Rathburn Customer Solution #51

UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER NEEDS TO BECOME A VALUED ALTERNATE SUPPLIER.

A safety industry manufacturer that machines some of its own parts in-house didn’t have the labor available to meet growing customer demands. The company needed to outsource several of its components and was looking for a partner that could uphold both its schedule and expectations of high quality.

Our standards cultivate confidence.

Our ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 quality certifications and an on-site inspection of our systems gave the customer confidence that Rathburn could meet their outsourced machining needs while delivering top quality. And our new equipment investments in mill/ turn machines enabled us to offer competitive pricing. As a result, we were selected to provide quality machining services for several of the customer’s extruded aluminum and bar stock aluminum and steel parts, for both turning and milling operations.

Delivering quality from the start.

We had to move quickly in providing PPAP samples and production runs in order to meet the customer’s schedule. To expedite the process, we started with a site visit to review prints and mating parts with the customer’s Quality Manager. Working closely with the customer allowed us to review quality concerns and critical features before making any chips, to ensure our first sample pieces delivered on quality from the start.

During the visit, we discovered some finish expectations that were not on the print. We were able to make adjustments and work through additional challenges involving features like the Higbee thread to ensure the first samples were correct. We delivered sample parts and reviewed feasibility with the Production Supervisor to ensure the parts met all the customer’s needs.

We met expectations to make outsourcing easy.

Because we were able to quickly address the customer’s need for an alternative supplier while meeting its high quality expectations, the company placed multiple repeat orders shortly after the first production deliveries of the new parts. That’s what it’s like to partner with Rathburn.