Altegra Super-Sizes Quality for Miniature- Parts Manufacturer
Altegra SPC-PlantNet
by Frank Holland
While many people were using
their garage to store cars in 1946, Ernest Iseli was using
his for something far smaller. Riding the post-World War
II manufacturing boom, Iseli began developing precision-machined
miniature components in his garage about 90 miles north
of New York. Soon the garage was no longer big enough even
for miniature components; over the course of 57 years, the
facility grew to 90,000 ft2 and 70 employees, becoming a
leading manufacturer of precision-machined miniature components
and part of the Danaher Corp.
But with success come expectations, and Iseli’s
customers demanded the same quality products even as processes
and operations grew more extensive. True to the underpinning
ethic at Iseli, the company moved not only to meet customer
quality expectations but also to exceed them. For this,
Iseli Co. turned to Altegra statistical process control
software.
In 1999, Iseli decided to install a new SPC system as
an opening salvo against product defects and rework. Although
Iseli had been running a computerized SPC system for several
years, company managers thought they could do better. With
the ominous threat of Y2K creeping closer, the company faced
a mandatory system upgrade--an ideal opportunity to select
an optimum product for immediate implementation. After reviewing
several offerings, Iseli decided on Altegra SPC software.
Unlike many companies in which production problems mandate
process change, the main impetus for utilizing SPC at Iseli
was customer service. “Our customers know about our
quality and trust us to deliver in-spec products,”
says Mark Valentine, Iseli’s quality manager. “That’s
why they do business with us. Having an SPC system in place
is both the proof of our quality and the safety net if problems
were to occur.” Valentine extols the virtues of SPC
systems that eliminate the “leap of faith” customers
take without a real-time system in place to monitor quality
during production. “It’s about ensuring peace
of mind for our customers,” he adds.
Altegra offers several SPC and quality assurance solutions,
including a version for the electronic assembly industry
and gage calibration packages. Iseli utilizes the machine
shop configuration of the SPC system. In addition to control
charts, quality reports and computations of various quality
measures, the machine shop version includes a tool-life
management module and a procedure for checking spindle-to-spindle
variation. Behind the user interface, the software utilizes
sophisticated chart analysis logic to automatically evaluate
control charts after each sample. The system can automatically
set up control limits, provide preventive stop/go instructions
to operators, adjust inspection schedules or send notifications
to supervisors when an important event takes place.
Iseli’s implementation of Altegra SPC software has
been smooth and effective. “Jobs in which SPC is needed
are entered into the SPC software,” says Domenic Christoper,
Iseli’s quality control supervisor. “I then
enter the part number, job number and the list of features
to be controlled. We also stamp ‘SPC’ on blueprints
showing features that need SPC.” From this point,
the Altegra software follows the job throughout every process,
allowing floor operators to enter readings or view data.
“When I have to review SPC data, or if a customer
has a question, I only need to look up the job on the computer
in my office,” Christopher continues. “If we
need to send a quality report with a shipment, it just takes
a few mouse clicks.”
The Iseli staff is pleased with the results of its Altegra
implementation. “Installation and startup were simple,”
explains Valentine. “The software didn’t have
demanding hardware requirements and it ran on PCs we already
had. Altegra installed the software and did training on-site.”
Because Altegra’s SPC applications are largely automated,
operators don’t need to be trained in statistics to
do SPC--another aspect that has the Iseli quality control
department smiling. After more than three years of using
the software, the votes are in: “SPC has been a nonissue
since we installed Altegra’s software,” says
Joe Cullen, Iseli’s general manager. “I simply
don’t have to worry about this area of the business.
I can focus on other aspects.” Even for a company
that produces miniature components, peace of mind is no
small feat.
Altegra SPC-PlantNet
- Designed especially for machine shops
- Standard/enhanced SPC and electronic data collection
- Control charts are interpreted by software
- Modules tailored to different job functions
www.altegra.com
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