The Company complies with all legislation relevant
to the electronics and specialist ink industries, to the Health and Safety at
Work Act 1974 and to the COSHH Regulations and its assessment procedures. It
is the Company's belief that, in operating this Quality Management System, it
will meet the requirements of its customers and industry and ensure that all
of its products have been manufactured to a consistent specification. The Company
recognises the need of the market for quality and fitness for purpose of the
products supplied to it and is registered to ISO 9001/2000. A further demonstration
of the Companies commitment to ensuring customer product quality is seen in
our conformance to the ISO 16949 standard for the automotive industry.
This Quality System, which is subject to regular review, assures customers that
all products have been manufactured under the control of this System to a consistent
specification.
Company Profile
GWENT ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LIMITED (The Company)
was founded in 1988 to provide sophisticated, cost effective electronic materials
for structural, functional or decorative applications.
The Company is proud of its record of designing, manufacturing, supplying and
using high quality, specialist inks, and ink materials, for the electronics
and other industries to agreed delivery schedules. Its Customers range from
Small Businesses to Large PLC's.
In support of its status in this chosen field, the Managing Director, a qualified
chemist has many years of relevant industrial experience. He is a member of
the Institute of Ceramics, The American Ceramic Society and the Institute of
Materials. The Technical Director and the General Manager are both chemists
with many years of experience in all aspects of the industry. The Company is
a member of the International Microelectronics and Packaging Society. The Company
has a wealth of technical expertise and experience and operates professionally
to recognised codes of practice.
The company's research and development achievements include 7 SMART Awards 5Link
Awards and 4European Awards from UK and E.U. funded research and development
projects. Research at Universities and the subsequent publication of many scientific
papers ha been wholly supported by the company.
An essential requirement of the continuing maintenance and development of the
company's quality objectives is the installation of a quality system registered
to ISO 9001/2000 and ISO 16949.
Quality Policy
Product Quality is an essential element in the Company's approach
both to its production methods and to the market place. It has already established
a reputation for its quality of product and speed of service, and it is continually
seeking additional ways by which it can improve both its products and services.
It is the Company's express intention to do all that is reasonably practical
and necessary to ensure that the concept of Quality Assurance is vigorously
promoted, enacted and pursued in the design, manufacture and sale of all of
its products.
Recognising the need of the market for quality and fitness for purpose of the
Company's products, it is Company's policy to implement and to operate fully
a Quality Management System to ISO/TS 16949 particular requirements for the
application of ISO 9001:2000 International Standards through registration and
annual review.
The Company complies with all legislation relevant to the electronics and specialist
ink industries, to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and to the COSHH Regulations
and its assessment procedures.
It is the Company's belief that, in operating this Quality Management System,
it will meet the requirements of its customers and industry and ensure that
all of its products have been manufactured to a consistent specification.
Business Policy Manual Extract.
Quality Policy
GWENT ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LIMITED (The Company)
has developed and installed a documented Quality Management System that will
ensure that its products and services will meet the requirements of its Customers.
It will operate to the standard as set out in ISO/TS 16949 and ensure that all
staff is fully conversant with the standard and the requirement for its implementation
and maintenance.
Organisation
The Company has arranged its affairs in such a manner as to allow a person within
the organisation full authority and responsibility to ensure that the requirements
of ISO/TS 16949 are maintained. Internal Auditors have been trained to undertake
the audit requirements of the Standard and the Company allocates the appropriate
amount of time Where employees have specific quality responsibilities, the Company
has arranged their work schedules to allow them the authority and responsibility
to carry out such duties effectively.
Business Procedures Extract.
4.0 Quality Management Systems
The Quality Management Systems ensures that an authorised person reviews all
documents for adequacy. The procedures also provide for ongoing review to control
their issue and distribution to relevant personnel and to maintain their currency.
Records are maintained and review is undertaken through the Management Review
Meeting and Internal audit.
4.06 Quality Records
To support the quality system, documentation in the form of manuals, instructions
and records are available and controlled. Clearly defined procedures have been
established for this purpose. Records are stored in such a manner as to prevent
their deterioration and to allow easy retrieval. They provide evidence of the
effective operation of the Quality Management System and are retained for an
appropriate period.
5.01 Management Responsibility
The Managing Director has defined and documented the policy, goals and objectives
for achieving, and commitment to, quality in the Business Plan and in the form
of a formal statement they are approved.
