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:
Across industries, electropolishing is the go-to metal finishing method for parts with no room for error. From aerospace to medical manufacturing, engineers rely on electropolishing to eliminate surface defects and create a hygienic, passive and ultra-smooth finish with improved fit, function and durability.