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Polymer Components – ISO 9001 Implementation Assistance
With the help of: University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services (UT CIS)
About
Polymer Components is a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Benton, Tennessee, with a small but experienced workforce of approximately 10 employees. In existence for over twenty years, Polymer Components manufactures custom composite cast polyurethane and injection molded parts serving many industries. The company can take on a project from a concept all the way to mass producing a part. They can do this using a variety of production methods ranging from printing, compression molding, pressure molding to injection molding. The resulting parts can also be of a variety of colors as well based on their customer’s need.
The Challenge
Polymer Components needed help with ISO 9001 implementation. They had initially invested in development of a quality management system (QMS) prior to the impact of COVID in 2020, but delayed completion of activities and certification due to the pandemic's effects on business. Polymer Components then desired to complete the process in 2023 and achieve certification to meet the requirement of new target customers in the defense and automotive markets.
The Tennessee MEP program has been extremely helpful in improving our organizational structure and opening doors to become new suppliers to companies like NASA, SpaceX and others. It's allowed new products to be created leading to the beginning of some new industries and technologies.
MEP's Role
Tennessee MEP, part of the MEP National Network™, provided four days of consultation services to review the client’s QMS procedures and implementation status and to then to conduct an ISO 9001 internal audit and provide a findings report. The Tennessee MEP team then assisted with a plan to address the finding of the internal audit to better prepare Polymer Components for the actual certification audit.