AS9100 and ISO 9001 Quality & Process Control

What measures the true value of an RTD product? To start, RTD products offer uncompromised reliability backed by quality components, the most stringent manufacturing standards and expert, in-house design. Follow that with rigorous, 100% inspection and testing and you know that you have a product that is second to none. Since RTD's highly skilled engineers use top-quality tools and materials, it comes as no surprise that many of our products perform in conditions that exceed their -40 to +85°C rating.

RTD has established a comprehensive management system based on the international quality standards AS9100 and ISO 9001. Our registration is with Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc. and a copy of our certificate can be viewed by clicking on the image below. RTD is dedicated to maintaining customer satisfaction and the integrity of its “zero defect policy”. The elements below outline the structure of RTD’s quality and process control system employed to guarantee MIL value for COTS prices starting with PCB fabrication to IPC-6012 Class 3 standards.

• AS9100 and ISO9001 Certification
• RTD Quality Policy
• Management Responsibility
• Contract Review
• Design Control
• Purchasing and Receiving Control
• Manufacturing Process Control
• Inspection and Testing
• Corrective/Preventive Action
• Calibration and Control of Measuring Equipment
• External/Internal Audits
• Training

AS9100 and ISO 9001 Certification  [click to view certificate]

As a long time supplier to the defense and aerospace industries, RTD’s continued focus is to assure the highest degree of excellence and customer satisfaction. Our ISO9001 and AS9100 registration exemplifies our commitment to deliver superior products with unsurpassed attention to quality, safety, and reliability.

The ISO9001 and AS9100 International Quality Management Standards have been established to encourage organizations to analyze customer requirements, define the processes that contribute to the achievement of a product which is acceptable to the customer, and keep these processes under control. Certification to these standards is frequently a prerequisite for doing business and proof of registration with accredited registrars is a must.

ISO9001 was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and promotes the adoption of a process approach when developing, implementing and improving the effectiveness of a quality management system. The standard necessitates a high level of management responsibility and commitment and specifies requirements for processes such as, design and development, purchasing, production and service, monitoring and measurements and ultimately delivery of products to customers.

AS9100, established by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), includes and is similar to the ISO9001 standard, but contains over 100 additional requirements designed to meet the stringent, complex and unique demands of defense and commercial aerospace industries. Certification and registration requires more rigorous auditing and periodic surveillance performed by accredited registrars.

Over 1,000,000 ISO9001 certificates have been issued to companies worldwide compared to just over 20,000 for AS9100 certificates. AS9100 registration is a prestigious and distinctive certification in terms of providing the most comprehensive quality management system recognized on a global basis.

As part of our commitment to total quality and zero defect policy, RTD is certified to both ISO9001 and AS9100. Registration is with Perry Johnson Registrars. Listing of the registration can be viewed by visiting the international OASIS (Online Aerospace Supplier Information System) database at www.IAQG.org.

RTD Quality Policy

The fundamental policy of this Company is one of total quality responsibility – responsibility for the satisfactory performance of its service and the assured quality of its end product, from the inception of the job to ultimate fulfillment of the customer’s requirements. This responsibility resides in some measure with each individual of the Company.

The primary purpose must be to meet the needs and expectations of our customers and other stakeholders (employees, suppliers, owners, regulatory agencies), to achieve competitive advantage in an effective and efficient manner, and to achieve, maintain and improve overall organization performance and capabilities.

Assurances of quality further require recognition of the axiom that quality cannot be inspected into a product; it must be designed and built into the product. The company is committed to continuous improvement through an unwavering quest toward quality excellence and a zero defects policy.

Therefore, consistent achievement of a quality engineered and manufactured product can only be realized by a self-imposed system of disciplines and controls and is conscientiously subscribed to by all employees at every working level in the company. Manager, salesman, engineer, designer, and production worker must share alike the responsibility for the control of quality, thereby guaranteeing production quality as a natural result rather than a manifestation of chance.

The Quality System Manual (QS001) of RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. embodies these precepts and incorporates the procedures that are to be implemented as an extension of official Company policy.

Management Responsibility

• Established quality policy and objectives are regularly reviewed to ensure their relevance in meeting the needs and expectations of our customers.
• Top management is dedicated to monitoring quality performance and effectiveness through regular management reviews of the quality system.
• Quality system planning and implementation of documented procedures extend to every aspect of the business.
• Quality involvement is universal at RTD.

