Abstract:
Quality is the cornerstone of a company’s survival and development. In the increasingly competitive market environment, enterprises must focus on product quality to survive and thrive. Taking the quality management of steel castings in a casting workshop as an example, this paper analyzes the existing issues in quality management and proposes improvement suggestions to enhance the quality management level, thereby promoting product quality improvement.
Keywords: Steel Casting Process; Lean Management; Standardization; Team Building; Database
1. Introduction
Our company’s casting workshop mainly produces medium and low-carbon steel and low-alloy steel castings. In the casting industry, most steel casting products have relatively high technological complexity and quality requirements, with longer production processes. The uncertainty and specificity of certain factors in the steel casting production process undoubtedly increase the difficulty of quality management, making it a challenging task.
2. Current Status of Steel Casting Process Quality Management
The steel castings produced in our casting workshop are mainly for railway freight cars and engineering machinery products. The main production processes include molding, core making, box assembly, melting and pouring, cleaning, heat treatment, magnetic particle testing (MT), ultrasonic testing (UT), and machining. The production process is long and complex. Due to the harsh environment in the casting industry, many people are unwilling to work in casting, especially the younger generation, leading to an aging production workforce, some of which is outsourced, with varying levels of personnel quality and skills. Additionally, some equipment has been in use since the factory’s establishment, causing severe aging and increasing the difficulty of quality management.
3. Major Issues in Quality Management
The following table summarizes the main issues in the quality management of the steel casting process:
| Issue | Description |
|---|---|
| Coarse Process Management | – Focusing only on final scrap rates instead of process details.<br>- Lack of preventive maintenance for equipment, leading to frequent breakdowns. |
| Weak Team Building | – Traditional team management focuses only on completing production plans.<br>- Lack of understanding of the “why” and “how to do better” behind tasks. |
| Unclear Job Responsibilities | – Many quality issues arise from unclear job responsibilities.<br>- Lack of written regulations, leading to blame-shifting and quality control oversights. |
| Non-standardized Operating Procedures | – Outdated process documents and operating instructions.<br>- Lack of updates, making them impractical and difficult to follow. |
| Lack of Issue Database | – Recurring issues without in-depth root cause analysis.<br>- Lack of data统计分析 leading to ineffective corrective measures. |
4. Directions for Quality Management Improvement
To address the above issues, the following improvement directions can be considered:
4.1 Lean Production to Reduce Process Waste
Adopting lean principles in production activities, focusing on details, identifying improvement opportunities, and initiating improvement projects. For example, strictly controlling the quality of coating application in the production process, conducting experimental analysis to determine the optimal number and thickness of coating applications. Adjusting the nickel content control range in the smelting process to ensure more stable product quality and cost savings.
Table: Example of Lean Improvement in Steel Casting Process
| Improvement Area | Measures Taken | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Coating Application | Increased coating applications in prone areas.<br>Optimized nickel content control range. | Reduced sand adherence.<br>More stable product quality.<br>Annual cost savings of over RMB 200,000. |
4.2 Strengthening Team Building to Enhance Quality Assurance Capability
By conducting team-building activities, setting clear assessment targets for each team, identifying key control points, assigning responsibility, and regularly tracking progress, the team’s self-management and process assurance capabilities can be enhanced.
4.3 Clarifying Job Responsibilities and Formulating Quality Responsibility Lists
Based on the work content and nature of each position, job quality responsibility lists are compiled, clarifying each position’s quality responsibilities, reducing blame-shifting, and providing a basis for assessment and accountability.
4.4 Establishing Operating Standards and Standardizing Operating Procedures
Field observations of operators’ actual operations are conducted to develop operational flowcharts. Based on this, operating instructions and process documents are compiled to ensure they are practical and can improve workers’ execution, standardizing operating procedures and enhancing product quality assurance.
4.5 Establishing an Issue Database for Scientific Analysis and Improvement
A quality issue database is established, organizing technicians and operators to analyze and discuss effective measures, regularly tracking the implementation of these measures to ensure they are effectively implemented.
5. Conclusion
“Quality is made, not inspected.” More accurately, quality should be managed. The root of all problems lies in inadequate management. Inadequate personnel management leads to operational failures; inadequate process management results in difficult-to-execute operations. By adopting lean management, clarifying responsibilities, improving regulations, and establishing standardized operating procedures, quality can be achieved.
(Images of successful quality management implementations, such as improved production lines, satisfied customers, and recognized quality awards, can be inserted here to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed improvements)
In summary, addressing the issues in steel casting process quality management requires a comprehensive approach involving lean production, strengthened team building, clear job responsibilities, standardized operating procedures, and an issue database. These measures, when implemented effectively, can significantly enhance product quality and operational efficiency in the steel casting process.