When aerospace companies are looking to use the latest CAD, CAM and CNC manufacturing technology for precision engineering, it’s crucial that standards are consistently met. There can be extremely large consequences for even the smallest of errors – there is simply no room for error once you are in the sky.
Currock Engineering specialises in precision engineering solutions for aerospace and defence industries, helping companies to access new technologies like CAD, CAM and CNC. The company prides itself on the relationship it maintains with customers throughout the production process, something we are keen to support at National Physical Laboratory (NPL). In aerospace customers need to be able to trust what has happened across the shopfloor and be certain that no mistakes will be made.
However, achieving this accuracy goes far beyond just getting in the most advanced technology. There is a human element that needs to be considered. In fact, the relevant aerospace auditing processes the company could take to prove the quality of the work relies on the effective control of information – this relies heavily on human behaviour on the shopfloor.
Therefore, in order to achieve the AS9100C accreditation for aerospace manufacturing, Currock needed the processes in place to help ensure accuracy played into the company’s culture. As part of the Sharing in Growth programme funded by government and industry, Currock engaged with the NPL to help.
As the UK’s National Measurement Institute, we can draw on world-leading measurement expertise at NPL to help to ensure standards are met across the production chain. While it is often assumed that measurements are made with tools, much of the accuracy of activity on the shopfloor is determined by humans and the understanding of why measurement is so important. As such, we worked in conjunction with Sharing in Growth to develop a bespoke training package for Currock employees.
To help implement a cultural change across the shopfloor, it was important that we considered ways to engage and empower the workforce to own and be accountable for ensuring compliance. As such, we conducted a range of theoretical workshops and practical, staged methods to communicate a clear standard for activity. The methods incorporated briefings to highlight the importance of the processes to staff, and associated risks, to highlight the significance of maintaining these standards for Currock Engineering as a business.
Daily job checks at workstations were also implemented, with a list of ten items that needed to be checked for each day’s activity. The items covered areas of focus, including: whether the team have the right materials to hand; the matching of lot numbers between parts; appropriate resetting of machines for a new batch of work; and ensuring the right people had approved the right elements, and that the stamps are in place as proof of process.
We were also keen to make the advice readily available to Currock employees and developed practical tools on a day-to-day basis, such as a ‘Top 10’ poster, so that a reminder of the process was always within reach. With these resources in place, the team were empowered to own the checks – ensuring that compliance ran through the heart of the process on the shopfloor.
This project created the foundations to set Currock on the path to achieving the AS9100C accreditation. It passed the audit with flying colours, impressing the auditor with its efforts to better inform its staff and proactively fix any potential problems.
Meeting the requirements of these standards has also gone on to help the company fulfil the requirements of customers, ensure safety and create a competitive advantage in the field of aerospace engineering. It’s important the manufacturers across this sector don’t forget one of the most important aspects of the shopfloor remains accurate – the people.
