What do overseas customers pay attention to during factory inspections? Compliance List of Mold Factory

What do overseas customers pay attention to during factory inspections? Compliance List of Mold Factory
Overseas factory inspections focus on five aspects: quality system, equipment, testing, environmental protection, and labor. The system and testing are the most prone to getting stuck.
Quality system is the ticket to entry
IATF 16949 is a common requirement for the automotive supply chain. The certificate must be valid and cover the scope of mold design and manufacturing.
ISO 9001 is a fundamental item. Customers who only undertake automotive projects based on ISO 9001 usually add process audits.
The second version of IATF 16949 is scheduled to be released in mid-2027, and factories already in the system need to pay attention to the requirements for version change in advance.
Equipment capability depends on the physical object
The customer will verify the equipment list with the physical items in the workshop. Five axis machining center, gantry milling, electric discharge machining, and three coordinate are the key points.
The age of the equipment and its ability to maintain accuracy will also be asked. Equipment over ten years old requires accuracy testing records.
Xinfeng Mold will open up equipment and in-process project viewing during customer audits of wheel hub molds to reduce the recurrence caused by information asymmetry.
Testing methods determine the credibility of data
The three coordinate system is the foundation. There are no factories with three coordinates, and dimensional data can only rely on calipers, making it difficult for customers to trust.
Material composition analysis, hardness testing, X-ray or ultrasound are usually performed in an outsourced manner. We need to provide the qualifications and report samples of the outsourcing party.
The retention period of detection records should also be specified. Automobile customers often require storage for more than 15 years for traceability purposes.
Environmental Protection and Occupational Health
ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 are common bonus points. Factories involved in the casting process must have complete environmental impact assessments and pollutant discharge permits.
The treatment of aluminum shavings, waste sand, and waste cutting fluid must have a compliant destination. The customer will check the hazardous waste transfer manifest.
The detection report of workshop dust and noise is also an audit item. Missing reports will be listed as observation items.
Labor management
Working hour records, salary payments, and social security contributions are routine audit contents. The customer is concerned about whether there is overtime work exceeding the time limit.
There should be clear regulations for the management of underage and temporary workers. This part has a higher weight in the review of European and American clients.
Fire safety is also a must check item. Evacuation routes, fire extinguisher configuration, and emergency plans will be recorded if one of them is missing.
Supply chain traceability
Where do raw materials come from and can they be traced back to the furnace batch number? These are common issues in auditing.
Supplier management for outsourced processes (heat treatment, coating) also requires evaluation records.
The final delivery document of the mold should correspond to the production records. Tracing the broken chain will reduce the credibility of the entire batch of products.
Preparation before factory inspection
Firstly, organize the certificates and reports into a booklet, classified by system, testing, environmental protection, and labor.
Secondly, conduct an internal pre audit, self check each item according to the customer checklist, and rectify any obvious issues in advance.
Thirdly, designate accompanying personnel. When auditors ask questions, their answers should be recorded in concrete terms rather than concepts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which item is most commonly stuck during factory inspections?
Answer: Quality system and testing capability have the highest weight.
Q: Can I pass without IATF 16949?
Answer: Some customers accept ISO 9001 plus process audits.
Q: Do I have to do the testing myself?
Answer: Outsourcing is possible, but qualifications and report samples need to be provided.
Q: What is the environmental protection check?
Answer: Environmental impact assessment, pollutant discharge permit, hazardous waste transfer manifest.
Question: How long should records be kept?
Answer: Automotive customers often require a minimum of 15 years.
Q: What should be done before factory inspection?
Answer: Organize certificates, conduct internal preliminary review, and designate accompanying personnel.
Recommended search keywords
Mold factory inspection, overseas customer inspection IATF 16949、 Mold factory compliance, wheel hub mold manufacturer ISO 14001、 Mold quality audit, mold export compliance, factory audit checklist, casting mold export