Quality Assurance
Our quality philosophy is total organizational commitment to continuous improvement
Advanced Surface Technologies, Inc. can meet most requirements for Electroless Nickel (including plating on magnesium), E-Nickel with PTFE, Gold Plating, Silver Plating, Tin Plating, Electrolytic Nickel Plating, Chromate Conversion Coatings on Magnesium or Aluminum, Passivation and REM® Tumble Burnishing. Our 58,000 square foot facility is designed to accommodate finishing requirements from small, metalized ceramic chips used in the computer industry, to large mining and oil exploration industry parts weighing several thousand pounds. In every instance AST is ready to perform with the highest level of quality and with responsive turnaround times. We provide surface finishing services to a broad range of industries including aerospace, electronics, computer, automotive, medical and recreational products.
The Continuous Improvement Philosophy
AST is dedicated to company-wide continuous improvement. The continuous improvement philosophy encompasses Management, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Technology. At AST, customer satisfaction is our number one objective. We understand the highly competitive market of today and realize that what is satisfactory quality and service today may not meet the needs of tomorrow. To facilitate this philosophy, AST has implemented the following programs.
Quality Control
AST is an ISO 9001-2015 registered company (See Our ISO Certification). While the systems and processes are critical, the most important element is a skilled and well-trained work force. We are committed to providing our personnel with the necessary training to ensure a productive, reliable, quality program. Each person in our organization understands that they play a key role in the overall quality of the services we provide.
Improved Technology
AST stays abreast of new technology through its association with such organizations as the National Association of Surface Finishers, technical literature, suppliers, and educational seminars. We have earned a reputation for technical expertise in our field, and have worked with many of our customers on process development for their products.
Vendor Alliances
Our vendors are a very important part of our success. We work hard to maintain strong alliances with key vendors. While we always strive for competitively priced products, we also consider the cost of quality as a critical part of the overall economics with a vendor. Critical vendors often collaborate with our technical personnel in troubleshooting problems and/or developing customized processes. Our vendors have also worked with us in presenting technical information to our customers resulting in a three way partnership between the customer, our vendor and AST.
Waste Management
AST operates a ceramic microfiltration waste treatment system that is designed to meet the demanding regulatory requirements that companies in the metal finishing industry are required to maintain. The ability and willingness of metal platers to invest in environmental technology is becoming increasingly important as regulatory standards become more stringent. AST made a significant upgrade to this system in 2008 ensuring not only regulatory compliance but also significant additional capacity to accommodate expanded operations.
On-Time Delivery
As a job-shop, we are acutely aware of the need for “on-time” delivery. Our scheduling department works closely with your company to determine your needs and meet your schedule. Scheduling provides the key to consistent delivery. We measure our on-time performance on a monthly basis which is consistent with our philosophy of continuous improvement. On-time delivery is one of our corporate goals that we measure for ISO 9001.
Cost Containment and Productivity Improvement
AST understands the need to remain price competitive while continuing to meet your quality and service requirements. Our philosophy of employee participation creates an environment that encourages employees to suggest ways of controlling costs, improving productivity and improving safety conditions. We welcome the opportunity to work with our customers in designing or redesigning products to provide increased efficiency and improved quality for the processing of their products.