Things have been rough in the fabrication industry for the past 18-24 months. As supply chain issues increase, there is a huge temptation to cut corners to keep the shop busy and maintain income. For example, we recently bid on a project for a potential...
A Quick Recap In order to achieve certification, an accredited auditing organization (in our case, Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc.) must verify that all of the ISO requirements are being met. The audit checklist consists of seven main categories that are measured to evaluate an organization: 1) Context...
People who aren’t familiar with a modern machine shop may be under the impression that committing to employment in fabrication may doom them to being stuck doing the same job at the same spot in the plant for the rest of their working life. They...
As regular readers know, along with safety and on-time delivery, nothing is more important to us here at Laser Precision than quality. In a previous blog, “Mastering the Science of Quality,” we defined it as: “Meeting any and all customer expectations and requirements.” (ISO defines...
We are registered as an ISO 9001:2015 company. This is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system. We only use vendors who have the same level of certification. This gives our customers the security that every process in the fabrication of...
Anyone who enjoys working with their hands has been tempted to run into the nearest store and grab a bargain-priced tool just to finish a job. Hours later, with scrapped knuckles and raising blood pressure due to that low-cost specimen being broken in pieces, the...
There has been a lot of discussion about Industry 4.0 and how it will affect the future. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what is practical application and what is speculation. Here at Laser Precision, we already employ state-of-the-art technology in our operations. In this post,...
In a previous article, we discussed 5S Methodology and how Laser Precision has formalized our continuous improvement program. Many organizations think in terms of a 6S agenda, with the final element being Safety. We decided to separate our safety program so that risk issues have management’s full...
At Laser Precision, continuous improvement has always been a way of life. Sometimes it occurs organically. Other times we take a more scientific approach, such as when we make a decision to purchase new equipment (See Capital Expenditures Add Value).Another tactic is to research what has...
In a recent article, we outlined the steps required to establish a long-lasting supply partnership between a customer and a potential modern fabrication supplier. Once the bridge has been built and the first order has moved across successfully, how do you know when it is...