Category: Examples Blog
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A Coffee Pot That Stops Brewing when the Pot is Removed
This automatic coffee pot is equipped with a “pause and serve” feature. The lid of the pot presses up on the button (shown below), releasing a valve that allows the coffee to pour into the pot. If you remove the pot before brewing is finished, the valve closes so coffee is not spilled. (A friend…
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Rental Trucks Prevent Ramp From Sliding Out
This rental truck has a door latch which will not allow the loading ramp to slide out while the the latch is in the closed position.
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Automatic Change Makers Save Time and Prevent Mistakes
Telequip offers an automatic coin dispenser. Its selling point is that it cuts 5-7 seconds off transaction times. But it also reduces human error. Employees no longer need to count out change, and customers are not short-changed.
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Automatically Dripping Faucets to Avoid Freeze Damanage
When pipes are likely to freeze, the common practice is to open faucets slightly and let them drip. If you’re not home or just forget to leave the faucets dripping, you can cause significant damage to pipes and property. This device automatically opens a valve that discharges just enough water to avoid pipes freezing. Actuation…
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Don’t Drive Off with the Gas Pump Attached!
Gas pumps are equipped with hose couplings that break-away and quickly shut-off the flow of gasoline. Thanks to Mike Ferg for this example. The design of gas pump hoses incorporates several smart features to mitigate against the common mistake of drivers driving away with the nozzle still attached to their vehicle’s fuel tank. This scenario,…
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Getting the Right Signatures on the Engineering Approval
Engineering change form requires different signatures depending on the nature of the change being considered. Sometimes engineers would get too many signatures, and sometimes not enough. The revised form identifies the nature of the change in the columns and indicates unnecessary signatures in gray. Creating forms that help the user fill them out correctly is…
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Huck Fasteners and the Proper Torque for Bolts
Getting the torque on bolts right is a very tricky business for many companies. Huck fasteners mistake-proof this problem using a hybrid: half “pop-rivet,” half bolt. The tension on the bolt is created in a linear fashion the “nut” is clamped in place and the excess bolt length is cut off. The only drawback is…
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Helping Ensure the Proxy Ballot Instructions are Followed
The bottom section of this proxy ballot has important instruction. The instructions are perforated for easy removal. The mistake-proofing comes in when you try to fit the ballot in the envelope, as shown below: It does not fit. When you remove the perforated section, final instructions are in your hands. Your attention has been managed…
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Making it Easy to Serve the Right Amount of Fries
The famous French fry scoop effortlessly delivers remarkably low variation among servings of fries at fast food restaurants the world over.
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Prevent the Mistake of Picking the Wrong Parts
Speastech Smartbins are a pick-to-light bin system that also has infrared detectors to sense if a hand is put into the wrong bin. If that happens, an alarm goes off. Smartbins can be linked to an ethernet to download custom pick lists Mistake-proofing, or “poka-yoke” in Japanese, is a lean manufacturing principle aimed at eliminating…