Apple Rubber successfully reaffirmed its compliance with ISO 9001:2008 / AS 9100C following a site audit of our facilities by Underwriter’s Laboratories Inc.’s UL DQS assessment and certification division from Jan. 21 through Jan. 23.
The goal of the UL DQS audit was to ensure that Apple Rubber was in compliance with these standards and to improve existing processes and quality management system procedures.
Highlights of the auditors’ report included:
- Recognition that our Enterprise Road facility is “very well-organized,” and that the WMS (IQMS) warehouse management system had been fully implemented on-site.
- Praise that Apple Rubber was effectively using ERP (IQMS) program for quality, maintenance, and manufacturing, among other areas.
- The chain of authority in our facilities was clearly defined by our Decision Making Latitude Matrix.
- Our employees are “well-experienced and knowledgeable of their processes; (and) very forthcoming in interview responses and willing to share information.”
“It’s all about continuous improvement,” said Glenn Orgek, director of quality at Apple Rubber. “That’s the key that the auditors are looking for. They’re saying is that our quality system continues to mature, and each time that they’ve visited our facilities, our improvement has gotten better and our compliance has been stronger and stronger.”
The ISO 9000 is “a series of standards, developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization that define, establish, and maintain an effective quality assurance system for manufacturing and service industries.”
ISO.org notes that ISO 9001:2008 “specifies requirements for a quality management system where an organization:
- needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements
- aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement of the system and the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.”
Additionally, AS 9100C “standardizes quality management system requirements for the aerospace industry for all levels of the supply chain in the interest of improving of quality and safety and decreasing costs.”
Adherence to the ISO 9001:2008 / AS 9100C strengthen Apple Rubber’s ability to compete nationally and internationally as a manufacturer of rubber O-rings and custom seals.
“We have a very robust system in place,” Orgek said. “We’re keeping up to the standards.”