Making Each Screw Count - Sheh Fung Screws Co., Ltd. (http://www.shehfung.com)

2011-10-27

Sheh Fung’s annual turnover in its peak period reached NT$2 billion and more than 50% of its products are exported to Europe. Before given its logo “S”, the product has to undergo more than 50 strict inspections. The company insists on the highest quality and hence its brand name has been regarded as the LV in the fastener industry.

Year	The full record of QC Development
1975	Changed from traditional threading to thread rolling
1984	* Assisted China Steel to develop the C1018 wire rod * Spent NT$12 million to purchase the Japan-made continuous type heat treatment machine
1986	Adopted the latest black phosphate surface treatment technology
1989	* Adopted the Japanese Ruspert surface treatment technology enabling 50 hours of salt spray test * Purchased a customized acid rain tester (15 cycles) from Japan
1990	Invested huge money in purchasing an automatic surveillance system
1991	Successfully developed composite screw, which does not have the drawbacks of stainless steel screw and self-tapping screw and certified by HILTI
1993	ISO 9001 certified
1996	Successfully developed the third-generation surface coating technology, TUFCOTE
2001	TAF certified
2006	Purchased the newest plating device to develop chromium-free production process and coating technology
2007	As the first company in Taiwan fastener industry to be certified by the IECQ QC 080000; all of the products met the requirements of RoHS and WEEE
2008	* ISO 14001 certified * Adopted the ERP II so that quality may be further improved
2009	Purchased an X-ray machine, which may be used to detect heavy metals
July of 2011	CE-EN 14592 certified; EN 14566 certificate pending
Now	Adopted SAP ERP system

High Regard for the Employee Training

 

Sheh Fung Screws Co. produces 0.4% of the world screw output and has become a leading company in the manufacturing of wood screws and composite screws. How does its Quality Assurance Department maintain its high quality? Chih-Wen Yeh, Quality Assurance Manager explained that many of the company’s clients demand for the products that meet the standards of their own countries; therefore, each employee must be familiar with all the relevant standards and testing machines. “In the case of a disagreement between the company and a client, client’s requirement is the company’s first consideration. For instance, one time the company received an order from an Australian client and it purchased new testing devices so as to meet the standards of Australia.” There are 16 QA staff in the company and they carry out quality tests for the company’s three factories. “In this department, we hold at least one meeting in each week to discuss how to solve the problems that we encounter. With regarding to employee training or if any employee want to take any class relating to quality, the company would give them 100% of support or subsidies,” added Yeh.  

 

Quarterly Review of Quality Assurance Staff

 

Besides the tests of membrane thickness and hydrogen embrittlement, the company’s plating line is provided with a chemical solution analyzing device so as to ensure the chemical solutions meet the relevant requirements; in addition, clients are allowed to see how products are processed and manufactured via the internet. An online test report inquiry system will be established in the future to allow clients to access test reports instantaneously. The company’s quality policy is: “Do the best jobs we can; never allow non-conforming items to enter the next production stage”. Such quality policy is the most powerful weapon in its quality control. Therefore, the boss of the company often asks, “Would our client accept such product?” In each quarter, a review is carried out on the attitude, professional skills and inter-personal relation of the QA staff. The focal point lies in  “using the right methods to do the right things” (so as to enhance the overall performance of Quality Assurance Department).

 

Everyday Quality Assurance Inspection

 

In the selection of subcontractors, the company has two criteria: good quality and punctual delivery. Yeh said, “We allow the best cooperative suppliers to have the priority in our order placement”. The company has about 30 suppliers and it often tells them, “If a process is not carried out correctly, such mistake should be modified immediately; otherwise, the mistake will result in serious consequences in the next process and you may have to pay for a big amount of compensation for it”. Therefore, if any subcontractor encounters a problem, it will immediately call up Quality Assurance Department, which will in turn send its persons to the supplier’s factory to check the problem. The company is the first company in Taiwan fastener industry to be awarded with the IECQ QC 080000 certificate. To meet the RoHS requirements in non-toxic production process, Quality Assurance Department would check whether the wire rods contain heavy metals and whether all items (including lubricants, nail guns, staplers and even the ink printed on the packing boxes) used in the production process contain toxins. Such attention to details increases the workload of Quality Assurance Department; however, Yeh said, “For the sake of the whole earth, the attention to details is worthwhile”. In its relentless pursuit of higher quality, the company continues to improve the quality of its products and has outdone its competitors in the quality domain.