Quality Control and Assurance |
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Continual upgrading of procedures and equipment and Statistical Process Control (SPC) are the cornerstones of quality improvement at Ivaco Rolling Mills. | ||||||||
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Ivaco Rolling Mills' quality system is certified ISO 9002-94. This internationally recognized quality assurance system facilitates the integration of operating procedures for the entire steelmaking and rolling complex, from raw material procurement to finished wire rod and from order entry to after sale servicing. | ||||||||
| SPC techniques are an integral part of our program. For example, a comprehensive process parameter monitoring system on the steel plant's continuous casting machine alerts operators and inspectors to process deviations, so that immediate corrective action can be taken. | |||||||||
| The chemistry laboratory is
accredited by NVLAP (National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program) to perform
infra-red and optical emission spectrometry
to ASTM E1019 and E415.
At the rod mill, SPC techniques are used to control the size of the stock feed during rolling. Ivaco Rolling Mills was the first company in North America to install Orbis size gauges on its rod mill. These optical gauges provide operating personnel with on-line graphic representations of the rod's profile and size as it is being rolled. They allow for precise control of finished dimensions and furnish statistical process data for the continued improvement of rod diameter tolerances and ovality. The rod mill also features a unique on-line eddy-current (OLEC) inspection system. The OLEC rod tester continuously analyses the rod as it leaves the last no-twist finishing block and determines the locations and types of surface imperfections. Signal traces on a chart recorder give real time feedback on rod quality to the rolling crew. Several tests are initiated or carried out at the rod mill inspection station in addition to Orbis and OLEC rod testing. These may include visual examinations, size checks, upset testing of coil ends, tensile testing, microscopic examinations and chemistry checks. The spectrometer is fully computerized and can analyse a steel sample for 23 different elements in less than 20 seconds. It provides precision analyses for the full range of steel grades produced in the plant. An integral part of the steelmaking and rolling complex, the metallurgical laboratories are fully equipped to test variations in steel structure from center to surface, distribution and size of non-metallic inclusions and the nature and depth of surface imperfections. They can also determine factors such as grain size, microstructure and decarburization. Our chemistry laboratory was one of the first to be accredited under the NVLAP program mandated by the Fastener Quality Act.
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| Important note : The data contained herein is accurate to the best of our knowledge and is provided for general information only. Ivaco Rolling Mills Limited Partnership gives no warranties as to the suitability of such data, and limits its product warranties to those expressed in its conditions of sale. | ||||||