Lasershape renews Rolls-Royce approval and gains AS9100 Rev C

Previously located at separate nearby locations, Lasershape and sister company Jet Blades Engineering now trade under a single roof and single name (Lasershape) at a 38,000 sq ft site in the Chilwell area of Nottingham. "Although we previously held AS9100 and Rolls-Royce approvals, tying your laces a different way requires re-accreditation," explains Lasershape director Mike Ward, "but, to be honest, it was a good opportunity to revisit the business and scrutinise our operations and methods." Lasershape now conforms to the latest AS9100 Rev C, the applications deadline for which was July 2012. Unlike the Rev B it replaces, which was based on a question and answer checklist, Rev C is a far more process driven. Using the BSI regulatory body, Lasershape had to identify top level KPIs (key performance indicators) and consider how they can be used to control the various manufacturing operations. "In essence, the entire manufacturing trail is audited; not just individual operations, but the material traceability, the tooling deployed, the maintenance records, the skills matrix for the operators, equipment efficiency and so on," says Mr. Ward. "Of course, the main beneficiary is the customer. We call it 'robust engineering': if we receive two identical orders from the same customer 12 months apart, they should receive their items exactly the same, with full traceability and integrity. This is because the Lasershape manufacturing process will be the same – having these approvals tightens everything up and provides genuine quality assurance for our customers."