Saint-Gobain Seals Group continues its high level of quality management system standards and their Kontich, Belgium site has renewed its ISO 9001:2008 and EN 9100:2009 certifications. The ISO 9001:2008 certification is from the International Organization for Standardization, composed of representatives from various national standards organizations that promote worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial standards.
The ISO 9001:2008 certification deals with the requirements of a quality management system based on such principles as strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management and the process approach and continual improvement. The Seals Group uses this specific quality management standard to ensure their customers are provided with consistent, high quality products and services. To maintain the highest level of process control, they also perform internal audits to check how this quality management system is working.
While the ISO 9001:2008 is an overall quality management system, the EN 9100:2009 provides the framework for comprehensive quality management systems for the aerospace and space industries. This certification is employed by the European Association of Aerospace Industries and also based on the general quality management standards according to ISO 9001 but add additional requirements relating to quality and safety.
Saint-Gobain Seals Group manufactures sealing and polymer solutions throughout the world with sites located in the Americas, Europe and Asia such as Garden Grove, California, USA; Kontich, Belgium; Kolo, Poland; Willich, Germany; Minhang, Shanghai, China and Suwa, Japan. Their sealing product lines include OmniSeal®, spring-energized seals, which have been used in a variety of applications such as the ULA Delta IV launch vehicle, a subsea compression station and dyeing process equipment; and OmniLip™, rotary lip seals, which have been used in electric vehicles and jet engines. Their polymer product lines include Meldin® 7000, thermoset polyimide materials, where bearing components were used on SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle; Meldin® HT, thermoplastic materials, as backup rings in drilling applications; and Rulon®, fluoropolymer compounds, as ball bearings on the Mars Rover Curiosity.
Not only has their Kontich, Belgium site received ISO and EN certifications but also other worldwide facilities. Today, all their production sites are ISO 9001 certified and the sites in Garden Grove, Kontich, Minhang, Kolo and Willich are also ISO 14001 certified. Garden Grove is additionally certified for AS 9100 and Willich and Minhang for TS 16949 and OHSAS 18001. ISO 14001 certification relates to an environmental management system with benefits that include reduced cost of waste management, savings in consumption of energy and materials and lower distribution costs.
Along with sustaining a high standard for quality management, the Seals Group offers other strong capabilities such as design engineering in the form of 3D modeling, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), CAD drawings and spring force calculator as well as R&D, lab and testing expertise. Some of the state-of-the-art equipment include DMA (Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer), TMA (Thermomechanical Analyzer), TGA (Thermogravimetric Analyzer), DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry), FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), Malvern Particle Analyzer, Digital Microscopes and Surface Finish Profilometer. They conduct different types of specialized testing such as tribological material, mechanical, electrical, optical, EMI/RFI, blending and molding, high speed rotary and high pressure hydraulics.
For more information about Saint-Gobain Seals Group’s sealing and polymer solutions, please visit www.seals.saint-gobain.com.