Three UDRI Groups Achieve ISO Registration

On December 14, 1999, three UDRI operating groups were recommended for registration to ISO 9001: the Structure and Component Characterization Group of the Aerospace Mechanics division and the Sealants and Elastomers and Composites and Adhesives Laboratories of the Materials Engineering division. This type of third-party external certification, which indicates compliance with quality standards accepted worldwide, will enhance UDRI's competitive status with both current and potential customers.

ISO 9000 is affiliated with the Geneva, Switzerland-based International Organization of Standardization. The ISO 9001 standard includes 20 different elements related to the design, development, manufacturing, installation and servicing of products or services. Organizations that seek ISO 9001 registration are required to undergo audits performed by an external registrar and must show evidence that their quality management system complies with the 20 elements. UDRI management made the decision to seek ISO 9001 registration based on the requests of several of our aerospace and automotive industry customers.

The December registration was the culmination of a project that began in the summer of 1997. An implementation team began meeting in late 1997 to prepare UDRI for registration. This task involved writing a quality manual and related documentation to comply with ISO 9001 requirements. The team conducted extensive training before implementing the new quality system in July 1998. Since then, the team has refined the quality manual and procedures, educated employees, conducted internal audits and management level reviews of the quality system, and developed an online, Web-based documentation system.

January 2000
by Niki Maxwell