Boston Centerless - Precision Matters Magazine Precision Matters Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 5

MATERIAL VALIDATION CENTER
To UT or Not to UT?
THAT WAS THE QUESTION
OVER THE last few years there has
been much more emphasis placed on
quality and risk prevention in the metals
and machining industry than ever before.
Requirements pushed back up the supply
chain from medical implant and aerospace
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
have increased the demand for defect-free
materials. And specification changes are
now requiring additional testing at various
steps along the supply chain resulting in
growing demands on testing capacity.
For example, ASTM requirements
for ultrasonic testing (UT) related to
implants added a requirement after the
grinding process for precision materials.
Prior to that, material testing could be
completed in the rough stage at the mill,
or was performed after final turning of the
parts by the end user. This additional step
and the resultant capacity requirements
pushed capacity and lead-time for testing
beyond a reasonable level. That additional
requirement slowed the entire process
down, from manufacturing and testing to
shipping, leading to prolonged delivery
times and unhappy customers.
Cracking the Code
Boston Centerless (BC) strives to be
a full-service market leader in materials
supply. With that in mind, we launched
a study to better understand industry
requirements and customer needs in
order to develop a solution specific to
the products that we manufacture that
would address capacity as well as turn
time. Working with a testing equipment
manufacturer, we developed an in-
house Material Validation Center (MVC)
to address the specific demands of our
products.
By focusing mainly on the round bar
materials that represent the majority of our
product line, we developed a high-speed,
automated, Ultrasonic and Eddy Current
testing line that can test round bar products
from .180” diameter to 1.00” diameter. The
automated high-speed capabilities enabled
us to address the turn time for the specific
testing, as well as eliminate the logistical
issues involved with preparing, packaging,
and transporting material to an outside
testing vendor.
Our staff and equipment have been
certified to meet ASTM, ASNT, ISO, and
NADCAP requirements which allow us to
test for any of our medical and aerospace
customers’ needs. The line also features
an integrated X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)
capability for alloy verification to assure
our customers of defect free material.
These capabilities coupled with laser
marking allow Boston Centerless to
virtually guarantee the products we supply
to be defect free and to very exacting
tolerances.
So what has the MVC brought to our
customers? A few key things:
• Decreased internal and external
lead-times.
• Cost reduction across the board.
Internal testing removes the need
for third-party outside testing.
• Removal of external testing
requirements reduces shipping
costs, the chances of material
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•
damage during shipping, and
turnaround times.
Gives customers a one-stop, worry-
free supplier for their materials
needs without having to manage
multiple vendors, saving them time
and money.
Final Thoughts
The MVC was a major investment for BC.
Going through months of effort for training,
getting certifications, and gaining a
thorough understanding of the capabilities
of the process has, however, paid off in the
end. How? In the form of reduced cost for
customers, reduced lead times, improved
material quality, and dramatically improved
quality control in manufacturing both
in-house and with customers. With the
addition of these capabilities, BC continues
to demonstrate our commitment to quality,
customer satisfaction, and our dedication
to be “precise in everything we do”.
David Mersereau
David Mersereau is the Sr. Vice President/
General Manager at Boston Centerless. David
has over 38 years of experience in operations,
manufacturing, quality systems & control
processes, supply chain management, material
testing & validation, and Lean manufacturing.
Prior to working at Boston Centerless,
David held senior level positions at Altron
Inc., Sanmina Corporation, North American
Industries, and George Roberts Corporation.
David holds a BS in Biology/Chemistry from
Lowell Technological Institute and an MBA
from the University of New Hampshire
Whittemore School of Business.