During the manufacture of the different components, or the assembly of any product (CPP or gearbox), various types of control, adjustments and checks are made, so as to comply with the quality assurance system in use, and the client’s requirements.
To do so, different tools/devices for control are put to use during the various phases of the assembly or production process.
The role of the quality control department, which is crucial in our eyes, resides in the following:
These devices are used to check the effect of some previous heat treatment (carried out either within the Masson-Marine factory, or by selected sub-contractors) on a part, either directly on that part, or through indirect measurement of a test specimen.
This machine is used to test the surface hardness of a test specimen after carburizing, for instance.
It allows us to determine the Brinell hardness of out-sourced parts, to make sure they fully comply with the specifications. It is also used for checks after “tempering” (a heat treatment following the quenching operation). This measurement is made directly on the raw material or the rough-cut parts
Used to test various surface treatment operations (e.g. carburization or nitriding). HV testing is performed on a prepared and clean specimen; it allows to check the depth of the surface treatment applied.
Used on rough-cut or fully machined gears (after surface treatment) in order to determine the surface hardness.
Our metallographic laboratory is used for the preparation of test specimens for HV testing (e.g. to determine the depth of the carburized layer).
A microscope is also available for structural observation (grain size, contamination, homogeneity, etc.) of the steel before or after treatment, or for the analysis of broken parts from manufacturing or after-sales service.
All control/inspection tools (vernier caliper, depth gauge, micrometer, roughness tester, etc.) are available to the operators and QC personnel in order to respond to all production and assembly requirements.
QC/metrology department also use a co-ordinate measuring machine (brand: C.E.JOHANSSON) designed to check geometric tolerances or complex components difficult to measure with standard tools.
A specific recorder (type: PARKER) is also used, and available to the operators, for the adjustment and/or observation of pressures (clutch, lubrication, draw-up pressures), flow rates, temperatures, etc.
Various sensors with different ranges furthermore allow us to visualise the desired parameters in real time, and thus to validate, or not, a product.