Wheelabrator gets certified

Impact Finishers, the sub-contract division of Wheelabrator Group has passed an in-depth examination to receive the aerospace industry's acclaimed Nadcap accreditation.

The distinction applies to Impact Finishers sub-contract shot peening facilities in Whitby Road, Slough and Sandy Lane, Coventry.

Launched in 1990 by the Society of Automotive Engineers, Nadcap is a universal standard administered by the not-for-profit Performance Review Institute (PRI), to ensure manufactured aircraft and aero-engines are of the highest quality. It is now specified by the majority of prime manufacturers in these sectors.

The accreditation will allow aerospace equipment makers to use Impact Finishers, confident of receiving the highest standard of service, conforming to strict industry guidelines.

The site in Slough, which handles mainly large, pocketed airframe components, has been accredited for manual, automatic and peen forming processes. The plant in Coventry, which undertakes work on mainly rotational parts, has been accredited for automatic processes.

Wheelabrator Group established a dedicated three-strong Nadcap committee at each Impact Finishers location, their eight-month bid to secure the accreditation culminating in a two day in-depth audit at both sites covering shot peening, peen forming and glass bead peening.

Christian Tyroll, quality manager based in Slough, headed the group's campaign and regularly attended Nadcap task group meetings with experts involved in maintaining the scheme.

He said: "We're delighted to have secured this prestigious accreditation, which will promote and strengthen our relationships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and fellow Nadcap accredited suppliers. While we already conform to AS9100 and ISO9001 standards, as well as holding customer approvals from several major OEMs, this new endorsement of our equipment and processes is an added reassurance of the exceptional service we provide."

Seema Saleem, director of European operations for PRI, said "When a supplier achieves Nadcap accreditation, it is a testament to their dedication to special process quality."

The Wheelabrator Group - Impact Finishers team provides services to the automotive, aerospace and medical industries. Subcontracting to them allows customers to concentrate on their core activities, reduce bottlenecks and handle erratic production runs.

Wheelabrator Group owns, designs, manufactures and provides wheelblast, airblast and vibratory mass finishing equipment for surface preparation and cleaning, and serves a variety of sectors. Further information can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.wheelabratorgroup.com" www.wheelabratorgroup.com