WOOD DALE IL — Wiegel Tool Works, Inc. (WTW) successfully completed their latest quality assessment and achieved the IATF 16949:2016 quality certificate, officially issued by ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc. The new certification awarded on May 31, 2018, will supersede and replace Wiegel Tool Works’ current ISO/TS 16949:2009 certification and act as their quality management standard for operating in the automotive industry.
IATF 16949:2016 is a new global industry standard created by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) that defines the requirements of a quality management system for organizations in the automotive industry and includes the latest revisions contributed by international automotive trade associations, auditors, suppliers, and original equipment manufacturers worldwide. IATF 16949:2016 replaces ISO/TS 16949:2009, the automotive industry’s most widely used international standards for quality management, established to signify all quality assessments and certification systems worldwide in the automotive supply chain.
Ryan (l) and Aaron Wiegel (center) at Wiegel Tool Works
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To be certified under the new automotive standard, Wiegel Tool Works was required to define and demonstrate their implementation of a quality management system based on the new IATF 16949:2016 requirements, complete requested documentation, and enroll team members in a series of training courses. Corrective actions were then developed to improve current quality processes and meet the new criteria, and the new quality management system was implemented for a period of time.
The final step toward finishing the certification process was to perform a formal evaluation of their new quality management system by an auditing organization and verify corrective actions are compliant with the new standard and Wiegel Tool Works’ supporting documentation.
“Being at Wiegel for 28 years and a part of the quality department for 22, I’ve been able to see our company grow as a result of having good quality systems put into place”, says Randy Hughes, Quality Director at Wiegel Tool Works and the lead role behind the initiation of the new certification. “We experienced a highly significant 70% improvement in our quality system since the change to this new standard with a very aggressive time frame to complete the transition. A large part of this change had to do with top management’s role and immense involvement in the process. Fortunate for me, this is our company’s strength.
“The Wiegel Family has always been the ones leading the charge in this area. They don’t look at IATF 16949:2016 as just an industry required quality system, they look at it simply as the way they run their business,” Hughes said. “Our efforts to stay compliant and follow an appropriate quality management system is used to continuously improve our entire company in all areas. It is the Wiegel Family and our team’s commitment to quality and continuous improvement that allowed this transition to go as smoothly as it did and makes us the great company that we are.”
Wiegel Tool Works continues to place high value and dedication to quality control, process audits, continuous improvement, and proper credentials to embrace their mission of being a leading, trusted partner for precision metal stamping programs for industries worldwide. It is essential for automotive industry manufacturers to feel confident that quality operates throughout the automotive supply chain from start to finish.
With the achievement of IATF 16949:2016, Wiegel Tool Works is deemed qualified as a selected supplier for the automotive industry by international standard and OEM and tier manufacturers can be certain partnering with Wiegel Tool Works promises innovative programs are manufactured at the highest quality with zero defects, and to exact specification.
For more than 75 years Wiegel Tool Works, Inc. (WTW) has supplied precision metal stampings using Bruderer high-speed stamping and Minster heavy stamping technologies coupled with in-line and off-line camera vision and sensor systems. WTW supplies the automotive, appliance, aerospace, housing and construction, electrical, electronics, lighting, military, and telecom industries. WTW’s advanced modern technology and high standards for quality assurance allows them to continuously drive improvement in their manufacturing processes to best serve current and future partners.
Learn more about Wiegel Tool Works – longtime members of the Technology & Manufacturing Association – and their precision metal stamping services at www.wiegeltoolworks.com
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