy system, wasting the time and resources of an insurer and setting them back. Hence, it is important for an insurer to be well-informed and aware of the capabilities of a PAS and the benefits offered by adopting it.

Insurers who stay dedicated to their timeworn Policy Administration Systems fail to realize that their devotion is affecting their competitiveness in the market by slowing their services down and restricting their ability to introduce new products to the market.

One way to reverse this slow and steady deterioration is to adopt a Saas-based portal which will be your new Policy Administration System. Enjoy its support across the value chain, from product development to the payment of benefits and administer the insurance products with unsurpassed agility. This is possible with a well-designed SaaS-based product because of its usability, accessibility and configurability. Let's explore each of these advantages in detail, so that you will have clarity on creating that business case to suggest its immediate adoption:

Usability:

1. The program offers framework modules, which can be licensed independently or together, offering unlimited flexibility and cost savings to a discerning user.
2. Offers flexibility in customization and deployment, and supports multiple clients, currencies and languages.
3. Its modules are extremely intuitive to use as it requires no coding.
4. Allows you to administer all types of insurance products, like P&C, Auto, Life, Health, Specialty, Warranty, Pension, Annuity, etc. without having to code anything; saving significantly on time and costs.

Accessibility:

1. Available and hosted as a Web application or can be hosted on the cloud.
2. The Agent portal is integrated into the Policy Administration System to support Agents and Direct customers.
3. Allows data upload and import of Excel files
4. Makes integration with third party and payment processes easy and flexible.
5. No Programming is needed for attaching forms and printing data on forms.
6. Generates policy data as tokens and prints the real-time policy data on forms.
7. Easily uploads rule-based forms.
8. Maintains a repository of Base forms, Coverage forms, ACORD forms, exclusion forms for various product lines and maintains them separately in different file subnets for ease of access.
9. Can integrate with multiple policy processing systems primarily through APIs or XMLs.
10. Organizes forms according to the form type.
11. Allows configuration of forms for the printing of policy data as per the existing (customer's) templates.
12. Generates placeholders or tokens to be placed on the forms for policy data at the time of form generation/printing.
13. Attaches forms based on the user-defined sequence.

Configurability:

1. It is a self-service product, which uses role-based configuration, and standard workflows which can be configured by users to their unique business needs.
2. Issues and stores all policy data and documentation as per the product model and enables changes and modification to be completed in a matter of hours, instead of days.
3. Product versioning allows a single product to be maintained using state-specific, agency-specific and customer-specific screens, with the workflows being defined by user's role.
4. Business users can easily configure changes, without intervention from DB administrators.
5. Users can build new products from scratch easily, and without much effort or loss of time.
6. Users can define Carriers, Agents, Brokers, Distributors and their business information along with mapping their producers and products.
7. Supports all policy transactions from Quick Quote, Policy Submission and Bind, Account creation, Quotes, Policy Administration, Endorsements, Renewals, Cancellations, Reinstatements and Rewrites.
8. Standard Policy Statuses and next Actions allow customers to configure the workflows as per their need and bypass the policy statuses which do not match their business need. Automated out-of-sequence endorsement comes as an additional feature.
9. Its rating module allows the maintenance of multiple rating tables without duplication, delivering faster response and improved performance due to the execution of rule-based rating steps, increasing the hit rate and ensuring better performance.,
10. Integration with inbuilt underwriting module, rating module and forms module delivers fast responses from each supporting module and complete the quote/policy transaction in no time.
11. Its underwriting module integrates with multiple systems, allowing the business rules, regulatory rules, and user-specific rules to be configured in a single location and makes its maintenance easy. It supports searching of existing rules, decision tables, and scorecards and defines assignment rules and sets due dates.
12. Its reporting module allows users to generate the reports manually and also to trigger reports by defining the frequency of reports automatically. It also offers many standard reports and enables users to configure customized reports.
13. Offers role-driven dashboards for Carriers, Agencies, Brokers and other Distributors.
14. Provides flexibility to integrate with any external system as well.
15. Supports both manual and automated policy processing.

Visualizing the benefits in time, money and resources from adopting such a system must be really easy after this detailed explanation. Talk to us to set up a demonstration of these capabilities and benefits to understand how they can help to improve your business processes and flexibility. That would help you to make an informed choice and avoid paying an exorbitant price for an ineffective product meant to replace your legacy system, but offers no return on investment and may even affect your business continuity.

Tips to Choose the Best Steel Bar Gratings

If you are going to purchase bar gratings, you may be finding it hard to opt for the right gratings, which is normal. Given below are a few tips that can help you choose the best steel bar gratings to meet your needs.

