When introducing new product and/or new projects Alloy Metal Products can offer a structured Advanced Product Quality Planning Process (APQP).
APQP is a structured process that includes critical tasks from concept approval through production. The focus is on creating a product quality plan that meet customer, statutory, regulatory and governmental requirements.
The process is based on the following steps:
1. Product Planning and Quality Program Definition
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Review of all applicable requirements
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Development of the Quality Program
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Establishing product and process effectiveness goals
2. Product Design and Development
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Design for manufacturability (DFM)
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Defined material specifications and equipment requirements
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Completed design failure mode and effect analysis to assess failure probabilities
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Established control plans for product prototype creation
3. Process Design and Development
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Create a process flow diagram
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Review, analyze, mintage and communicate all applicable risks using process failure mode and effect analysis tools
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Establish operational process quality specifications
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Document product preservation, storage, first in first out (FIFO) and packaging requirements
4. Validation of Product and Process
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Confirm capability and reliability of the manufacturing process and product quality acceptance criteria.
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Perform production trial runs
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Verify product performance including product effectiveness and efficiency
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Communicate recommended adjustments with the customer before moving to the product launch
5 Production Launch, Assessment, and Improvement
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Monitor and improve (as applicable) manufacturing process variations
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Improve throughput, product effectiveness and delivery
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Improve customer satisfaction
The QMS includes the following core tools:
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Real time SPC, with customer access
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Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
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Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
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Measurement System Analysis (MSA)
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Real time Statistical Process Control (SPC)
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Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)
As well as Lean Manufacturing Tools such as:
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5S/6S
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Just-In Time (JIT)
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Kaizen (continual improvement)
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Kanban (pull system)
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KPIs (key performance indicators)
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Poka-Yoke (error proofing)
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Root Cause Investigation (5 Why, 8D)
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Visual Factory
