Combatting the Hidden Costs of Non-Conformance in Quality Assurance Though Portable Hardness Testing

Article Highlights

• Non-conformance costs can significantly impact a company's finances and reputation, especially in high-stakes industries like automotive manufacturing.
• Conventional quality assurance methods are typically based on sampling.
• Traditional sampling methods are burden with risk of undetected defect and human error.
• Equotip 550, which is easy to automate, makes the process 18x faster than humans and 100% free from errors conducted by the operators, providing the ultimate solution to quality assurance within the automotive sector.

Introduction

In today's competitive market, ensuring the quality and reliability of products is not just a requirement; it's a necessity. Companies across various industries face significant non-conformance costs when they fail to meet quality standards. These costs, which include defect detection, warranty repairs, transportation, and more, can escalate quickly, especially in high-stakes industries like automotive manufacturing. The integration of automation and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) hardness testing plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges, offering a pathway to more reliable and efficient quality assurance processes.

Understanding non-conformance costs

Non-conformance costs arise when a product fails to meet the specified quality standards. These costs can be substantial, encompassing everything from the detection and analysis of defects to repairs and replacements. For example, in the automotive industry, a single defective component can lead to extensive costs due to warranty claims, mechanical work, and potential recalls. The ripple effect can be devastating, affecting not only the company’s finances but also its reputation.

Challenges of traditional quality assurance methods

Traditional methods of quality assurance, such as sampling and batch testing, often rely on static assumptions and can be prone to human error. These methods, including randomized sampling and single/double sampling plans, do not guarantee 100% detection of defects, leaving room for non-compliance and subsequent costs.

To illustrate the impact, consider a defective engine component in an automobile. This single flaw can trigger a series of costly events:

• Detection and Analysis: Identifying the defect and analyzing its cause, often requiring specialized equipment and expert personnel.
• Repair and Replacement: Costs associated with replacing the defective part, including the disassembly and reassembly of related components.
• Warranty and Recall: Managing warranty claims and potential recalls, including communication, logistics, and customer service expenses.

Traditional quality assurance methods

To mitigate these costs, companies traditionally employ various quality assurance techniques, each with its own strengths and limitations:

In summary, various quality assurance methods are applied across the entire globe, but they never guarantee.

The ultimate solution: 100% automated quality testing with Equotip 550.

In response to these challenges, automated 100% quality testing offers a comprehensive solution. This approach involves inspecting every single product, eliminating the risk of defects reaching the customer. The benefits include:

Complete Defect Detection: Ensuring every unit meets quality standards, preventing defective products from reaching the market. This level of inspection is crucial in industries where even a single defective part can lead to significant safety and financial consequences.

Cost Reduction: By addressing issues before products leave the production line, companies can minimize both internal and external failure costs. This proactive approach reduces expenses associated with rework, scrap, warranty claims, and potential recalls.

Enhanced Compliance and Reliability: Automated systems are designed to meet stringent industry standards, bolstering customer trust through consistent quality assurance. This is particularly important in sectors such as automotive and aerospace, where compliance with international standards is mandatory.

Advantages of Equotip

The Equotip 550 is a leading solution in automated non-destructive testing (NDT), offering several distinct advantages:

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT): The Equotip 550 provides precise hardness measurements without damaging the tested components, making it ideal for continuous production environments where maintaining the integrity of each piece is crucial.

Real-Time Data Monitoring: The system includes advanced data monitoring capabilities, allowing for real-time analysis and immediate response to any detected anomalies. This ensures that all products consistently meet the desired specifications.

Minimized User Impact: The automation of the Equotip 550 reduces the variability associated with human factors, such as measurement inconsistencies and operator error. This leads to more reliable and repeatable results, ensuring high-quality outputs across all inspected units.

Fully Automatable: The Equotip 550 can be seamlessly integrated into automated production lines, enabling continuous, 24/7 operation. This integration not only increases efficiency but also ensures that the testing process does not interrupt the production flow.

Implementation example

Below is one of the numerous examples of the Equotip 550's successful implementation in the automotive sector by KMS Automation. This deployment showcases the system's ability to provide full-scale, automated quality assurance, ensuring that all products meet stringent industry standards while significantly reducing the risk of non-conformance costs.

24/7 Operation: The system operates continuously, with minimal downtime, ensuring around-the-clock quality assurance measuring approximately 2 parts per minute it conducts almost 90'000 measurement points per month! Assuming a human operator who requires approx. 5 minutes to measure one part and manage the documentation, the automated solution is 18 times faster.

High Throughput: Capable of conducting measurements on two parts per minute, resulting in over 90,000 measurements per month. Accredited Compliance: verification using accredited test blocks ensures full compliance with DIN EN ISO 16859 standards.

Customizable Monitoring: The system supports full customization, including monitoring the usable surface of the test block, ensuring ongoing accuracy and reliability. These features highlight the Equotip 550's exceptional performance in demanding production environments, making it an indispensable tool for companies looking to enhance their quality assurance processes.

These features highlight the Equotip 550's exceptional performance in demanding production environments, making it an indispensable tool for companies looking to enhance their quality assurance processes.

References:

Portable Hardness Testing. Theory practice, Applications, guidelines. Burnat, D., Raj, L., Frank, S., Ott, T. Schwerzenbach, Screening Eagle Technologies AG, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/what-most-effective-sampling-techniques-gmp-vojyf https://qualityinspection.org/sampling-plans-china/