Development
Simple and safe handling together with utmost reliability enabled our AK hydraulic components to become a quality connotation amongst our customers. To ensure this our continuous developments and customer-specific demands are taken into account for the product-run. Hence research and development are considered of high significance to us. All developments are subject to a strict quality management.
Due to our Integrated Business Solution (IBS)-Softwaresystem for specific development and manufacturing processes there will be no unanswered customer wishes.
Production
To manufacture our turning part and casings we only use zerspanbaren materials. Amongst others these consist of stainless steel, machining steel, cementation steel, brass, aluminium, gray cast iron and plastics. On our sites we produce according to the most recent state-of-arts. The procession predominantly takes place on CNC controlled machines which ensure a very high quality and manufacturing. The entire manufacturing process is being monitored by a sophisticated and safe quality system.
Installation
Experienced members of staff attend specialised installation processes of casings and parts resp. parts of selected suppliers which have been manufactured in our halls before. Our vertical integration gives us a high degree of flexibility. Therefore our installation department is able to process a customers order swiftly and straight forward. Due to extensive technical equipments our staff is able perform any task reliably and fast at any time, either on site or at home.
Guidelines
Quality securing measures as well as the responsibilities to the conversion are determined in the documentation of quality management.
Self-commitment of the administration
The success of every quality management - system depends on the mindset and conduct, commitment, and trustworthiness of all executives.
Thus it is their duty to give the cutting edge in order to succeed in the quality management by awareness-raising and exemplifying as well as to implement the quality policy and to pursue the quality targets by involving all workers.
Customer focus
Due to our holistic perception the term customer is understood in two groups:
- - (End-) consumer/client
- - Employees (= internal customers)
- - Owner/share holder
It is the duty of the administration to recognize the expectations and requirements of the different groups named above meet these demands to the satisfaction of both sides and increase the benefit for every one.
Quality policy
The basis of conduct of the AK Regeltechnik GmbH is the compliance with the law. Likewise the company is committed to continuous development. Since, the fundamentals of the strategic management are components of the company philosophy, which are completed by the declaration and assessment of quality targets.
All employees recognize and treat customers as centre of attention to the company. The quality policy of the company is known to all employees and has been discussed with them. The AK Regeltechnik strives to optimize the internal organisation structures and processes as well as external interfaces. Aim of the quality policy is to avoid errors and accomplish the work according to most recent state of the art. This is supported by the information systems and continuous and congenial advanced training of the employees.S
The quality policy is stated in ten sentences which compose the fundamentals of daily conduct.
- Quality is an equally ranking business goal as maintaining the company in the market by economic behaviour.
- The customer is recognized and treated as centre of attention to the company.
- With our integrated management systems we ensure that important organisational potentials for improvement are identified in all areas and led to our continuous development processes.
- In frequent intervals (min. once a year) we assess our management system and examine our work in relation to the goals we set ourselves.
- We maintain the motivation of our employees by means of frequent personal development training in all fields and the internal and as well as the external exchange of information to important questions.
- Amongst ourselves and towards our customers, partners and competitors we aim to be fair and open.
- With out customers, suppliers and partners we maintain the exchange of information to all current quality relevant questions.
- When planning and realizing our service we always assume working with the recent state of the art.
- Energy saving and resource conservation are considered important aspects of our daily behaviour.
- To ensure that our suppliers and contract partners have the same quality standards we regularly assess them in terms of their performance.
- Should something however still not proceed properly errors and deficiencies will be registered and evaluated in regard of their cause to prevent deficiencies of this nature in the future.
Planning and assessing the quality management system
The quality targets and the resulting measures for goal attainment, derived from the guiding principles of the quality policy and the current requirements are parts of our strategy to achieve a high customer satisfaction (also see our annually extrapolated strategic business plan).
Planning of quality targets
Our ultimate ambition which is to attain internal and external customer satisfaction in an effective and economical manner is initially supported by following general quality targets:/p>
- Compliance of confirmed appointments and conditions
- Security and reliability of our products and services
- Complete and flawless delivery
- Creating the basic parameters for good work
- Good personal development training for our employees
- Ideal usage of resources which means avoiding resp. reducing the wastage of any kind
- Continuous development of all procedures and methods
In order to reach these general quality targets in addition concrete measurable monthly targets are acquired based on current customer expectations and requirements. Afterwards department targets derived from each department will be set together with all departments. This way it is guaranteed that every employee is aware of his contribution to the goal attainment. The concrete objectives will be displayed on the bulletin board and examined within means of the monthly evaluation and the quality management assessment
Planning the quality management system
Our ultimate ambition which is to attain internal and external customer satisfaction in an effective and economical manner is initially supported by following general quality targets:
- Quality preplanning
- Production and preventive maintenance
- Inspection procedure and control of inspecting
- Training incl. induction to new employeesS
- Maintenance
- Conduct of internal quality audits and quality management assessments
- Management of documents and quality records
The conduct of reoccurring planning operations is guaranteed by the compliance with the appropriate instructions. Should the instructions not be sufficient existing ones will be elaborated and/or additional (e.g. order or product related) ones will be issued. By appropriate means (e.g. agreement, training, quality assurance agreement) it is ensured that
- leased labourer / temporary workers
- establishments
- subcontractor / service provider
also work in terms of our quality management systems.
