There are two ways that companies can approach quality control if they manufacture precision machined parts. One method is used by companies with a basic to moderate concern about quality, and the other is used by companies with a focus on quality and commitment to producing the best parts and components for their customers.
Spot Checks
Many machining services use a very traditional way of managing quality control across the facility when they are producing precision machined parts. Typically, this will start with a review of the CAD diagram and make any necessary changes that may be relevant in enhancing the final product or in streamlining the machining process.
Then, the company will set up the equipment, verifying all tools and machines are serviced and ready to use. The production will then start. A manager or supervisor will check on parts produced at random or set intervals, looking for any issues with quality and ensuring the selected part meets required tolerances.
This creates obvious issues about the precision of all the parts that aren’t checked. While there may be more than one check throughout the production run, only a very small percentage of the parts are actually inspected and checked to be accurate.
Continual Quality Control
Many of the most reputable companies producing precision machined parts have undergone certification through the ISO 9001 process. This is a complete system quality control protocol that each business develops for itself based on internationally agreed upon standards.
In these businesses, which are audited to obtain certification, the responsibility of quality control transfers from the manager to include all employees. Each person in the production process is responsible for ensuring all parts and components meet standards, which is essential when precision machining is a requirement of the job.
