We recently discovered a video discussing quality control at a Bentley Mulsanne factory. As a 3rd party quality assurance and engineering firm, we do a significant amount of work in the automotive industry. From TS 16949 audits to product inspections, it’s an industry we know places value on quality.
Of course, Bentley is synonymous with quality, representing to many the highest of automotive luxury. For Bentley, “the attention to detail is what defines a valued, quality product.”
“Spec check”
When the cars in this video come off the line, they make sure everything matches the specification. Non-conformances are flagged and logged. This can take up to an hour and half. During another process check, anything flagged is taken care of. From a previous post:Inspection Plan Development
A good plan is only as good as its foundation, so a comprehensive and detailed product specification is critical to the success of the overall strategy. Pro QC often assists clients with this documentation creation and also uses it internally to direct engineers on-site. A good plan incorporates anything that will affect the salability and performance of the product.
Test drive
While a 100% inspection isn’t reasonable for every product, each Bentley at this factory receives a forty minute test drive. Any non conformances are resolved to the highest standard of quality.At Pro QC, we use ANSI Z1.4 sampling. We often receive questions about this and wanted to cross-reference another article discussing sampling here.
Quality first
It takes one to two weeks to complete the full quality check for these Bentleys. That’s more time than it takes to produce the cars.“In a true zero-defects approach, there are no unimportant items.” ~Philip CrosbyHere’s the video: We love manufacturing quality!