Assessment of the quality management system
Once in a year the board of executives will undertake an assessment of the entire quality management system especially in the field of quality policy and quality targets as well as the effectiveness of all processes in regard of applicability, efficiency and adequacy in addition to possible improvements. For this purpose the VA assessments also count towards the assessment.
At the same time alongside with the audit reports other quality relevant documents and results (see listing in the DIN EN ISO 9001:2008) are taken into account.
The result of the assessment including possible deviations and/or suggestions for improvement are recorded and made public to all employees.
The realizations of the resulting amendment, prevention and improvement measures will be examined in terms of internal audits.
Liabilities and warranties
The quality management documentation contains a detailed organisation chart. Further tasks and warranties emerge from the QHD, procedural instructions, index of authority, the complementing index of competences and the instruction matrix. The continuous improvement of other processes, the detection and recording of problems, the development of problem solution as well as the inducement and examination of correctional and preventing measures are subject to those executives who are in charge of the area the measures fall in.
During all shifts there is staff present which is able to make quality relevant decisions. This includes stopping the production in order to solve quality problems.
Leadership guidelines
Leadership is defined according to following guidelines:
- Leadership is a service towards the employees in terms of the internal customer supplier relationship.
- Leadership means to create the prerequisites and basic conditions in order for the employees to be able to do a good job.
- Leadership is only comprehensible with measurable targets and clearly defined criteria.
- Leadership can only demand of others what it exemplifies itself and should treat others the way it wants to be treated, thus speaking and conduct have to be one unit.
- Leadership is merely as good as the sum of the particular employees which makes personal development training one of the most important tasks.
Quality management representative
The corporate management has nominated one quality management representative (QMR). This somebody from the company's own executives who in this function is directly subject to the corporate management and is authorized to issue directives concerning quality.
The key task of the QMR consists of maintaining a process oriented QM-System and to report to the headship about the efficiency of the QM-System as well as all possibilities and necessities for improvement and to ensure and promote the awareness for customer requirements in the whole organisation. /p>
At the same time regarding quality the QMR is reference person and stakeholder for all business partners. The QMR was trained in such manner that he can fulfil the demanded tasks and authority.
Internal information and communication
By means of the QM-System and the relating created transparency it is aimed that everybody is aware of their duty to inform and procure information. The internal reporting consists one the one hand of an activity-related and on the other of an activity-neutral (PI) information flow.
For this internal as well as external information sources are being used (see QMM-Chapter 6.5). The internal communication is supported by discussions which are also stated in the procedural instructions. These discussions are meant to - where sensible resp. necessary – ensure our approach towards the decision making.
Quality Assurance
The AK Regeltechnik GmbH is certified in the field of development, manufacturing and corporate sales of oil-hydraulic control valves.
We meet demanding tasks with a high amount of innovation as well as a modern manufacture with certified quality management.
Terminology
- AK Process
- Enterprise resource planning system (ERP system) which enables the correct link and precise reference of sub-processes to every goods movement in a computer-controlled way
- Assessment
- Subjective view of and expert without liability and measure
- Service
- Results of actions in the field of interfaces between the company and customer as well as internal actions in order to meet the customer needs
- Document
- Document containing target data which is subject to the amendment service (e.g. QMM, DIN-Norms)
- Continuous development process (CDP)
- Part of an endeavour comprising the entire company in order to develop in regard of the quality targets. Contains the plan (to plan) – Do (execute) – Check (assess) – act (improve) - cycle
- Customer
- Internal and external (business) partners
- Customer satisfaction
- Fulfilment of requirements, expectations and demands
- Supplier
- Organisation which deliver a products or services
- Means (resources)
- e.g. labour, infrastructure, working environment, information, finances, rights, etc.
- Product
- Result of one or more processes
- Process
- Continuity of a repetitive activity with measurable input, measurable added value and measurable output (e.g. order fulfilment)
- Quality
- The relation of expectation (demand) and result; refers to everything that takes place in the company
- Quality recording
- Document containing actual data which is not subject to the amendment service
- Quality management (QM)
- The aspect of the executive function that determines the quality policy and implements the realization
- QM-Documentation (QMD)
- The sum of all QM-documents: quality management manual (QMM), procedural instructions (PI), schedules (S), check lists (C) and forms (F)
- QM-Systems (QMS)
- Defined structures, competences, procedures and means to realize the quality management
- Quality policy
- General statements of a company to the topic of Quality
- Quality targets
- Targets derived from the quality policy in order to be able to implement the policy accordingly.
- Special release
- Written approval in cases of deviations from the target-state
- Validation
- Confirmation and provision of evidence that demands for a specifically intended use resp. application are met
- Verification
- Confirmation and provision of evidence that determined demands are met
- Efficiency
- The extent to which planned operations are realized and planned results achieved
History
The AK Regeltechnik GmbH was founded in 1992 by Axel Knopff and rapidly developed itself to a powerful company for oil-hydraulic control systems. Since the purchase of the new production site in the Dieselstrasse in Helmstedt there are 2000 qm at disposal. By developing, manufacturing and corporate sales of the portfolio the 30 employees intend to support the operators of their products in a profitable manner. The AK Regeltechnik GmbH sees itself as an always reliable and competent partner of their employees, suppliers and customers.