Welsh technology centre makes quality grade

A TWI (The Welding Institute) product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 28, 2005

After rigorous assessment, and stringent audits, TWI Technology Centre (Wales) has recently been awarded the ISO9001:2000 quality management system certificate.

After rigorous assessment, and stringent audits, TWI Technology Centre (Wales) has recently been awarded the ISO9001:2000 quality management system certificate.

Already a holder of the certificate for its headquarters in Cambridge and its Yorkshire and North East offices, TWI is well versed in the requirements of the standard.

However, it was not just a case of applying the same procedures to the company's Welsh operation.

Due to the very specific activities taking place there, it was imperative that all groups involved carefully reviewed their documentation to ensure that it complied with the requirements of the standard.

New codes of practice also had to be drawn up to reflect the organisation and activities taking place within the centre.

Following many meetings, briefings and visits to the Welsh office, TWI's Quality and Safety Group carried out a programme of internal audits.

After making some amendments to the quality management system documentation to ensure compliance it was decided to call in the auditor from Lloyds' Register Quality Assessment (LRQA), who, on completion of his audit, announced he was recommending that certification should be awarded.

Certification was subsequently awarded on 16th May 2005.

The standard covers all aspects of the business carried out at the centre, which focuses on the development and application of advanced nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques (including digital radiography, laser shearography, phased array ultrasonics and thermography), training in a wide range of NDT techniques and technology transfer to companies working in a wide range of industries.

Materials of particular interest are composites and titanium alloys.

The centre also provides local access to all of TWI's activities to companies based in Wales and the South West of England.

Certification to this internationally recognised standard demonstrates to its customers that TWI Technology Centre (Wales) is able to consistently provide a service that meets their requirements.