Luxury Or Necessity?
producers still aren't convinced that automatic inspection is a need, not a want
By Ellen Wuagneux
Associate Editor
 Click here to read the full article. |
QC Equipment Supplier: “Everyone should be using an automatic inspection system.”
End Product Manufacturer: “It’s a luxury item I can’t afford.”
QC Equipment Supplier: “Can you afford not to be using one?”
This is a fair question. After all, can product manufacturers put a price tag on the loss of a consumer due to an incorrect product count or a quality issue? The cost to sort and re-inspect or re-package products is significant and an automated quality control system minimizes or eliminates this need. It is also very costly to supply a package of defective products to the consumer.
“Considering how many diapers a baby uses or how many feminine products a woman uses, the quantities add up quickly,” commented John Roberts, vice president of 20-15 Vision Solutions. “Preventing one lost customer, who usually creates two additional lost customers, per one million products produced can easily justify the cost of an inspection system. They have become extremely reliable, easy to use, very powerful, can be fully integrated into the factory automation system and are definitely cost-effective.”
Although quality control is a hot topic, how many producers are actually putting their money where their mouth is? According to many market insiders, it remains difficult for customers to actually invest in a quality control system due to a reluctance to spend money on a “luxury” item. Although most large multinational roll goods producers have installed systems on their most important lines and continue to add additional lines each year, smaller players and private companies in developing areas still need to be educated about the value of inspection systems.
