Team welds processes into place

Photo By Matthew Montgomery | Defense Contract Management Agency personnel perform quality assurance work at a small New Mexico contractor.  

LAS CRUCES, NM, UNITED STATES

09.14.2012

Story by Matthew Montgomery 

Defense Contract Management Agency

LAS CRUCES, Mexico - A small fabrication facility situated on two acres in the dry landscape of southern New Mexico is where Mike Sutton drives to on a regular basis to perform quality assurance checks. The contractor occupying the 6,000-square-foot facility fabricates portable ground handling mechanical and electrical systems for various governmental applications.

Ensuring these products meet specifications and are delivered on time is the role of Defense Contract Management Agency personnel. “The focus of DCMA in this facility is the processes of paint, welding, product assembly and testing,” said Sutton, DCMA Albuquerque quality assurance specialist. “Those are the four areas we check the most.”

In addition to QASs in the facility, industrial specialists monitor contracts and make periodic site visits to verify delivery dates. “My main goal is to make sure the contractor delivers on time to their customers,” said Janet Bradford, DCMA Albuquerque industrial specialist. “Usually this means a lot of desk time and communication via phone. Sometimes I need to make site visits to verify the contractor is indeed able to meet delivery deadlines outlined in the contract.”

Welding is one of the most critical aspects of most programs here. “Some of these systems have more than 500 welds and are subjected to numerous nondestructive tests,” said Sutton. “This means having the right plan and strategy in place to ensure contract compliance is paramount.”

DCMA performs periodic inspections of end process welds because of the amount of time spent checking processes and procedures. “Doing it this way allows the contractor to go through 98 to 99 percent of their welding and we only need to see a small portion of it,” said Sutton. “We’re assured of the welds because we’ve already looked at the wire, the material, verified product certifications and know the drawings are correct. We also have mandatory checks to ensure welder certifications are all up to date.”

With all the process reviews and checks along the way, Sutton said DCMA personnel don’t have to worry about the steps going into production when it is time to review the final product. “We don’t have to spend extra time when we have our strategy planned correctly and do everything up front,” said Sutton. “We are able to control the process and save time when the final product is ready to ship.”

• Date Taken: 09.14.2012
• Date Posted: 10.11.2012 16:03
• Story ID: 96013
• Location: LAS CRUCES, NM, US