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The advantages of our quality management system

Meldon is an IATF 16949 certified company. This means that we follow a very strict set of requirements for new product introduction (NPI) and mass production processes. One of these requirements involves operating according to a very effective quality management system. The IATF 16949 quality management system focuses on prevention, which translates into fewer product defects, process failures and production errors.

At Meldon, we experience the benefits of this highly effective management system on a daily basis. But what are the benefits for you, our valued customer?

Three major advantages can be detected:

1. High quality standards that meet your needs and expectations
2. Increased efficiency
3. Cost savings

Below, we further elaborate on these benefits.

1. High quality standards

By working with a manufacturer with the IATF certification, you are assured of outstanding quality. One of the biggest advantages is that we, as an IATF certified supplier, are required to make a long-term commitment to maintaining the certification. The annual follow-up audit and re-certification that occurs every three years reflect our dedication to maintaining our high-quality standards.

We aim to continuously optimize our products and processes and implement the latest technologies into our workflow. This ensures that you can rely on world-class solutions and reliable connections. Now and in the years to come. As a result, this saves you a lot of time trying to find the right partner for future projects.

2. Increased efficiency

The quality management system requires us to review process flow and interactions. As a result, we have developed a keen eye for identifying opportunities for improving our efficiency. So, beyond the outstanding product quality and processes, as a customer, you benefit from this.

Basing decisions on factual data allows us to place resources in areas that give maximum improvement in efficiency. This helps optimize lead time and output for our customers.

3. Cost savings

Our ability to provide qualified products leads to an excellent relationship with our customers. For them, this results in lower supplier management costs. Manufacturing according to the IATF standards can also drive cost savings. For example in waste reduction, which can help to provide highly efficient and cost-effective solutions. In doing so, we also support the common goal of environmental friendliness and sustainability.

High quality standards are vital to us

At Meldon, we always strive to improve our products, production processess and customer satisfaction. By designing and manufacturing according to our IATF certification and by adhering to the APQP principles we hope to deliver the highest possible quality each and every day.

Why does Meldon use APQP?

Advanced product quality planning (APQP) is a method to document how a suitable part is produced with a reliable and repeatable process through an understanding of requirements and a thorough risk assessment. This method is meant to cover all (automotive) OEM requirements for planning activities into one process. Meldon develops products according to the principles of APQP to ensure the quality of the new products and to drive continual improvement.

The origins of APQP

During the late 1980s, APQP was developed in the automotive industry. Major players in that industry started using this method. Since then, APQP has gained momentum and the interest of manufacturers in many industries. Nowadays, it is relevant to the successful planning, production, and release of just about any product.

The purpose of APQP

APQP benefits the OEM (customer) and supply chain (contractor) by having a structured agreement and method for product definitions and requirements. It provides a platform to have efficient and effective decisions and communication. This avoids any interpretation and confusion that may delay production, create a sub-standard part, and/or increase costs.

The purpose of APQP is to get a clear understanding of customer wants, needs, and expectations regarding the product, and to develop necessary plans to ensure customer product expectations are met in every way. So, listening to the customer’s needs is what APQP is all about.

The benefits of APQP

APQP supports the never-ending pursuit of continual improvement. The first three sections of APQP focus on planning and prevention, and make up 80% of the APQP process. The fourth and fifth sections support the remaining 20% of APQP, and focus on validation and evidence. The fifth section specifically allows an organization to communicate its findings and provide feedback to further develop the standard and processes. APQP offers many benefits:

• APQP is more than setting quality management standards. It involves defined, pre-established steps addressing quality and design & process issues, helping save the company’s time and resources. It also aims to enhance communication between customers and suppliers for the ultimate satisfaction of the customer by the end product.
• Strategic Planning with APQP, detecting and solving problems at an early stage helps to avoid back-and-forth issues. This leads to faster product development and delivery and the minimization of costs.
• APQP ensures that problems are detected and resolved earlier and quickly, ensuring it addresses them before becoming irreversible and unmanageable.
• APQP focuses on mitigating risks early enough to avoid failure. During the product development process, the team working on the product takes action on the risk before it goes to the testing phase, which could make it costlier. This also prevents any product failure or issue from reaching the customer resulting in poor customer satisfaction and feedback.
• APQP goes beyond product development or modification, ensuring the change/risk is managed accordingly. This prevents any problems which could be created by the change taking place.
• Finally, APQP is a process of continuous improvement that doesn’t end once the company begins to produce and distribute a product. Feedback is received, and corrective action is taken.

Great methodology for improving design and development processes

Besides the requirements of IATF 16949, all these benefits make APQP appealing to organizations that are not part of the automotive industry, but do want to improve their design and development process.

PVC is one of the most widely used plastics in industrial sectors. This is not so surprising, because products are made from PVC for the construction world, the transport sector, the medical sector and in food packaging. Twenty per cent of all plastics produced are PVC. PVC was first used commercially used in 1933.

How PVC is made

The two main raw materials for PVC are oil and salt. Chlorine is released during the electrolysis of salt water. When chlorine comes into contact with ethylene derived from oil, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is formed. A customer-specific recipe is created by combining the molecules of VCM and adding the right substances.

Additives
Additives have a positive influence on the properties of a product. The most common properties in industries where PVC is used are: Heat resistance, impact resistance and hardness.

• Heat resistance:
  Heat stabilizers counteract degradation of PVC, which is caused by heating or UV radiation. Degradation can occur during processing but also as a result of long-term use.
• Impact resistance:
  Lubricants reduce friction when working with PVC. External lubricants reduce the friction between PVC and machines. Internal lubricants reduce the friction between PVC granules.
• Hardness:
  Plasticisers are used for soft PVC, for flooring and medical applications. There are more than three hundred different plasticisers, of which about fifty to one hundred are suitable for commercial use. Hard PVC logically does not need plasticisers and lends itself well to construction, for example, window frames. The most commonly used plasticisers are pthalates, which can be divided into two different groups, each of which has its own properties.

Versatile and widely applicable
The possibility of adding the above-mentioned substances makes PVC a versatile and widely applicable product. PVC is popular in the construction world and with good reason: The material has good impact resistance and resistance to weathering. PVC also has good electrical insulating properties, which makes it ideal for cable applications.

More advantages of using PVC:

• Easy to process
• Durable
• Strong and light
• Completely recyclable
• It can easily be used in other applications
• Usses less energy in production than any other plastic

Meldon uses PVC in the production of: 

• Seals for cases and refrigerators
• Strings and carriers for conveyor belts
• Cover strips for the construction industry
• Slats for swimming pool covers
• Binding tubes for horticulture
• Transportation rail for Pouch packaging

100+ recipes

At Meldon we have our own raw material preparation unit with a PVC compounding and granulation installation. This allows PVC to be modified to any desired property. In total Meldon has more than 100 different recipes. Would you like to talk to one of the Meldon experts about your current or future production process? We would love to hear from you. Please contact us at https://meldonextrusions.com/en/contact