Quality Control vs. Quality Assurance

One thing that all manufacturing industries have is quality. Whether its a quality system, quality standards, quality department, whether the company is small or large or in industry requires precision or not, there’s always some type of quality involved. Now here’s where people get things confused. Often you hear people talk about ‘QA’ when they really mean ‘QC’ and visa versa. Although both are an integral part of a quality system, there is a distinct difference between quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA). It is also important to note that a successful quality system utilizes both quality assurance and quality control. So let’s get into the differences: Continue reading

Metal Finish vs. Surface Finish

SheetMetalImage1Have you ever had metal parts fabricated and you indicated no finish, and when you received the parts, the surface finish was not what you expected? Maybe you were hoping for a mill finish, but the parts were sanded to a uniform finish? Or maybe you expected a smooth mill finish, but there were scratches and gouges from the fabrication process? In the metal fabrication industry, there can be confusion and a misunderstanding when it comes to metal finishing and surface finish, which are not the same thing. They are actually completely different from each other and one does not indicate the other. To help clarify the distinction between the two, we will identify the differences between the two from a manufacturer’s point of view. Continue reading