Invest a little on quality control will save you money

What is Quality Assurance or QA? Both the British Standards Institute (BSI) and Textile Terms and Definitions define it as “all the planned and systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a product or service will satisfy given requirements for quality.” Implementing Quality Control (QC), defined by the same two bodies as “the operational techniques and activities that are used to fulfil requirements for quality”, provides Quality Assurance.

Why is QC so important? Quality Control is an essential requirement throughout the manufacturing pipeline. It provides historical data on past production runs, which allows quality comparisons to be made ensuring that consistent standards are maintained. Corrective action can be taken to rectify potentially costly mistakes provided that regular quality control checks are conducted. These may be carried out in-house, provided that suitable equipment is available or submitted to a testing laboratory.

The use of Quality Control measures ensures that Quality Assurance is maintained. This gives confidence to customers that the goods supplied will be acceptable. Frequency of Quality Control checks is dependent upon the product(s) and situation; each circumstance is unique. It should be carried out at every manufacturing stage from the raw material through to the finished product. It is also a cost-effective implementation strategy because, when regular quality control checks are maintained, the likelihood of excessive faults is significantly reduced.

National and international test methods have been developed to ensure global consistency of test procedures. Product Specifications define the expected minimum performance levels to ensure that products are suitable for their intended purpose. The implementation of regular Quality Control procedures check that these specifications are achieved.

Quality Control
To operate an efficient, effective quality control system it is essential that regular equipment maintenance and calibration procedures are followed. It is also imperative that the correct standard materials and equipment are used as specified in the relevant test methods and specifications.

The use of regular quality control checks ensure that products consistently achieve the necessary standards required both internally and externally for customers. The benefits are numerous in terms of customer confidence, cost savings and production reliability.