Quality assurance is built into everything we do at Able Electropolishing, from the technical guidelines to standard operating procedures to the video training materials provided throughout our state-of-the-art facility. Our processes are built around a commitment to the highest level of quality and customer satisfaction. Our Quality Goal is to meet each customer's specific requirements 100% of the time.
Able customizes the process for each part undergoing electropolishing and carefully monitors the process from start to finish.
Quality inspectors perform pre-, post- and in-process inspection of parts and processes throughout electropolishing, including visual inspection, dimensional measurements and detailed verification and documentation. Production and quality personnel perform in-process inspection during electropolishing.
Able Electropolishing’s process control procedures ensure the safety and success of critical metal parts across industries by ensuring precise and consistent results. Here are 6 key steps in the quality control process.
Upon arrival, parts are carefully inspected for defects such as scratches, nicks, and more before undergoing a rigorous pre-cleaning process. Able incoming inspection procedures require each order to be entered, printed and routed to an incoming inspector to determine:
Grease, oil, insulators, and other contaminants can compromise the electropolishing process. After inspection, our team identifies a custom pre-cleaning process to remove any surface impurities from the metal part. Pre-clean operations typically consist of one or more of the following operations, with specific instructions documented in the corresponding engineering card:
To ensure the quality of each part, Able can perform a variety of tests including:
Post-cleaning is also customized for each metal part, which will undergo a variety of rinsing and post-cleaning to avoid surface staining. This process can include a spray rinse, cold water rinse, nitric acid rinse, hot water rinse, dry oven, or centrifugal.
After all steps are complete, metal parts undergo a final inspection for visual and dimensional requirements before packaging and shipment, including a review of records of all preceding inspections and tests. The inspection is performed by Able’s Quality Control Department, which is also responsible for the release of product for packaging and shipping.
All shipments are reviewed for conformance to criteria that includes:
Able meets a wide variety of industry standards for quality control in electropolishing and passivation, including:
If you’re manufacturing parts with 440C stainless steel and relying on passivation to get the finish you need, you may be overlooking an opportunity to dramatically improve the corrosion resistance of your parts.
While electropolishing is best known for the results it achieves as the last step in the process for finishing critical metal parts, it can also be an interim step for improving the results of parts that will undergo plating.
The biocompatibility of medical devices, implants and instruments to ensure that every part that comes into contact with the human body poses no risk of irritation or harm is a fundamental requirement for medical manufacturers.
For every successful project at Able Electropolishing, there is a meticulous, high-quality process at work behind the scenes. Our clients rely on us for precise and consistent results, customized to the demanding needs of industries like medical device manufacturing, food and beverage production – and industries like yours.