The Quality Policy is reviewed during the Management Review Meeting for the
purpose of verifying the following:
~ measure against Company goals
~ review of Customer's needs and expectations
~ identifying any new Customer requirements
Where relevant, the Quality Manager will revise the Quality Policy Statement for authorisation by the Managing Director and distribute it within the Company.
5.02 Management Review
The Management Review Meeting (QMF 72) is recognised as a vital component in
the Quality system in the smaller Company and this has been given due recognition.
It will review, as specific agenda items: -
" Previous minutes and outstanding actions
" The Quality Policy Statement and Environment Policy
" The Quality System (all sections)
" Product and Process Audit Trends
" Quality and Productivity Improvements
" Non-conformances
" Customers Concerns
" Corrective and Preventive Actions
" Deviations and Concessions
" Cost of poor Quality
" Training
" 100% delivery performance by the Company and suppliers
" Customer Satisfaction
" Review of quality objectives
" Summary of Business Plan Objectives
" Continuous Improvements
" Contingency Plan
" Laboratory Manual
Management Reviews form part of the total Management control procedure and include
quality matters as formal agenda items. Actions arising will be minuted for
follow up.
Minutes will be kept for a minimum of three years.
6.0 Resource Management
6.02 Training
Documented procedures for training have been developed and installed covering
all employees. Identification of future training needs is a subject covered
by the Management Review Meeting and records of all relevant training are maintained
(QMF 01).
7.0 Product Realisation
7.01 Contract Review
The Customer's requirements are reviewed and recorded and differences between
these requirements and the product or service to be provided are highlighted.
Suitable records will be kept.
This information will be used to assess the Company's ability to meet the Customer's
needs. Contractual requirements will be evaluated against current resources
to ensure the capability exists to fulfil the contract.
7.04 Design projects
Control will be through the development plan, which will reduce the project
into phases with defined input, output, and verification. The interrelationships
between the involved parties will be established to organise the plan and to
define, check and document progress as specified in the Company's procedures.
7.05 Production Control
To ensure effective control of the production process, a planned procedure is
operated. It will be in written form where its absence could affect quality.
This involves the evaluation and control of the required resources including:
-
" Skills
" Manpower
" Work Instructions, where necessary
" Inspect and Measure Equipment
" Representative standards will be used where practical.
" are Records maintained as appropriate?
7.08 Purchase Orders
To control materials and product purchases requires procedures that ensure that
the specified requirements are met. These procedures are in place and will minimise
risks from incompetent suppliers. Release of materials and product before the
completion of all required procedures have been completed is controlled and
documented. The procedures cover specification at the purchase order stage and
Suppliers are fully aware of the Company's requirements. Specific instructions
controlling order placement by telephone and raising purchase order amendments
are in place.
7.10 Receiving Inspection
Testing procedures are in operation to establish and maintain the highest possible
level of confidence at an acceptable cost. Control is based on a policy of prevention,
and the inspection activities are related to control our suppliers.
7.11 Calibration Control
As the conformance of the product is indicated by inspection and test measurements,
it is essential that the equipment employed on these tasks is accurate. To this
end control procedures have been instituted requiring calibration and control
of specified measuring equipment on a planned basis (QMF 05). Activity is documented.
.
8.0 Measurement, Analysis and Improvements
8.02 Internal Systems Audits
Formalised procedures are in place to enable management to assess the efficiency
of the Quality System and to identify any weakness. Each element of the standard
is studied annually (QMF 02) by employees who have been trained in the workings
of the system. Where practical, auditors will not inspect their own areas and
the results of the audit with details of any non-compliance and subsequent corrective
action will be documented (QMF 03) and become the subject of Management Review.
The results of the audit will be conveyed to the employees responsible for the
area under assessment and to Quality Assurance Systems Limited.
8.03 Product and Process Audits
Procedures are in place to ensure that the inspection or test status is immediately
apparent of products or services. Where items are found to be out of compliance
with the approved standard, procedures operate to identify such items and isolate
them for rework or revision.
8.05 Nonconformance Control
To prevent the inadvertent use or installation of products that do not conform
to specification, a procedure is in operation to identify such products and
clearly signal their status.
Such categories concerned would include: -
" Rework or repair to specification
" Await Concession
" Re-grading
" Rejects.
The procedure is documented and authority to deal with the non-conforming items
defined.
8.06/07 Corrective Action and Preventive Action
Procedures have been established to document, investigate, verify and subsequently
correct non-conforming products and to document action taken. Corrective action
is determined by authorised employees and delegated where necessary. Documentation
arising from this procedure is used as a basis for improvements and forms an
element in the Management Review.
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