Dbzman,
Say that you can’t verify hardness of the part because the hardness test is a destructive test method (it will leave a dimple where you don’t want one). How will you ensure that the heat treat process produces the right results?
You must validate the process by knowing what the process is capable of producing through various validation and verification techniques. Perhaps the only way to ensure shipping the right hardness is by knowing the process intimately, through a prior validation process, where you can offer reasonable assurance that the outcome will meet specifications (process control monitoring, sample bar of material with similar composition, etc).
If I run a process in statistical control, my outcomes are predictable. By performing SPC, I monitor the process and know that the outcomes are what they should be, without having to perform any verification activities (beyond initial process validation, of course).
Regards,
Kevin
Say that you can’t verify hardness of the part because the hardness test is a destructive test method (it will leave a dimple where you don’t want one). How will you ensure that the heat treat process produces the right results?
You must validate the process by knowing what the process is capable of producing through various validation and verification techniques. Perhaps the only way to ensure shipping the right hardness is by knowing the process intimately, through a prior validation process, where you can offer reasonable assurance that the outcome will meet specifications (process control monitoring, sample bar of material with similar composition, etc).
If I run a process in statistical control, my outcomes are predictable. By performing SPC, I monitor the process and know that the outcomes are what they should be, without having to perform any verification activities (beyond initial process validation, of course).
Regards,
Kevin