Quality control - what's behind it?

Quality control is important in production in order to ensure the required standards. The aim is to meet the customer's requirements for the product and thus ensure good and, above all, ongoing cooperation.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

What do the quality assurance employees do?

Those responsible for quality control have their guidelines from the company, according to which they check the finished products. But that's not all. They also monitor how services are provided in connection with production and find out where they can be optimized. They also help to improve internal company processes.

Quality assurance allows you to specialize in different areas. Exactly what these are depends on the individual company, but in general these directions are available:

• Automotive manufacturing
• Electronics
• the food industry,
• Medical devices and equipment
• IT industry
• Chemistry and biotechnology

In practice, quality control is not only required at the end of production. Instead, it takes place at various points during manufacturing and production. It is not just about the quality of the products themselves, but also the entire process. Control begins with the raw materials. If they are not of the desired quality, the end product will not have the properties it is supposed to have.

Samples are repeatedly taken during production and, of course, the finished products are also inspected. If defects occur, they are not simply identified. Instead, the employees analyze the exact nature of the defect. Is it a processing error? Is it a material defect? Based on this, they make suggestions as to how production and the quality of the end products can be improved. They are also responsible for documenting the inspections and the data obtained.

What are the areas of deployment for quality control employees?

As a result of the above, there are various possible areas of application for the employees entrusted with quality control. These include:

• The raw material inspection: Inspectors check the raw materials supplied. What are their properties, and are they suitable for their intended roles in production?
• The process control: Employees ensure that the individual processes are carried out in accordance with the specifications. Above all, it is important that the quality standards intended to be achieved through the processes are actually met.
• The production test: Here, employees take random samples during production to detect defects as early as possible.
• The final inspection: Finished products are checked to ensure that they possess the specified properties to the required degree.
• The error analysis: Any faults and defects found are identified, and the underlying causes are analyzed in detail. Improvements are then developed in response.
• The quality documentation: In this area, employees are responsible for recording the data collected during inspections. The inspections themselves are also documented to ensure it can later be verified what was checked and when. Recording quality data also helps to identify which process changes have led to which results.

It is the task of employees in quality control not only to identify errors but also to actively contribute to their elimination and future prevention. To this end, they prepare suggestions for improvement and continuously work to optimize processes.

What is important in quality control?

The industry has its own standards depending on the sector. In addition, there are company guidelines and regulations as well as customer requirements. The slightest deviations can lead to negative consequences. These may lead to significant waste or even ruin the company's reputation. It is therefore important that employees in this area are aware of their responsibilities and ensure that all standards, regulations and guidelines are strictly adhered to.

As part of this responsibility, quality control staff are often also required to prepare training courses for employees. This can take the form of a stand-alone seminar or be integrated into a meeting. However, it is always important to convey the importance of complying with standards to other employees in the company, especially in production. They must also be trained in how these standards are met and why it is not acceptable to deviate from them here and there.

How has progress changed quality assurance?

As part of technological progress involving automation and robotics, these innovations are also being integrated into quality control. This is reflected in the increasing adoption of quality management systems. For quality control employees, the task is to find or design suitable systems and implement them in daily operations. This includes programming, controlling, and monitoring these systems.

Such systems typically work with cameras, measuring devices, and robots. All of these components must be coordinated in a way that achieves the best possible results without disrupting actual production. This, in itself, is a process that requires continuous improvement.

How can quality control be implemented in practice?

In practice, quality control is not always easy to carry out without human intervention. This is because parts often need to be picked up and moved. But that doesn't mean there isn’t a solution, robots can be used to perform this work. Just as robots are used in manufacturing to assemble components and systems, they can also be used to pick up and inspect parts and products.

The biggest advantage is that the exact same test is carried out every time. This ensures consistent checks without variation. Anyone who expects a perfect part must also be able to inspect it perfectly. While humans tend to make small mistakes and cause inaccuracies, a robot can repeat the same actions over and over again, down to the exact millimeter and second.

What trends in the industry are influencing quality control?

Nowadays, there is a growing trend toward greater customer friendliness in all areas. This applies not only to consumers but also to industrial clients. Accordingly, inspection robots and quality control systems are now equipped with user-friendly interfaces. In addition, they offer innovative functions that cover various tests, scenarios, and actions. This not only increases the efficiency of inspections but also improves overall production processes thanks to the data obtained.

Components can be inspected from precisely defined angles. This is done fully automatically and always in the same way. Are the surfaces of the components complex? No problem for automated systems and inspection robots. They can perform more calculations and analyses in a matter of seconds than the human brain is capable of.

What are the advantages of automated testing systems?

In addition, inspection systems are supported by robots with capabilities that surpass those of humans. This starts with more flexible movement design, as they can move along multiple axes, and extends to handling very heavy parts.

This does not mean that quality control employees become obsolete. They are still responsible for setting up, operating, cleaning, and maintaining the systems. They also provide valuable input on how inspections can be optimized, improvements that are then implemented through system updates or integrated into new equipment.

