AFT World Wide - Tech Talk |
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Quality at AFTIt was the industrial world that first recognized that much of Japan's growth and economic success in the 1980s could be attributed to the consistent focus of companies on quality and quality improvement. In response, hundreds of thousands of firms worldwide began to adopt the concepts and methods of Total Quality Management (TQM) to meet the higher quality levels their customers had come to expect. Perhaps the most notable outgrowth of this movement has been the certification of quality assurance mechanisms based on ISO 9000 Standards. While originally conceived for companies in the manufacturing industry, the requirements set forth in the Standards can provide a suitable framework for a quality assurance system in any type of organization, whether large or small, product or service-oriented. Not surprisingly, the evolution of ISO standards over the years has played a major role in AFT's quality system. When AFT first achieved ISO 9000 certification in 1996, the company concentrated on following the mantra, "Say what you do and do what you say." AFT improved its processes by making them more consistent and subsequently earned QS 9000 (including ISO-9000/1994) certification in 1998. Continuously striving for improvement, the quality department worked hard in 2004 to qualify AFT for the TS16949 rating (which includes ISO 9000/2000). This new rating requires the process to "say what you do, do what you say, but also guarantee a good quality part." Applying this guideline made AFT's process more efficient and cost effective. Customers benefited as well, consistently receiving parts made to demanding specifications on time. Achieving these ratings has not been easy. The number of variables in the metal injection molding (MIM) process makes it unique, changing the nature of the process from "continuous" to "batch" and back to "continuous." Because of this variability, much time must be devoted to the development process, ranging from how the molds are designed to how sintering should be conducted. Work instructions also play a big role in the design and manufacturing process. Work instructions tell how to perform each step of a process. The processes employed by AFT are so complex that AFT currently controls over 5000 work instructions. In the future, AFT will expand into the medical and aerospace industries. To meet the high standards of these demanding industries, AFT must continue to evolve its quality systems. AFT has the ability, determination and desire to meet any qualifications needed to supply these potential customers. Learn more by visiting www.pcc-aft.com. |
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