In the world of plastics manufacturing, technology keeps advancing, and with it, new opportunities for great design and energy-efficient plastics engineering. As in any industry, however, no amount of technological innovation is worthwhile without effective quality management to reduce defect rates.
That’s why Industrial Custom Products is proud to have maintained a single-digit defect rate for a recent valued customer: 7 PPM reject rate over 2.1 million parts shipped. Across die cutting, laminating, and thermoforming processes—and for an industry in which customers often look for <1,000 PPM or <300 PPM—ICP hit the single-digits while still maintaining on-time delivery. That’s the kind of award-winning performance we’re known for.
How do we do it?
- ISO 9001:2015 Certified – rest assured that we have the policies and procedures in place.
- Communication – both internally and with the customer. From when customers first contact ICP, ICP prioritizes close communication—listening to understand the project, adding input with our manufacturing expertise, keeping the lines open for questions and concerns. Internally, our company culture promotes communication and the awareness of business issues so that anyone can participate when it comes to quality management, processes, or other ideas.
- Catch errors at the source. Many of our parts move through many processes and people. Everyone at ICP is trained to stop and catch errors at their point in the manufacturing process.
- Develop standard work processes. It’s obvious, but standard work processes built on decades of experience drive our work every day. Standards are essential, but it’s also important to be open to new ideas, methods, and input from all members of the manufacturing teams.
Defect rates can be impacted by low-quality materials, faulty tech, or even user error, but ultimately, when a manufactured part doesn’t meet customer specifications, this can lead to unexpected failure. Poor quality management isn’t only a quick way to lose money; it can also be a major safety risk when the parts in question are being used in essential structures and tools.
Our operators are trained to catch errors early, remove opportunities for mistakes, and effectively communicate with clients and designers throughout. We understand that quality management is nuanced and flush with variables, and our team is expertly able to handle mistakes before they happen.
If you’re looking for plastics manufacturing that you can rely on for your specialized parts, Industrial Custom Products has what you need. Customers interested in plastic parts they can trust can call us at (612) 781-2255, or contact our engineers directly today.
