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Industrial Technology
Quality control
This unit of work addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcomes:
A student:
H6.1 evaluates the characteristics of quality manufactured products
H6.2 applies the principles of quality and quality control.
Extract from Stage 6 Industrial Technology Syllabus © Board of Studies NSW 1999.
Introduction
This unit deals with the broad applicationof quality control in various industries. It provides opportunities for students to:
- define quality control and related terms
- describe the objectives of quality control
- indicate where and how quality control can be used.
Quality control was first practised by W E Deming, an American statistician. He "used statistics to examine industrial production processes for flaws and believed that improving product quality depended on increased management-labour cooperation as well as improved design and production" (source: http://www.encyclopedia.com).
The material that can be found at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations web site referred to relates to quality control as it is applied to the fish industry. However, the principles developed and the processes discussed can be applied to almost any industry. Quality control began in the engineering industry when it was found that the company's reputation and profits suffered when customers complained about poor quality products. Since that time, the processes of quality control have been extended to include almost every manufacturing industry, the food industry, service industries and even education.
Activity 1: definition of quality control (QC)
Visit the Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) 
web site and find the definition of the term, quality control.
Activity 2: the purpose of QC
Visit the
(FAO)
web site and read the material on the purpose of quality control. Complete the
following statements.
The objective of QC is to assist the ___________ or improvement of __________ by _____________ customer _____________ about ___________, and hence to avoid the resulting lost ______________.
Customer _____________ mainly arise because quality has _____________; therefore the objective of QC is realised by keeping the ___________ of ________ at the right level.
Loss of profitability can also occur when manufactured products do not ____________ with local or national _____________; QC can give protection here also. Maintenance of quality is particularly important for ___________ ____________, because a brand name becomes associated with a particular ____________ _________, and any lowering of the level causes the customer to lose ______________ in the brand; sales of other goods under the same _____________ may then also be ____________.
Source: FAO, Quality control in the fish industry.
Activity 3: where and how QC operates
The level of QC implemented by a company depends on the size of company and the kind of products it is handling. People in a small assembly plant may carry out their own QC by inspecting individual parts as they assemble them into a unit. A manufacturer sending specialised components to an assembly facility will require much more sophisticated QC than that in the small assembly plant. However, there are four main stages at which QC can be applied.
The FAO web site provides some information
on the
four main stages
at which QC can be applied. Read this material and use the following table to
help you develop a summary about what happens at each stage.
| Quality control stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. |
|
| 2. |
|
| 3. |
|
| 4. |
Note: not all stages are necessarily present in every situation. Ideally, controlling the raw material and the process should lead to manufacturing a consistent product. But, in practice, complete consistency is never achieved. (Source: FAO, Quality control in the fish industry)
Activity 4: recording, reporting and action
In any QC process it is essential that appropriate records be made and kept. These records become the basis for any inquiry into a breach of quality, and they form the core of information that should be used to rectify any breakdown in the quality of production.
Use the
FAO website to help answer the following questions.
- What forms might records take?
- Who in a company might take action to rectify a breakdown in quality?
- What procedures need to be made for effective QC processes?
Activity 5: quality control personnel
Visit the Australian
Job Guide
web site and describe some of the criteria relating to the role of a
quality assurance inspector. Use the following headings for your answer.
- Alternative titles
- Job description
- Job tasks
- Personal requirements
- Possible future career paths
Activity 6: a case study in industry quality control
Visit the
School of Resources, Environment and Society
web site at the Australian National University (ANU). Read the case study on
quality control in the Australian hardwood saw milling industry. Outline the
main points made in the case study.
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