Quality Management for Metal Fabrication
Think of a scenario where a client has contracted out a pipe fabrication project to a vendor. At the end of the project, the product delivered to the client did not meet expectations. What went wrong here? The short answer is quality – defined by ISO 9000:2015 as the “degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfills requirements.” – was compromised. Quality is usually the yardstick by which the competency of fabrication companies is judged. There are varying degrees of quality, hence if a fabrication company mentions that it makes “quality” products, further details will be required. This blog will look to provide more insights on this topic.
How Is Quality Measured?
Quality is an essential requirement for a structural steel fabrication product and a fabricator needs to have a robust quality management system in place. A QMS is made up of several components, two of which are quality assurance and quality control. QA focuses on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled. This component works to prevent errors through quality policies and processes. However, having confidence isn’t always enough, as no system is foolproof. That is where quality control or QC comes in as it focuses on finding and correcting errors before the parts get to the customer. Beyond receiving a product that meets customer requirements and expectations, a formal QMS provides additional value that leads to a positive return on the metal fabrication investment.
Maintaining Consistency and Improving Cost Effectiveness
Consistency is a cornerstone of a solid quality management system. If the customer receives products that are within spec sometimes and other batches are out of spec, the fabricator likely does not have a strong quality system in place. A QMS is designed for manufacturing process improvements, ensuring increased efficiency and operational excellence. Automation techniques for fabrication are standardized to improve repeatability for even the most challenging projects. QC checks ensure quality remains consistent from batch to batch.
A successful QMS also innately controls costs. Defective parts can result in scrap and rework, adding unexpected costs to solve. This can also add time to project schedules, creating delays in processes or getting the product to market, resulting in lost revenue.
Ensuring Compliance and Reducing Hazards
Most fabricated products must meet safety, performance, and/or regulatory standards. For instance, products used in the food and beverage industry must meet the requirements of the USDA or FDA for food contact. Many customers may require 3A sanitary standards to be met as well. Other industries, such as aerospace and defense, have tight tolerances for parts and may require a manufacturer to be International Traffic In Arms Regulations (ITAR) compliant.
Defective products can be a safety hazard. An effective QMS has checks in place to anticipate a potential problem before it becomes a safety hazard in metal fabrication. If the product carries an inherent risk where failure could result in catastrophic results, ensuring the fabricator has a string quality system is no longer a nice to have; it is critical. If the product is used in the workplace and is found to be defective and there is an accident, OSHA fines may be levied.
Conclusion
Quality can lead to far-reaching effects on customer relationships. When the parts are coming from a metal fabricator that values producing high-quality parts consistently, customers will depend more on the fabricator to meet their needs. Conversely, poor-quality parts will reflect badly on the fabricator and tarnish its reputation in the market. In an increasingly competitive metal fabrication industry, quality management (or the lack of it!) will be the sieve through which poor fabricators are filtered out!
