QualityInspection.org

Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China

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...]

Two Preventive Maintenance Examples: Go for More Structure

As I wrote before, preventive maintenance helps cut costs and improves quality. That's an extremely important element of good manufacturing and it doesn't get much coverage. Simply put, it extends the lifetime of the equipment, it prevents downtime that prevents production from taking place, and it ensures the equipment is ready to make good products. … [Read more...]

All about the Metal Machining Process, Surface Finishes, and Tolerances [videos]

For all the talk about 3D printing (also called additive manufacturing), the vast majority of metal products are shaped into their final form by subtracting material using metal machining processes. Even when a component or product is cast, it is nearly always finished on a CNC machine. If your products include metal components, some material is very likely to be subtracted at some point of its fabrication. So, our senior engineer Paul prepared a series of videos that cover (nearly) all … [Read more...]

Electronics Videos: Basics about PCB, PCBA, and the SMT Process For Importers

More and more products (both consumer goods and for industrial/commercial use) contain electronic parts - from dishwashers to remote controls and from small toys to functional MRI devices. If this is the case for some of the products you develop/buy, you need to know a few basics. This is why we prepared this series of electronics videos. … [Read more...]

All about the Die Casting Process, Ingots, and Aluminum Casting [Videos]

Many everyday products are created using the die casting process, but few people are aware of what the process actually involves. Here are a few examples: Your car engine, axles, paddles, cooling fan... The metal housing/chassis/frame of many electrical products (e.g. cameras, tablets) Door handles; locking systems Toothbrush or razor mount base and handle TV stand Trophies, medals... Basically, die casting, is often the first process for shaping a piece of metal. Some … [Read more...]