Quality Assurance in Bearing Production
Article by - Sachin Singh Kushwaha, Head-Quality, NBC Bearings
Quality is a core value at NBC Bearings, where every employee is committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences. With the support of prestigious customers, global partners, suppliers, dealers, and dedicated employees, NBC has fostered a culture of quality excellence. This commitment to a Zero-Defect approach transcends manufacturing processes, newly designed products, and aggregates.
Customer Focus
NBC has a platform for handling customer issues and offering rapid resolution. Continuous improvement is achieved through robust root cause analysis and the elimination of potential failure modes, ensuring a satisfying customer experience. Proactively conducted Critical to Customer process audits enhance these efforts. NBC also focuses on major problem-solving techniques and 3A (Adherence, Adequacy, Availability) Audits on critical poka-yoke to strengthen the quality assurance system. NBC’s relationship with customers extends beyond resolving complaints, including on-site support and product enhancements to ensure customer delight.
Manufacturing Excellence
NBC’s strategy intertwines with the best in the industry. They collaborate with world-class bearing technology makers from the US, Japan, and other countries. These partnerships ensure that cutting-edge technical advancements are integrated into their production processes. This global synergy not only enhances manufacturing but also ensures that every bearing produced meets the highest standards. Quality at NBC starts at the design phase, with lessons learned from past errors incorporated into new designs to ensure continuous improvement. This approach addresses past issues and optimizes future products, focusing on Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) for New Product Development.
NBC’s product and process teams use advanced simulation software to enhance product success and reliability. This cross-functional approach ensures that bearings are fit for their intended applications, providing a comprehensive view of quality assurance. Partnerships with globally approved sources further contribute to providing quality bearings. The implementation of connected machines ensures real-time quality checks. NBC embraces digital processes like Digital Performance Management (DPM), Process Quality Check Sheets (PQCS), and online Statistical Process Control (SPC) to enhance quality control. Poka-yoke strategies and Andon systems help to prevent errors, ensuring high standards of quality. Pre-delivery inspections ensure seamless quality assurance and recording in ERP system enable easy tracking from start to finish. Layered process audits from shop floor inspectors to the COO ensure adherence to defined systems.
Audits are a crucial part of NBC’s quality assurance. These are conducted for all specialized processes, ensuring quality standards are met. By conducting these audits both at supplier locations and in-house, NBC fosters continuous improvement. Non-Conformity Monitoring Reports (NCMR) help rapidly close non-conformities and enhance processes. NBC uses a proactive approach to identify and mitigate risks for critical process parameters. Stringent sampling plans ensure defect-free bearings, guiding the company on its Zero-Defect journey.
Supplier Capability Enhancement
Manufacturing is only as good as its suppliers. NBC’s supplier evaluation and selection process involves criteria development, pre-qualification, and regular audits. By working with vetted vendors, NBC ensures consistency and quality from the outset. Detailed visual inspections using AVI machines ensure suppliers meet stringent environmental, quality, and delivery standards. A strong Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA) team conducts rigorous audits and inspections to prevent defects, ensuring zero defect inflow to internal customers and zero-defect outflow to end users. NBC’s robust quality plan includes meticulous receiving inspections at their metallurgy lab and vendor quality audits.
Leveraging Industry 4.0
In today’s fast-moving world, companies are focusing on digital enhancement. NBC is also working on the latest trends of Industry 4.0 to satisfy internal quality levels and enhance customer delight. NBC’s Standard Room utilizes high-end technology for precision measurements and regular machine updates. A robust gauge management system ensures accurate calibration. Multi-Gauging Systems, Camera and AVI Inspection techniques are used for detailed product verification and defect-free rolling elements. Advanced technology and robotics are leveraged in railway segment bearing production, ensuring quality and efficiency. Utilizing digital performance management systems, HMS, and automated lines minimizes human error. The First Piece OK Strategy ensures that the first piece meets all quality parameters before mass production begins. NBC focuses on digitally integrated product verification systems.
Business Excellence
NBC regularly updates and trains its workforce to maintain high standards. Continuous training, Six Sigma projects, TPM & TQM practices are implemented on the shop floor. This dedication to education ensures that NBC’s employees are always ready to take on new challenges. The certification management system supports continuous improvement and recertification audits for certifications in Quality Management Systems, Environment, Safety Management System, and Energy Management System in Railway, Automotive, and Non-Automotive Segments. This ensures that every bearing produced exceeds the highest national and international standards. NBC also drives Six Sigma Projects, focusing on analytical approaches to resolve complex issues and develop competency.
Employee Engagement
NBC’s guiding principles focus on quality control for external customer satisfaction and engaging and empowering employees. NBC’s dedication to quality has earned them the Grand Deming Award and Deming Prize for quality excellence, making NBC the only bearing manufacturer to earn the Grand Deming Award. These accolades validate NBC’s commitment to high-grade quality bearings. NBC also has initiatives like the GeNEI Portal to encourage idea generation and continuous improvement, rewarding employees for their contributions. This culture of innovation and improvement is complemented by monthly, quarterly, and annual rewards and recognition programs. This engagement has resulted in NBC being certified as a Great Place to Work for the seventh consecutive year.
At NBC Bearings, a comprehensive quality control regime ensures the delivery of world-class bearings that meet and exceed customer expectations. From rigorous supplier audits to advanced digital quality systems, every step of the production process is designed to uphold the highest standards of quality. NBC is “In it for the long run,” committed to excellence and continuous improvement.