1. Press-Locked or Welded Gratings

Although they look similar, there is a difference between them. The difference is related to the production mode. We have discussed the two common types below.

Press-Locked Type

Press-locked bar gratings are pressed together using a high-pressure manufacturing method. So, the end product has a two-directional flush surface, which results in a firm connection and appealing look.

Welded Steel Type

Welded-steel type is the best type of steel bar grating as it offers high strength and ease of installation. This grating is usually resistance welded in order to make a one-piece, rugged construction panel.

The two gratings offer similar features. Hence, you can opt for one based on your taste.

2. Selection of Materials

Based on your needs, you can opt for the right materials. For instance, you may need gratings to work on walkways or shelves. Actually, the idea is to make sure the grating is strong enough to do the job.

If the product is not strong enough, it may not be able to give you the desired results. So, this is important to keep in mind when buying one.

3. The Selection of Mesh Size

After the material, another important point that you should keep in mind when buying steel bar gratings is the size. The common width of a standard panel is 2 or 3 feet and the length is 20 to 24 feet.

Based on the application method, use, place, load and customer requirement, you can divide the grating mesh.

Customer: The optical perception of it is determined by the size and shape of the mesh.

Use: For more light, the bigger mesh can work better. On the other hand, the smaller mesh can help prevent things from falling off.

Load: the benefit of a smaller mesh is that it allows higher load capacity.

4. Surface Protection

You can find steel gratings in black. They are not coated with a zinc protection layer. In other words, their surface doesn't go through any type of treatment.

However, the gratings are so strong that they can easily last 40 years. Corrosion won't have any impact on it.

If you need additional protection, we suggest that you opt for a grating that is painted or powder coated.

5. Types of the Surface Shape

Normally, you can find gratings that come in two types of surface shapes: smooth and serrated. If you want the anti-slip to perform better, we suggest that you opt for one that is serrated.

Long story short, if you are looking for a steel bar grating for a specific purpose, we suggest that you follow the tips given in this article. These 5 tips will help you avoid choosing the wrong type. Opting for the right type is essential if you want the best results.

If you are looking for China steel bar grating manufacturer, you can check out Royce Grating Supplier. They can meet the needs of your metal grating factory.

Amazon Isn't Killing Your Business, You Are

A few days ago, I went to the store to pick up a few items after work, which was the peak time in retail. When I went to pay, I looked at two registers with cashiers and very long lines. I then chose to contend with self-service, and when I got stuck in the particular sequence I was supposed to do to pay, the human who in the earlier days of self-service stood around helping people become familiar with the payment machine was nowhere to be found.

As someone who had worked in retail for years, I was in disbelief of the managers who acted as if people were not frustrated and annoyed at having this terrible experience at a store. What happened to service? When did that become a thing of the past? When did it become acceptable for businesses to disregard the time and experience of their customers?

As an entrepreneur, I have many conversations with small business owners about how online companies and retailers are killing their profits, and they have no choice but to keep things lean and mean.

Amazon is a favorite business killer.

But, when I go to retail stores, I see long lines, which I'd much rather avoid by tapping a few things into a digital retail platform and then receive my products usually within a few hours of ordering in the comfort of my home. Who wants to go to a store to have an experience that is not pleasant when I can sit in my house and get what I need in a fraction of the time?

Here's my take on the big, bad Amazon and other global retailers destroying small businesses: No, they are not.

While there are pros and cons about Amazon and other global businesses, such as paying competitive and fair wages, as well as working conditions for their employees, it's easy to think about online retailers as the enemy because it gives business owners someone else to blame but themselves.

If you have a business and you're not adapting to the changes that are happening, and you think you're adjusting by destroying the customer experience, then you've got no one else to blame but yourself. You're losing your profits because of you, not Amazon.

I have a question for you.

Have you ever thought of competing against Amazon and other big online retailers?

If the answer is no, why not?

If you say that it's because your business can't possibly compete against a trillion-dollar company and if it does, then it has to shaft the customer, you're wrong. Yes, you can compete against Amazon and other global giants, and you can get more customers. Here's how:

