No matter how good your work is overall, the end result will never be better than the weakest link. Only by optimising each and every layer can you ensure that the final outcome will be an absolute long-term success, says Colin Mason, Technical Manager CCS

Any quality process begins with a clear promise and ends with consistent, proven delivery. A process consists of design, plan, execution and, often, quality check. Each of these steps are equally important, although the quality control is frequently not necessary if the first three are carried out thoroughly and completely.

Quality management and assurance can take countless forms and have undergone many developments from the early days of modern production, with the biggest leaps seen in the post-war years.

The US engineer, statistician and management consultant W Edwards Deming pretty much established this topic. Although a lot of his thought has since been fine tuned, he remains the major authority on this issue… That may just be my opinion but I’m sticking to it!

I have previously written that, if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never know if you got there, but in addition to knowing your destination, it also helps if you know how and when you are going to get there. In the case of a painting process, a yard should start with a specification from the material manufacturer. This should state the required DFTs, overcoating times and application conditions, as well as any other important recommendations.

Read more in the latest issue of PCE-International