Analysis of Cold Forming Lubrication Oil

[Crimpshrine13]

I'm wondering if anyone can provide a good answer/opinion to this.

We recently tried out new lubrication oil manufactured by a different company and because the results were good (part quality & tool life), we wanted to make a switch. Since last third-party audit, lubrication oil analysis was in discussion as part of predictive maintenance, and because this is a new oil, we should do the oil analysis over time and see how it changes the oil quality. But, when I am getting this done by the manufacturer, does their lab need to be ISO 17025 certified? They are not ISO 17025 certified (they only have ISO 9001 and ISO 14001). In IATF 16949, the external lab clause states:

7.1.5.3.2 External laboratory

External/commercial/independent laboratory facilities used for inspection, test, or calibration services by the organization shall have a defined laboratory scope that includes the capability to perform the required inspection, test, or calibration and either:

- the laboratory shall be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 or national equivalent and include the relevant inspection, test, or calibration service in the scope of the accreditation (certificate); the certificate of calibration or test report shall include the mark of national accreditation body; or

- there shall be evidence that the external laboratory is acceptable to the customer.

NOTE Such evidence may be demonstrated by customer assessment, for example, or by customer-approved second-party assessment that the laboratory meets the intent of ISO/IEC 17025 or national equivalent. The second-party assessment may be performed by the organization assessing the laboratory using a customer-approved method of assessment.

We have discussed this internally and we could not come up with definitive conclusion. There's been things that we thought we didn't have to was pointed out during audit and were required to do or we were doing things that we didn't have to do just to be safe. There's always been auditors that tells one thing on one year, and next year different auditor comes in and tells the totally different things. I want to make sure that we do this right and are fully covered.

 

[Ninja]

One man's opinion...you are not using the lab for "inspection, test or calibration services" directly relating to the parts you sell. Use whoever you think you can trust...