Hardness check - We sometimes use a file to check the suface

We sometimes use a file to check the suface
hardness of our customers parts.
The files used are not checked for accuracy
(hardness) nor are they treated as test equipment in our quality system.
We just passed our QS-9000 registration and
the current consensus of our managment is
if the third party audit didnt see it it is
not important. I think it is and would be very grateful for any opinions. THANKS

[Marc]

What do your requirements say? Do you have a control plan and if so is this 'check' on it?

I'm at a loss because I've never head of checking hardness with a file. What constitutes a pass and what is a fail? Need more info.

[winchm]

Isn't QS9000 certification superceded? If the hardness check determines pass/fail criteria it should be tested with a calibrated instrument i.e., Rockwell Hardness Test Equipment. If you are doing internal audits this should be noted as a non-conformance or observation if you are not sure why they are filing customer's products. If it is a Customer Requirement to randomly test their products for hardness you can cover the cost of renting or asking Customer to supply calibrated equipment at Contract Review. Note to your management - A CB auditor is not expected to find every deficiency during scheduled audits you should notify your ISO Management Representative to audit process and document as he/she sees fit.

[harry]

Isn't QS9000 certification superceded?

You are making a mistake which most of us made in the beginning - not looking at the posting date. In this case it is 1998!

By the way, welcome. 4 post within a short space of time indicate that we are expecting another active participant but it's far from the record of 17 post upon registration (within 1 day).

[winchm]

17 posts!!! I'd lose my job. Thanks for the info. By the way - are you from Malaysia? I did several audits there - at BCM and M-Flex. The country is beautiful and I loved the monkeys roaming free in the parks.

[harry]

Originally Posted by winchm

17 posts!!! I'd lose my job. Thanks for the info. By the way - are you from Malaysia? I did several audits there - at BCM and M-Flex. The country is beautiful and I loved the monkeys roaming free in the parks.

Yes Mary, I am from Johor Bahru, the extreme south of Malaysia and adjacent to Singapore. M-Flex is about 200km and BCM about 800km away. Both are in beautiful towns.

2007 is visit Malaysia year - do drop by if opportunities arise. Every country have their beautiful side/face and we do have a lot more to offer.

By the way if you do visit BCM, give them a knock on their head for they had yet to update their website. Still claim certification to ISO 9002!

Regards.