This takes quality control to a whole new level. It no longer needs to be carried out on a random basis. Instead, robots can now be fully integrated into production processes, allowing for 100% testing. In the same inspection step, parts or products that do not meet requirements can also be automatically rejected.

Where is the use of human inspectors absolutely necessary?

Human intervention is required when it comes to understanding why an error occurred and how it can be prevented in the future. This, in turn, helps optimize production. It allows skilled production staff working in quality control to focus on what humans do best: analyzing errors and developing appropriate solutions.

AI and robots then take over the areas where humans are less effective, namely, collecting large volumes of data and performing repetitive tasks where people are prone to making mistakes.

The question may now arise as to whether production employees are able to program the test steps and later make adjustments to these settings. The answer is that nowadays, everyone is used to using smartphones. As a result, operating such systems is becoming increasingly similar to the smartphone experience. This means that employees can confidently handle the challenge of using automated systems and robots for quality control.

How is quality controlled?

Special test procedures are used in mechanical engineering. These include material testing, which determines whether the materials used have exactly the properties and characteristics required. This may involve, for example, a certain electrical conductivity at a specific ambient temperature or the ability of the material to withstand a certain load.

Another procedure is surface testing. Among other things, this involves determining whether a surface can resist scratches or dust, or whether it has a specific level of conductivity or roughness.

Dimensional checks are also carried out. The end products must match the dimensions specified by the customer. Deviations may prevent their intended use.

The most important test is the functional test. In this case, the end product must demonstrate that it can perform its intended functions or is suitable for them. Simply put: does an electric screwdriver, for example, have enough torque to actually tighten screws as required?

What are the biggest advantages of automated quality control for companies?

Automated quality control offers two major advantages for companies. It allows a large quantity of end products to be tested, and more importantly, the inspection is precise and efficient. There are no human errors, which means that even complex products can be tested quickly.

Other quality assurance measures include continuous communication. This also involves audits in the individual areas of production and mechanical engineering. Quality assurance employees prepare the collected data in a way that enables company management to draw well-founded conclusions and make targeted decisions.

They actively set up quality management systems, use them effectively in their day-to-day work, and define internal standards and norms. While customers specify the desired results, the companies themselves determine which processes and measures they will use to achieve these goals. Accordingly, separate standards are required for the individual steps in production and even for the materials and raw materials supplied, these are defined by the quality control staff.

What role do quality guidelines play in setting standards?

Quality guidelines must be drawn up in the course of defining standards. These serve to structure the processes and further optimize them over time. This results in a quality cycle that must be implemented through quality assurance.

Overall, the importance of quality control can hardly be overstated. When carried out correctly, it reduces costly rejects and ensures customer satisfaction. Both are crucial for the survival and success of a company.

What training is required to work in quality control?

Quality control is a demanding job with a high level of responsibility. Accordingly, training or a degree is required. However, this does not mean that unskilled production employees cannot move into this area. They can initially work as assistants or helpers. If they develop a greater interest in this field, further training or education is available.

The exact training required depends on the company or industry. However, a degree in economics or engineering is always a strong entry point. Courses such as biotechnological quality management, engineering, mechanical engineering, production engineering, mechatronics, or similar fields are in demand.

That said, completed vocational training in a relevant field or additional qualifications are often sufficient. Anyone who has successfully completed a craft or technical apprenticeship has good prospects in this area, especially if they also have several years of professional experience.

In addition, certain skills and soft skills are required. These include the ability to work in a structured, careful, and precise manner. In quality assurance in particular, it is important to strictly adhere to standards, quality assurance specialists check these thoroughly and ensure that no deviations go unnoticed. A certain level of technical understanding and manual dexterity is also necessary, as it makes it easier to analyze errors and develop improvement suggestions.

What knowledge is required for quality control?

They should also have knowledge of IT and mathematics. This is important for preparing documentation on the checks and for evaluating the data obtained.

Excellent language skills are essential: quality controllers write documentation in flawless German and often also process customer requests in this language. They also communicate confidently in English, especially when dealing with international specifications or technical documents. With the progress and international spread of technologies, much documentation for systems is also and above all, available in English.

Furthermore, good communication skills are an absolute prerequisite. Not only must the inspection data be transmitted; it is also important to cooperate with the customer in defining the standards, and with employees in training them to comply with and verify those standards.

Finally, the employee must be able to work independently, have an eye for detail, be quick on the uptake, possess good organizational skills, and demonstrate clear assertiveness. This makes them suitable for a job in quality assurance.

What does a career in quality control look like?

A job in quality assurance is a career with a secure future. Quality control continues to grow in importance as progress advances. It is therefore easy to find a job in this field if you are suitably qualified. Those who are also willing to attend regular training and further education courses will experience rapid career advancement.

The need for continuous training is a result of ongoing technological development. For example, it is important to stay up to date in fields such as measurement technology or product management.

Working in quality assurance is also worthwhile in terms of salary. The average salary is 3,675 euros gross per month, with a typical range between 3,226 and 4,187 euros gross.

Starting salaries usually begin at just over 3,100 euros gross per month. However, pay tends to rise quickly with increasing professional experience and additional training.