Quality. Precision. Accuracy. Exactness. Perfection.
These are some terms that are used when talking about superior products. Quality is a key element. This is why Btec recognizes the importance of having our talented Quality Assurance team. Our team will make sure the products we manufacture are precise and meet every one of our customers’ needs and specifications.
“We (Quality Assurance) make sure that the shop makes a good product “– Director of Quality Systems & Methods.
Btec staffs around 100 employees, including machinists, engineers, programmers and the very important Quality Assurance team. More than 10% of Btec’s workforce works in Quality Assurance and Quality control, second to only the percentage of machinists on our shopfloor. We employ 3 full-time CMM (coordinate measuring machine) inspectors, dedicated to checking the parts Btec creates. Our glass room houses 3 CMM machines that have the ability for high-speed scanning and produces large amounts of data for the QA team to analyze. The CMM machine will laser measure every critical feature, tolerance, and surface recording the data for all of the angles, cuts, and specifications for assisting our CNC Team and providing a record to our customers. The added upgraded to PCDMIS 2017 software has given the Team an updated level of software capabilities keeping our qualifications on the front row of the manufacturing industry curve.
The Team has a wide depth of knowledge in analyzing metal manufactured items. Btec acquired both ISO9001 and AS9100 certifications thanks to the leadership of our QA team. AS9102 is another process that our team utilizes how to handle the method of documenting the process of making a part, from start to finish. Additionally, our QA Team utilizes PPAP, Production Part Approval Process, which is most common in automotive industry workflow. The PPAP represents common terminology and standard forms to document project statuses.
Documenting every step in our manufacturing and quality process is an integral part of procedures. QA measures the machined parts against our customer’s specifications and features and records the information to our quality systems. Our ERP system connects with our QA specific QCBD (Quality Collaboration by Design) to log all of the data our CMM machines receive while going over every millimeter of the item being tested. All quality documentations from certifications and customer specifications are electronically attached to the product throughout the process. Our ERP system provides us with all the tracking, traceability and documentation required from raw material receipt to finished product shipment. We are documenting workflow, timelines, and verification of testing simultaneously.
Even during the custom machining-process, our QA Team works with the machine operators, training and guiding our machinists to be quality focused. Some machining processes are created to spot inspect without having a CMM machine testing, but the operators test certain components for precision.
2,000+ company tools and gages are used, calibrated, or are worked on by our QA team members. If a tool is used in our shop then a member of the QA team is required to calibrate and check the tool for consistency across the board. We make sure there is consistency across the company when it comes to the tools we use, and measurements we take.
Our QM001 Quality Manual explains the ins and outs of our process, audits, and sign off procedures.