QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

What Is the APQP? (Advanced Product Quality Planning Process)

The APQP, or Advanced Product Quality Planning, is a proven approach for developing a new product to be made in high volume and under strict quality, timing, and cost requirements. It was developed in the automotive industry. (Virtually all tier-1 suppliers of car parts have to implement this approach.) It has also been adopted in other settings with similar requirements, with great success.   Adding some structure to the design & development phase I have heard many people tell … [Read more...]

China Factories: 7 Key Factors That Cause Shipment Delays

Last week, on Linkedin, I ranted about the many (not all) Chinese manufacturers that "fail to plan appropriately, are over-optimistic, and disappoint their customers with last-minute shipment delays". Someone commented that I should offer "good advice" to these suppliers instead of complaining. And that's right, so here goes... … [Read more...]

All about Silicone Rubber Injection, Compression, and Extrusion [videos]

We covered plastic materials in previous videos. Now we are covering their close cousin, the silicone rubber (often simply called "silicone"). It is easy to make on very common equipment (often the same used to mold thermoplastics), and does not require very expensive tooling. As a result, it is increasingly common in newly-designed products. Like plastic, silicone is used in a variety of products, from cookware to TV remote controls, from baby products to apparel, and from medical … [Read more...]

Tips for Writing SOPs and WIs that Will Actually Be Useful

What is worse than not writing SOPs (standard operating procedures) or WIs (work instructions) at all? Creating inappropriate and bloated procedures. In this post, we'll look at the benefits of really good guidelines and explore the best practices to follow when creating yours... … [Read more...]

A Good Way To Analyze Data to Drive Process Improvements

I just read the book Measures of Success by Mark Graban, and I found it does a great job of covering the basics of how managers should work with data. His whole approach is largely based on concepts from Don Wheeler's books. If you are not familiar with Don Wheeler, he is the most respected manufacturing-focused statistician of the past 30 years. Graban covers what to do in two cases managers don't like to see.   Case 1: an unstable process leading to a widely fluctuating … [Read more...]

What Are Some Of The Most Promising IT Applications for Manufacturing Quality?

There has been a lot of talk about the "factory of the future", and the role of "quality 4.0" will play in that picture. Hundreds (maybe thousands) of IT applications, sometimes supported by IoT devices, have been developed. But what are the few key applications for manufacturing and quality management that will really drive business value? … [Read more...]

Does ISO 9001 Actually Prevent Process Improvements?

As I wrote before, I believe that a good implementation of ISO 9001 does help a manufacturer quite a bit, while a bad one will only create issues. And the reason is simple. ISO 9001 allows an organization to set any system it wants, as long as they make sense and they respect a set of minimum requirements. The problem is, many factories think "we would get more customers if we had that certificate", so they go out and find templates and make it all look like it is alive in their company... … [Read more...]