Gen. Manufacturing

Quality Assurance

In the General Manufacturing Industry

This industry covers a wide range of products, including consumer goods, industrial equipment, and materials. Quality control is critical in this industry, and manufacturers must adhere to strict standards to ensure their products meet quality, safety, performance, and reliability requirements.

With advances in technology, automation, and robotics are becoming increasingly important in the manufacturing industry, helping to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance product quality.

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Type of measurements / Quality control techniques used in this industry

Dimensional Measurement

The physical dimensions of entire items, parts, and even sections such as corners or holes all need to be confirmed throughout the production process. This can be done in many ways depending on what is required for the workpiece. Location, accuracy, material, quantity, etc., all affect what the ideal measuring device is for each measurement determined by production engineers. This results in a wide range of devices used in all factories; handheld devices, CMMs, VMMs, optical measuring devices, the possibilities are endless.

Hardness Testing

In general manufacturing methods, regardless of the industry, there is usually some form of hardness testing in the facilities quality control processes. There are several methods of hardness testing, including Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers, and Micro-Vickers among others. These tests involve applying a specific load to the surface of the material and measuring the resulting indentation. The test force divided by indentation surface, or in case of the Rockwell test method, the indentation depth, can then be used to determine the material's hardness, which can be compared to industry standards or customer requirements. To test this there are several types and methods that are better suited for certain scenarios, with factors such as size, material, location, etc., all which help determine if you need a handheld, manual, or automatic tester.

Surface Roughness Measurement

This technique is used to measure the quality of a surface finish, which can impact the functionality and appearance of the product. When products are cast, milled, ground, or printed, each has a specific surface roughness profile that needs to fit specifications just as any other requirement set out by the manufacturer. This goes for all forms of production methods and industries be it a piece of pasta or a smart phone screen.

Statistical Process Control

Statistical Process Control (SPC) Software involves using statistical methods to monitor and control a manufacturing process to ensure that it is producing products within the desired specifications. This software such as MeasurLink gathers data from many different measurement devices throughout a factory which then compiles it to create accurate reports in real-time, giving an overview of your quality control methods.

Optical Inspection

There is more to quality control than just dimensional metrology solutions. Another key example of a form of testing that products need to go through in the manufacturing process is optical inspection. For many years before, this was done by eye with the help of a magnifying glass or some form of microscope, however, there are many other methods today. By utilizing a robot, with optical systems such as the TAGLENS, the perfect harmony of hardware and software can be achieved. The flexibility of an extended depth of field paired with a collaborative robot and artificial intelligence, production fabs can teach the system exactly what to look for in product quality and inspect them as they go down the production line.

Types of Manufacturing Processes

Cast Molding

This process involves shaping a material, typically plastic or metal, by heating it until it melts and then using the force of gravity to fit it into a mold cavity. Once the material cools and hardens, the mold is opened, and the finished part is removed.

Injection Molding

This process involves melting plastic or aluminum and using high pressure to inject the molten material into a mold cavity to take its shape. The mold is then cooled to solidify the molding material, and the finished part is ejected from the mold.

Milling

This process is often used to produce parts with complex shapes and features, such as gears, engine components, and machine parts. In milling, a cutting tool moves along multiple axes while rotating at great speed to create the desired shape.

Turning

This process involves rotating a workpiece on a spindle while a cutting tool is traversed along the surface of the workpiece to remove material and create the desired shape or size. Turning is commonly used to produce cylindrical components such as shafts, bolts, and nuts.

Grinding

This process is used in the general manufacturing industry for finishing, sharpening, and smoothing metal parts and other materials. It is often used in conjunction with other machining processes such as milling and turning to achieve a precise shape, size, and surface finish.

3D Printing

Also known as additive manufacturing, this is a relatively new manufacturing process in which a digital model is created using computer-aided design (CAD) software and then printed layer by layer using materials such as plastics, metals, and ceramics.

EDM

EDM stands for “Electrical Discharge Machining”, which is a manufacturing process used for shaping and cutting hard materials such as metals, ceramics, and composites. Highly precise, this method is commonly used in tool and die making, mold making, aerospace, and automotive industries for manufacturing complex shapes or components.

PCB Manufacturing

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are used extensively in the general manufacturing industry for a wide range of electronic devices. The manufacturing process of PCBs involves a series of steps including design, layout, etching, drilling, and plating, all to create the circuit boards that are used in many electronic devices.

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