QUALITY CONTROL
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To maintain quality control, make sure you fully understand your product needs and test the QC application thoroughly.
(Photo courtesy MOVIMED) |
Know Your Options
Vision Systems are vital for quality control. For a fully customised system, it’s wise to look for a machine-vision integrator that maintains its core competency in-house, says Markus Tarin, President and CEO of MoviMED (Irvine, CA, USA). “You can reduce your risk by using a state-of-the-art tool chain and by integrating software and components that will be serviceable,” he explains.
Custom sensors can feed information to statistical-process-control programs that vision systems often cannot detect. Specialised pressure sensors are available that provide quality control for a range of medical devices, says Hauke Dierksheide, Marketing Engineer, Sensortechnics GmbH (Puchheim, Germany). He notes that important features for device manufacturers to consider when sourcing sensing devices include the pressure range, advanced signal conditioning, output-signal stability, power consumption, housing and customisation.
Test the System First
Regardless of the type of custom QC system you require, always request that the developer perform a feasibility study, Tarin advises. “Make sure the system not only fits your needs, but that it is cost effective for the long run before putting up the money for full development.”
To determine which QC system is best suited for your measurement needs, Vijay Patel, President, View Engineering Inc. (Simi Valley, CA, USA), recommends consulting with an applications engineer who is knowledgeable in a range of systems. Have him or her run tests on your specific samples to ensure getting the right fit for your needs.
Request a Simple Interface
“QC tests can be quite complex but they still must be simple to run,” says Luther E. Johnson, Product Manager for the biomechanical division of MTS Systems Corp. (Eden Prairie, MN, USA). “Today’s QC solutions should allow test engineers to define complex tests that push specimens to any desired pass or fail threshold, yet are simple for operators to run.”
Know Your Application
Medical device companies should be confident that the quality control system fully meets their needs, says Steve Flynn, President, Optical Gaging Products Inc. (OGP; Rochester, NY, USA). Some medical-testing applications have special considerations, he says. “For example, a complex medical part, such as a femoral knee implant, may need to be mounted on a rotary indexer, which may then rotate the part to bring the desired feature into position to be measured,” Flynn says.
Look for Long-Term Support
An equipment supplier should offer a proactive lifecycle management plan that includes preventive and predictive maintenance, Johnson says. “All QC applications require proven, reliable test equipment and readily available parts and service,” he explains. “Accurate, repeatable results that correlate tightly across test systems are also critical,” he adds. “Achieving confidence in QC data requires regular, scheduled calibration of test equipment.”
