HomeQuality and process
Quality starts with the drawing.
You buy from us, so the part that arrives is our responsibility. This is how requirements are defined, how manufacturers are assessed and what is agreed before anything is ordered.
Defined against your specification
Quality requirements should come from your drawing, not from a supplier’s general assurances.
- Material, grade and hardness or temper
- Critical dimensions and the tolerances that apply to them
- Finish, colour and appearance standard
- Any testing, approvals or documentation required
- Packing, labelling and batch traceability
Where a drawing leaves something open, we will ask. An unstated requirement is the most common reason two quotes for the same part are not comparable.
How a manufacturer is assessed
Against the part, not in the abstract.
- Capability
- Whether the manufacturer has the process, equipment and material experience the part actually needs.
- Fit
- Whether your quantities suit how they run. A good manufacturer set up for the wrong batch size is the wrong source.
- Quality system
- Where a project requires a certification such as ISO 9001, or a specific manufacturing standard, it becomes a selection criterion from the start.
- Evidence
- Samples, dimensional checks and inspection documentation for the part itself.
Before production
Nothing is committed to volume until the part has been seen and approved.
Samples
For custom components, samples or first-off parts are normally produced and checked against the drawing where appropriate.
Your approval
You decide whether the samples are acceptable. An approved sample then becomes a reference for production.
Agreed controls
Depending on the part, this can include critical dimensions to be checked, material certification and pre-shipment checks.
Tooling terms
Where tooling is needed, its cost, ownership, expected life and storage are agreed before the order is placed.
Where responsibility sits
Plainly stated, so there is no doubt.
- You order from Francis Weybridge and we are your supplier. If a delivery is not right, you come to us, not to a factory.
- We do not manufacture. Production is carried out by selected production partners in the UK and internationally.
- Where a certification matters, it is the manufacturer’s own and is checked for the project.
- Our focus is conventional, non-safety-critical industrial components. Safety-critical or heavily regulated parts are assessed individually and may be out of scope.
Questions about quality
How do you qualify a new manufacturing source?
Supplier suitability is considered against the requirements of the individual component. Depending on the project, this can include manufacturing capability, relevant quality systems, material requirements, samples, dimensional checks, inspection documentation and production experience.
Do you approve samples before production?
For custom components, sample or prototype approval would normally take place before committing to full production where appropriate. The exact approval process depends on the component and its application.
Do you work with ISO-certified manufacturers?
Where a project requires a particular quality management certification or manufacturing standard, this can form part of the supplier-selection criteria. Certification requirements should be established before sourcing begins.
Can you source safety-critical components?
Francis Weybridge assesses opportunities individually. Our initial focus is conventional, non-safety-critical industrial components. Components involving significant safety, regulatory or product-liability requirements require appropriate technical, regulatory and quality controls and may fall outside the scope of a particular sourcing project.
Give us one part.
Have something you buy regularly?Let us see what else is possible.