Our core customer base is automotive and our customers supply the US, German, Japanese, and Korean automotive OEM’s in the Southeast United States. Our plants are certified to the IATF 16949:2016 standard and we have a robust quality system that covers our quality procedures and processes, environmental procedures, quality and safety manuals, customer specific work instructions, process flowcharts, control plans, and FMEA’s.
We have a team of dedicated process engineers that works on the advanced planning of projects. They get involved at the time of quote and follow the project through APQP, PPAP, SOP, and Safe Launch stages.
Audits
We are routinely audited to the AIAG CQI-11 Special Process Assessment. The CQI-11 is an approach to quality management specific to coatings and builds upon the traditional quality assurance methods by emphasizing organization and systems. It focuses on process rather than the individual, recognizes both internal and external customers, and promotes the need for objective data to analyze and improve processes.
In addition to CQI audits, our German customers routinely audit us to the German quality management system standard VDA 6.4. This quality management system has all the requirements of ISO/TS with an additional four requirements that cover recognition of product risk, employee satisfaction, quotation structure, and quality history.
Our customers outside of the automotive industry also frequently audit our facilities. Some heavy truck and industrial equipment OEM’s that have audited RMF include Volvo Truck, Caterpillar, and John Deere.
Quality Department
Accelerated Corrosion Testing
During the APQP and PPAP stages and as required after production starts, we use accelerated corrosion testing to ensure that the quality of our coatings meets the customer’s requirements. We offer in-house cyclic and salt spray testing to a number of specifications. In addition to our corrosion chamber, we routinely use the excellent labs at our chemistry suppliers like PPG and Atotech as well as third party accredited labs for corrosion testing.
Current and Magnetic Induction Thickness Testing
Quality Technicians at each facility uses Eddy Deltascope FMP30 hand-held Gauges to perform non-destructive coating thickness measurements according to the magnetic induction and/or eddy current methods. This device is used for measuring different objects, from small objects such as screws, nuts, and bolts to much larger objects. Even rough surfaces can be measured precisely with this instrument.
Eddy Deltascope FMP30
Our Quality Department consists of (at a minimum):
- A quality technician at each facility.
- An x-ray fluorescent unit at each facility.
- A salt spray chamber.
- And numerous Eddy current and magnetic induction thickness checking devices at each facility.
Thickness certifications are sent automatically via email to customers.