Inspection and Core Quality Tools

Boyd’s in-house testing programs vary by project, technology, manufacturing location, and customer need, but can be custom designed to your specifications, and may include environmental, aging, and life-cycle tests.

To support the dynamic needs of our customers, Boyd adheres to stringent program management and quality principles to ensure that products meet required specifications. Our robust quality services and core tools help to reduce scrap rates and cost by continuously improving our manufacturing processes.

Boyd performs First Article Inspection (FAI) reporting for every new or revised part and assembly, big or small. As a detailed design verification process, it validates our ability to manufacture products in accordance with customer specifications, resulting in reduced manufacturing delays and defects.

Boyd automates complex First Article Inspection processes. Equipped with optical character recognition to digitally measure and document data, this advanced software is less prone to human errors and ensures that your product reaches the market faster. With access to Net-Inspect, the online global supplier portal, we can also create AS9102 FAI reports that specifically meet the needs of the aerospace industry.

To determine optimal material formulations or process variables that maximize performance, Boyd conducts design of experiment (DOE) studies to evaluate the influence of individual input parameters on the final product. Depending on the complexity of the design, we perform multi-factor DOE analysis to examine the interaction between different variables in our processes and formulations to select operations parameters that optimize results.

The quality core tools, developed by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), are the very foundation of a sound quality management system. Boyd has adopted these tools to effectively manufacture plastic parts that meet the most demanding customer needs:

Advanced Product Quality Planning - As a roadmap to effective project management, Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) allows Boyd to translate our customer needs into defined goals, specifications, and time-based milestones. From quotation to the final shipment of parts, this structured tool identifies every step in the design and production planning process to deliver high-quality products to our customers in a timely manner.

Production Part Approval Process - Plugged into customer requirements, Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) outlines the entire production process flowchart including material sourcing, resource allocation, and logistics. Significantly overlapping with first article inspection, it equips our engineers with a control plan to meet the deliverables mapped out in the APQP.

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis – The Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) tool empowers our quality experts to identify potential gaps in the manufacturing system and establish appropriate control processes to address them. By investigating risks at a micro level, this tool prompts us to preemptively eliminate production bottlenecks and ensure seamless manufacturing.

Statistical Process Control - Statistical Process Control (SPC) uses statistical data to verify that input parameters are within agreed upon tolerances and to flag an out-of-control situation in the qualification process. It is fundamental to understanding our machine and process capabilities and identifying unwanted discrepancies, ultimately resulting in reduced scrap, rework costs, and rejects.

Capability Study - Our process capability and stability studies enable our engineers to verify that the production process is consistent, repeatable, and capable of meeting customer specifications.

Measurement System Analysis - Measurement System Analysis (MSA) uses gauge repeatability and reproducibility mathematical processes to measure the inherent variation of a measurement system, analyze the root cause of variations, and ensure that process variations are within the required tolerance limits. It verifies that measurement equipment is calibrated, qualified and that the system is robust enough to accommodate human and part variation.

Our quality core tools drive Boyd’s in-process statistical analysis to identify and address unacceptable variations and deviations in the production environment. Various statistical tools including capability indices, variable and attribute control charts, and predictive modeling, provide reliable data to our process engineers to monitor developments in production and proactively take corrective measures as necessary.