A quality control department is found in most manufacturing facilities. This department may be charged with the duties of quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) compliance. This compliance may be at the direction of company policy and state and federal regulatory compliance initiatives. Quality control is the bedrock upon which manufactured goods are judged by consumers. The ripple effect of quality control is deeply embedded in business and brand name reputation.
Manufacturing Quality Control Strategy
In order for quality control to be precisely and accurately applied by members of the quality control team, a strategy is necessary. The specifics of quality control strategies depend on the types of manufactured products. For example, a manufacturer of chemical resins used in plastic products may strategize their quality control based upon the functionality and components of the resins. In this example, chemists are usually a necessary part of the quality control team that will develop strategies. In food manufacturing, quality control strategies may require assistance from chemists, chemical engineers and packaging engineers with advanced skills in determining proper preparation temperatures and quality of food grade packaging. In most instances, a regulatory expert is part of the development of quality control strategies. This insures product excellence according to compliance regulations.
Manufacturing Quality Control Process
The processes used in manufacturing are a contributing factor in the successful development of quality control strategy. A full determination of the efficiency of manufacturing equipment and daily processing techniques impact the status of quality control. In the implementation stages of quality control strategy, it’s possible to detect flaws in processing that contradict the quality control strategies set forth. These strategies help detect processing, throughput and final wrap problems in manufacturing phases.
Important Features of Manufacturing Quality Control Strategy
There are several important features that are contained in most quality control strategies:
- Quality of raw materials used in manufacturing
- Adherence to processing guidelines
- Overall end product quality
- Manufacturing equipment and packaging quality and efficiency
- Production operation timeliness and efficiency
When new products are manufactured, it takes research and development to reach production stage. Quality control strategies influence research and development as well as production of manufactured products. This makes quality control a singularly internal affair to meet specific manufacturing goals and guidelines. Further production of manufactured products may be halted if strategies are omitted.