How does Balford control quality?
Balford operates an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system with process controls aligned to IATF 16949 requirements. Inspection is defined on the confirmed drawing, recorded per lot and retained, and each new part starts with a first article inspection before series release.
| Element | What Balford states |
|---|---|
| Quality management system | ISO 9001:2015 |
| Automotive quality | Process controls aligned to IATF 16949 requirements - not an IATF 16949 certificate |
| New part release | First article inspection (FAI) against the confirmed drawing |
| Production part approval | PPAP-aligned documentation packages; the level is agreed with the customer |
| Material compliance | Material certificates per heat; IMDS entries filed on request |
| Inspection equipment | CMM, optical and profile measurement, roundness and concentricity checking, wall thickness, surface roughness, leak testing |
| Corrosion and finish | Salt spray and coating thickness records on request |
| Records | In-process inspection records and final pre-shipment inspection retained per lot |
| External processes | Batch heat treatment, slow wire cutting, passivation, electropolishing, electroplating, phosphating and coating are placed with qualified processors and disclosed |
What a buyer typically receives
- DFM feedback on the drawing before tooling - including any tolerance that cannot be held in the proposed forming route.
- First article inspection report with dimensional results against the drawing.
- PPAP-aligned package at the level the customer's quality department requests.
- Material certificate for the heat used, and IMDS entry where the customer system requires one.
- Inspection records for the shipped lots on request.
What Balford does not claim: IATF 16949 certification, ISO 14001 registration, defect-rate percentages or zero-late-delivery statistics. Where a claim would need a data set, the drawing-level control plan is the reference instead.