The Importance of Accreditation in Manufacturing
Within any business within any industry, there is one very important aspect that you should be considering before you inquire about using their services:
Are they accredited?
Making sure you seek out services from accredited businesses – that have been assessed to an industry recognised standard – is paramount to ensuring that you find exactly what it is you are looking for, with the added assurance that that businesses’ services have been certified by professionals in their fields.
As a fresh thinking, dynamic company, we here at Airedale Springs pride ourselves on exceptional service and expertise in the manufacturing of springs. We are committed to excellence through all of our products and services. However, don’t just take our word for it, we have a number of membership and professionally accredited credentials to back up our claims and to help people identify our level of expertise. Here are just a few of our accreditations and memberships and what they mean:
Accreditations
LRQA – Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance
Airedale Springs are officially accredited by LRQA – Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance – the world’s leading provider of independent assessment services. We have been with them since 1993, and we were the first spring manufacturers to be accredited by them. Our accreditation with them is ISO-9001-2015 – an accreditation which is often sought out by our customers –, LRQA were the first organisation to certify companies against the original standard in spring manufacturing.
With recognition from over fifty accreditation bodies, LRQA have been examined and approved by each one to access organisations in specific industry sectors. They have the necessary professionalism and expertise to carry out assessments.
LRQA prides itself on their integrity and their commitment to impartiality, independence, and objectivity of their actions. They routinely identify and analyse the possibilities of conflicts of interest arising from its relationships and delivery of assessments, verification, and certification. This ensures that organisations with LRQA accreditation, such as Airedale Springs, have been rigorously tested, inspected, and accepted for its accreditation.
Memberships
IST – Institute of Spring Technology
Airedale Springs is a member of IST – the Institute of Spring Technology. IST is recognised as the industry’s most authoritative and influential voice for spring manufacturing, its reputation in the excellence of spring technology stretches back many decades.
IST are right at the heart of the global spring manufacturing industry and their design software is recognised as being the best in the world. They offer independent, accredited facilities for determining the fitness for purpose of springs including material, design, and manufacture. At Airedale Springs, we are proud to be a member of this organisation, and have been since they first started in 1997, and we wear our IST membership badge with honour.
EEF – The Manufacturers’ Organisation
EEF – The Manufacturers’ Organisation – is an organisation which believes in UK manufacturing and its contribution to the economy and community. They are the voice of UK manufacturing and engineering and their aim is to encourage the manufacturing industry to thrive, innovate and compete on a global scale. EEF create and maintain the best possible business environments where industries can flourish. They maintain a world class standard, and help businesses remain compliant with any changes in employment health, safety, and environmental legislation.
EEF is a powerful industry voice that shares best practices and innovative thinking. They have a proven track record of success and maintain influential relationships within the UK and EU governments and institutions. Because they work with the government to shape industrial policy, members, such as ourselves, are given early insight into the impact of upcoming legislative changes and can act accordingly – such as the complex navigation that will follow the UK’s exit from the EU.
Airedale Springs have been a part of this high-profile community since 1985, and our EEF membership will give you the peace of mind that we are a company dedicated to maintaining the best possible business practices.
Conclusion
The purpose of accreditation is to assess an organisation’s competence and ensure that recognised industry standards are being met. With all of Airedale Springs’ accreditations and memberships mentioned above – as well as The UK Spring Manufacturing Association and Engineering Industries Association –, you can be sure that, if you’re in the need of a spring manufacturer, we can provide you with quality service that has been tested, inspected and approved with the assurance of conformity with international standards for spring manufacturing.
For all your spring needs, or if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.