Meaning
Quality control milestones evaluate the adequacy of measurement systems before a product enters high-volume manufacturing. Passing the metrology readiness stage gate confirms that the inspection equipment can detect defects at the required level of precision. This review occurs after prototype testing and before the start of full-scale production runs.
Measurement Capability
Measurement capability studies check if the instruments can handle the tolerances of the new product. The metrology readiness stage gate ensures that the variance in measurement is small compared to the variance of the manufacturing process itself. This keeps bad parts from being shipped.
Calibration Protocol
Certified standards must be used to calibrate all inspection tools before they are used on the production floor. This protocol guarantees that every measurement is accurate and can be traced to a known standard. This step ensures that measurements are consistent across different factories.
Industrial Risk
Moving past this step before the testing equipment is ready can cause a factory to accept defective parts or reject good ones. If the gate is cleared too early, the line will experience high scrap rates because of inaccurate test results. The demonstrated rate of the factory is protected when measurement systems are verified before production starts.
This review also checks if the supplier can run these tests at the speed of the assembly line.
