From order processing to final shipment Quality is the most important thing to us at M.A.R.’s. We employ several different strategies to ensure your parts are produced to the specifications required. Starting with Order processing, Each new order is reviewed and double-checked by two different individuals to ensure that we have a complete understanding of the requirements of the order (specifications of the parts in question, the outside service requirements, material requirements, certification requirements, and any other requirement needed by the customer). From there, while the material is being ordered/waiting for delivery, the parts in question are reviewed and tooling is gathered to make sure that all the tools needed to produce the part/parts is present before the part is set up on the machine(In circumstances where time is of the issue, we may start a set-up while waiting for material and tooling to arrive). Once the set-up has been completed, the machinist who set up the machine runs 5,6, or 8 pieces off of the machine consecutively(quantity depends on the type of machine) and does a full inspection, writing in a report the measurements that are getting from said part. This internal first article report is submitted along with the part and measuring equipment that will be used at the machine to measure the part(s), to our inspection department. In the inspection department an inspector performs there own full inspection of 5,6,or 8 pieces and verifies that the parts are to print, as well as verifying that the instruments being used to measure the parts are calibrated. After the internal first article has been completed and both measurements and calibration have been verified, the parts are approved to start production(This process is repeated on very operation/set-up needed to complete the part(s)). While in production, we use what we call the three stage approach in order to ensure that the parts being produced remain in tolerance throughout the entire run.
In this approach, the machine operator keeps the parts in three separate group(Just off the machine, waiting dimensional verification, and approved parts) and move the parts from one group to the next as they move through the stages. Starting with the “Just off the machine” group, these are the parts that have been produced by the machine while the operator was performing other tasks(measuring parts, etc…) and will be located in the bed of the machine or part cached(depending on machine). From here the machine operator removes the parts from the bed of the machine or part catcher and separates the parts in batched of ≈ 5pcs-25pcs(depending on speed of production and criticality of dimensions), these are the parts in the “waiting dimensional verification” group. The operator then inspects the part in the “waiting dimensional verification” batch that was last off of the machine to ensure that all dimensions are in tolerance. If the dimensions on this part are all in tolerance than all of that parts that are in that batch are moved to the “approved parts” group(this process is used as a general procedure for all machining processes, we are very willing and able to adjust this process as needed to accommodate closer inspection).
On top of this, we have inspectors “walk the line” a minimum of twice a day, in which they inspect each machine that is running to ensure that the parts are in tolerance and that the operators are inspecting the parts in process correctly.