Alan E. Smith CNC programming · ERP & SQL · plant networks

Services / 04

Find the cause, then write it down so it stays fixed.

Root-cause work on parts and processes, and technical packages built so a customer, an auditor or a regulator can follow them.

Send the problem Where to start
01 //

Sound familiar?

  • A recurring defect that everyone has a theory about.
  • A customer or auditor asking for documentation that does not exist yet.
  • A legacy part with no drawing and no data.
  • An internal audit coming, and nobody with the time to prepare.
02 //

What you get

  • The cause written up with the evidence, not just the fix.
  • Process documentation and work instructions people will use.
  • Technical packages that pull geometry, material and process into one document.
  • Internal audit preparation from someone trained to audit an AS9100 system.
03 //

How it works

  1. 01

    Send the symptom

    The part, the reject data, or the request you have been handed.

  2. 02

    Review and quote

    I tell you what I would look at first and what the finished package would contain.

  3. 03

    The work

    On your floor and with your CAD and inspection equipment, or with an outside lab I coordinate.

  4. 04

    Handover

    You get the files and the notes. Programs, posts, queries, scripts and documents are yours to keep and maintain.

Start here //

Problem Review

Send the part history and what has been tried. You get a written view of the likely causes and what I would check first.

Ask about this
04 //

Done before

Aerospace

An aftermarket airfoil package the FAA approved

Reverse engineered the part, sent it out for metallurgical analysis, and compiled the report that had to be approved before manufacture could begin.

Tooling

500+ cooling holes that land in position after forming

The holes went into the flat pattern. After the progressive die formed the airfoil, each one sat within about 0.010 in. true position in 3D space.

05 //

When I am not the right fit

  • You need a signature rather than a package. Approvals and sign-offs stay with your quality and regulatory people.
  • You need a Professional Engineer's stamp.
06 //

Questions

Do you do reverse engineering?
Yes, using your CAD seat and inspection equipment or an outside lab. I have taken an aftermarket aerospace part from the physical component to a package the FAA approved.
Can you guarantee an approval?
No. I build a package that is complete and easy to review. The decision belongs to the customer or regulator.
Which quality systems do you know?
I was trained and authorized as an internal auditor in an AS9100 aerospace quality system, and have completed Six Sigma Green Belt training.
07 //

Send the problem

I will reply with what I would look at first and whether I am the right person for it.