|
Situated in Durban, South Africa, Progressive Components cc has been in operation since 1997, designing and manufacturing plastic injection moulds, blow moulds and a vast range of plastic components.
 Peter Green, Director of Production explained, “When we met Bob Catlin of IMSM at the trade show in Durban, he was very helpful and fully explained the procedure and costs involved. Martin Stallwood was our assessor, and his advice and help made our preparations and setup for ISO a lot easier. We did have prior concerns about employing more qualified staff, which was not a viable proposition considering the size of our company, but IMSM allayed these concerns.”
“We decided to go for ISO because our customers were already certified companies and they were keen for us to achieve certification for ease of documentation and recording purposes. Over time we realised that to maintain efficiency and constantly fulfill our customers’ needs, it was necessary to have practical systems in place to measure our performance.”
 The company’s moulding shop is well equipped with injection moulding machines ranging from 25 to 368 tons. All machines are plc controlled, ensuring consistent moulding conditions. Progressive Components specialises in manufacturing electronic housings for use in the automotive, access control and security industries. This tooling is run in various engineering materials to meet customer and regulatory requirements. Also undertaken is thin wall moulding of various containers for the packaging and catering industries.
Progressive Components places emphasis on quality of workmanship, competitive pricing, excellent after sales service, open and honest communication with customers and the use of the best materials/parts and hardening methods. The experienced staff are on hand to make and polish blow moulds to customers’ specifications, with emphasis on efficient cooling, ease of striker plate removal and replacement, easy deflashing and good product finish.
 Highlighting the benefits that the company has derived from implementing ISO 9001, Peter said, “We have always placed great expectations on quality and customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, prior to ISO, our findings and checks were not documented, making it difficult to formulate improvements based on concrete and measurable facts. From a customer point of view we definitely feel it enhances our relationship and indicates our commitment to quality, and for employees it is a more visual and practical system. Although the company’s ISO certification is relatively recent, we have already noticed an 8-10% decrease in recyclable scrap and we have IMSM to thank for this.”
Peter concluded by saying, “The service we have received has been excellent and we would, and have recommended IMSM to others.”
|