Change your mindset: First things first. You have to look at yourself in the mirror and stop excusing the failure of your company to be innovative and to adapt on anyone else but you. It's essential to do this because if you think right from the outset that you've lost, then you might as well close up shop. You have to believe that your company can stand out.
Stay in your lane: I'm an entrepreneur and have more than seven brands. One of the most important things we do is stay in our path. We're not all things to all people. We picked niches for the brands, and we are relentless in being the market leader. Amazon has thousands of products and keeps moving into new industries, such as publishing, retail, and now healthcare and even education. Want to beat Amazon? Focus like a laser on a niche.
Develop a purpose: If you search Amazon, it often has hundreds of thousands of similar products, such as shoes. No one is going to go through that, but if you're a shoe retailer and figure out a specific value to your customers for buying shoes from you (e.g., a higher purpose), people will patronize your store. Amazon isn't looking to create a consumer story for making a positive impact. However, other brands have overlaid making a difference in their products, and that's a competitive advantage your business would have over a behemoth like Amazon.
Customer service:A competitive advantage of my brands over my competitors is exceptional customer service. You can crush even Amazon if you provide something that seems to have gone out of style-- extraordinary and live customer service where people can speak to another human who cares about their customer experience. If you want consumers to get into your store, then think about how you can cater to them and treat each person as a unique individual.
Experience: This goes along with the earlier point. Think about the experience you want to give your customers. Do you want them standing in line at your store (not going to happen with many people), or entering into a fresh, modern (including lots of tech) and fun experience? Think of the customer experience from the moment they consumers see your brand, to the point of sale and beyond. Customer experience is why Amazon is a global giant; they are fanatical about knowing their customers.
If you want to continue to claim that your business can't compete against Amazon or other online retailers, then close up shop. You are correct. However, if you want to get out of your way and operate your business successfully in the 21stCentury, then get to work. There's plenty of ocean, and even small fish swim alongside the giant whales. You can't be afraid of it.

Big Data's Role in the Craft Brewing Process

The use of what is commonly called "Big Data" can play a key role in the operation of any craft brewing company.

How that data is gathered, analyzed and implemented can make a large difference in the efficiencies and profitability of any sized brewer, from new startup to the established multi-state operation.

Nearly all brewers realize that attention to detail is a hallmark of the industry. It can make the difference between success and failure. This includes execution of a daily routine that ensures ingredients are mixed and formulated properly, then properly processed through a kegging and bottling system, and, in the end, results in the replication of a high quality product. This must be accomplished with a production output necessary to sustain profitability.

The overall brewing process must be completed with as little waste as possible. Any variation, large or small, can slow down the operation, impede production, and compromise taste. The end result can be a slowdown in delivery times, loss of customers, and a large increase in overall costs.

In order to maintain consistency, many in the industry are now turning to data gathering systems. These systems can include software that can be automated to accumulate hundreds of pages of information. However the challenge for most becomes not only the collection of the data itself but also how to sift through it, decipher it and put it to use to improve business operations.

Fortunately new data gathering software has been created specifically for the craft brewing industry. Not only can the software be utilized to eliminate the mountains of data which may be pertinent to other types of businesses but not to brewers, but it can also monitor key areas of operation impacting the brewer's' specific brewing process.

This software can be customized to monitor and even improve mashing-plato (balling), temperature (conversion) and raise times. It can provide information on Lauter tun-first wort plato, lost Hansel plato, number of bed cuts, runoff time total and grain out time. Items such as brewkettle-kettle full plato, wort cooling, fermentation, time from fill to attemporation, centrifuge turbidity, yeast brink, filter and CIP can also be tagged as needed.

The software can help the brewer with full system monitoring, setup alerts based on production and performance, watch output comparisons by day and time, and track inventory and materials.

Some of the automated software can also provide cloud based reporting for 24/7/365 access on a PC, laptop or mobile device. It can work with all servers and workstations, and multiple devices. The software may also be compatible with any PLC including Siemens and Allen-Bradley devices.

The newer software can be adjusted to provide only the most crucial reports and information. Instead of continuously polling and storing data, it can focus on specific program triggers and collect specific data at specific points in time, at specific process conditions. This provides a detailed comparison from one day's operation to the next, enabling the brewer to make adjustments as necessary.

A brewer can also find programs that provide a full system back-up, support and updates. Some systems are fully customizable to meet the needs of the individual brewery.

Corporations and multi-national beer producers have used various forms of big data processes for many years. Big data has helped them not only monitor and improve the manufacturing process but also with pricing and marketing.

Now craft brewers, of all sizes, can enjoy the benefits of data gathering and analyzation. The development of new software programming, combined with the ease of cloud based reporting, can help the brewer greatly improve business operations while greatly increasing profits.

David Moye is a Principal with Forensic IT, a firm providing big data solutions to companies nationwide. David helped found Forensic IT and DataSnare software, and has some 25 plus years of experience as a software engineer and solution architect. Along with at least a half a dozen core programming languages, he is a certified DBA in Oracle and Sybase and has spent years working with MS-SQL and MySql.