Quality Assurance
ABSL Inc and ABSL Ltd are both able to prime space contracts using the other as a major subcontractor to make the most effective use of two production facilities. Either under stand alone or subcontract, ABSL Inc and Ltd use their own proven quality management systems during programs. The ABSL Inc and Ltd Quality Management Systems (QMS) have been set up with the needs of US and European customers specifically in mind. For example, the ABSL Inc system is compliant to NASA standards whereas the ABSL Ltd system references are geared to those of ESA.
ABSL Ltd. Quality Assurance Plan
ABSL Ltd is qualified to the requirements of ISO 9001:2000, by Lloyds Registry Quality Assurance, UK (certification number LRQ 0944198/D4). The ABSL Ltd QMS has been developed over many years of contracts in the space industry, and has underpinned these successful contracts through compliance and minimization of risk. This system allows ABSL Ltd to provide fully conforming hardware throughout the phase of design, manufacture, test and delivery. The system is also applied to Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and items that directly interface with flight quality hardware such as jigs and fixtures.
The standard QA process is outlined in the ABSL Ltd Standard Product Assurance Plan (QA-SYS-PL-4102). All parts of the QA system are open to assessment on-site at any time, with reasonable notice. The quality system contains a set of workmanship standards based on European and American standards. Full training is given to personnel to fulfil these standards, such as soldering and crimping operations and other electronic assembly standards. Established processes also exist for contamination control, cleaning, handling and packaging of hardware and control of materials, processes and EEE parts.
To control document baseline, ABSL Ltd runs a configuration management system that traces all issues of documents and drawings, both generated internally and customer supplied, and assesses the technical and contractual impact of changes to the established baseline. Discrepancies to the requirements shall be controlled through waivers or deviations. Anomalies and failures are controlled through a comprehensive non-conformance system, which includes full reporting and failure analysis and allows feedback into corrective actions and continuous improvement to minimize reoccurrence. Non-conformances shall be reported within 24 hours of occurrence, and regularly as part of progress reporting.
ABSL Inc. Quality Assurance Plan
ABSL Inc is committed to providing consistency and quality in all the products it delivers. ABSL Inc is committed to an AS9100 compliant quality management system (QMS). This commitment is a testament to ABSL’s dedication to being a major supplier to the US space industry. Major primes, such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing, mandate AS9100 as a minimum standard to their vendors.
ABSL Inc have been AS9100 compliant since December 2007 and continue to build a rigorous QMS system and train all staff to use it. Via space battery programs currently in progress in Colorado, ABSL Inc will continue to accrue records required to support a formal AS9100 audit. This will allow ABSL Inc to gain formal AS9100 certification on target, that is, in 2009.
Generally, the ABSL Inc QMS was set up with the philosophy that quality should be designed, built and tested into the product. ABSL Inc has an internal requirement of defining and assigning specific tasks to individuals in a non-ambiguous manner, and encouraging immediate feedback when tasks are ill-defined or cannot be accomplished. Furthermore, each employee is trained to understand the requirements expected of them, add value to the product and pass the product on with pride. ABSL believe that every employee is a representative of the quality function and strives to maintain a work environment with open lines of communication, ingenuity and empowered employees.
ABSL is committed to delivering products with the very highest levels of quality through continual analysis and improvement of processes. In this spirit of continuous improvement, ABSL set up a discrepancy system that allows any input ranging from suggestions of improvements, to incompatible processes, to non-conforming product, to unworkable tools; thereby alerting management to the need for immediate action.
ABSL is certified compliant with ISO9001:2000 by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance Ltd. For more information, see http://www.lrqa.co.uk/.