Contract Review

• Procedures are defined and documented for reviewing customer requirements, drawings, specifications, and quality provisions associated with product orders.
• Requirements are reviewed to ensure the complete understanding of customer needs and expectations prior to order acceptance and upon product delivery.
• Customer support and technical assistance are readily available from highly trained sales, engineering, manufacturing, and quality departments.

Design Control

• All hardware and software is designed by in-house, expert engineering staff.
• RTD designs its products to withstand -40 to +85°C operating temperatures and severe shock and vibrations.
• Uncompromised PCB reliability is a paramount design objective. This is assured by using the most stringent IPC-6012 class 3 standards and the dependability of sequential lamination processes in the fabrication of complex, high-density, multi-layer PCBs containing blind and buried vias.
• Comprehensive design planning and records include schematics, circuit board/component layout drawings, assembly instructions, programming, inspection/test procedures, and software/hardware user’s documentation.
• As a measure of reliability, MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) figures are available for many of RTD's products.
• RTD can readily incorporate custom design needs for customer specific requirements, including full documentation.
• The design process includes validation to ensure that products conform to the needs and requirements defined by the user. This is accomplished through rigorous burn-in, inspection, and testing.

Purchasing and Receiving Control

• Suppliers are selected, evaluated, and approved based on their ability to meet specified requirements including an evaluation of their own quality system.
• A revision controlled list of approved suppliers and part numbers is maintained and includes a supplier rating system for statistical evaluation on a continuous basis.
• Purchasing documents are reviewed and approved for adequacy of specified requirements prior to release of purchase orders for all materials, components, equipment, and services used in the manufacturing process.
• Received purchases are verified to ensure that goods meet specified requirements.

Manufacturing Process Control

• Made in USA: In-house capability for both leaded and RoHS compliant products.
• Products are individually serialized. Bar coding of components allows for automatic recording of traceability information.
• Every product that is produced can be traced easily from component receipt, through processing, and into the field.
• All processes are defined in documented process specifications stating how the work is to be performed, what equipment is to be used, and what process parameters are to be monitored.
• RTD uses the most advanced surface mount assembly equipment available. Components are reflowed in an optimized profile 10-zone oven with a pure nitrogen atmosphere to assure superior reliability of soldered connections.

Inspection and Testing

• RTD modules are 100% inspected using state-of-the-art automatic optical inspection systems and are verified by highly trained QC personnel using IPC-A-610 Class 3 (most stringent) for all products produced.
• Electrical testing is performed on a 100% basis after a burn-in period to assure quality performance.
• CPUs undergo complete static and dynamic testing.
• Data is continuously collected for statistical analysis of defect rates and other performance indicating measurements.
• Control charts are evaluated for trends and opportunities for continuous improvement.

Corrective/Preventive Action

• All products deemed nonconforming to specified requirements are segregated and evaluated for root cause and determination of appropriate disposition.
• Corrective action is applied for affected items and preventive action is determined and initiated in order to eliminate future occurrences.
• Computer tracking of all non-conformances and resulting actions taken allows data to be analyzed, summarized, and presented for review by management on a periodic basis.

Calibration and Control of Measuring Equipment

• All equipment used for testing, inspection and measuring purposes is regularly calibrated.
• RTD has a calibration program which conforms to ISO10012.
• All standards used for measuring and calibrating purposes have NIST-traceable accuracy.
• A computer database tracks the status of all equipment and provides for efficient systematic recall at prescribed intervals.

External/Internal Audits

• Every element of the entire quality system is audited on a periodic basis for completeness, adequacy and control of documentation, as well as demonstrated compliance to the requirements specified by internal procedures.
• Records of audit results are maintained and follow-up activities form an integral part of the audit planning and implementation.
• Annual compulsory external audit.
• Regular management reviews of audit results are performed ensuring timely corrective action on any deficiencies found.

Training

• Documented procedures are established for providing training to all personnel performing activities affecting quality.
• Records of training and competency skills are regularly reviewed to assess the need for new and refresher training.
• Training is provided for job specific skills, equipment operation, and process procedures, as well as all aspects of the quality management system and policy.