Quality control involves all aspects of the product, so a wide variety of inspection types are applied. To cover every dimension of the part, layout inspection is the quality inspection we should do. In this article, we’ll explain what is layout inspection, how to do it, and the difference between layout inspection and product audit.
What is Layout Inspection?
Layout inspection is the measurement of all dimensions marked on the product design or drawing in the process of quality control. The main purpose of layout inspection is to check if everything is going according to plan and if it needs to be modified, it can be updated. Applying layout inspection, we can take a complete review of the product and for scheduled diagnosis of the part to detect errors. Some customers may require an annual layout inspection of all products unless another frequency is determined in the customer-approved control plan.
Layout Inspection Requirements - What Do You Need to Do Layout Inspection?
– Latest drawing or design of the part
– Layout inspection plan for a year or monthly
– Layout inspection format as per IATF:16949:2016 (QMS) procedure
– Final part for inspection with their child parts to be assembled
– Calibrated gauges and measurement instruments
How to Do Layout Inspection? - What Rules Do You Need to Follow?
– Part number of code written in the report should be the latest part code and the same part code on the drawing.
– The part drawing should be ballooning serial numbers.
– Inspection layout report required all functional testing and note given in the drawing.
– BOM Part which has the customer’s drawing on any established standard given by the customer, should have the ballooning drawing and all testing reports (MTC, SST, etc.)
– All reports should be verified and verified signature in reports.
– Name and No. of the part should be mentioned on MTC and Authentication is required.
– Dimensions which is not checked should be mentioned with reason in the report.
– If the name of the material is different in MTC against the name in the drawing, a declaration is written on MTC and the same standard is attached with MTC.
Layout Inspection vs Product Audit - Difference Between Layout Inspection and Product Audit
Product audit is done periodically as per a certain plan to check whether the product is fulfilling the intended requirement or not, layout inspection involves the inspection of a finished product wherein we check all the dimensions and do the functional test to see whether it is fulfilling the customer requirements or not.
1. Product audit is about the past and layout inspection is about the present and what we are going to do in the future.
2. Product audit is about validation of the intended requirement while layout inspection is about whether the intended requirement is meaningful, and whether the actual requirement is being fulfilled or not.
3. When we pick up a control plan for product audit, you will find there are certain product characteristics that are not just about dimensions but more, including the inspector, the qualification of the inspector, the sampling frequency, and all the things of the product audit. Layout inspection, which is done at a specified frequency which can be 6 months or 12 months as per customer requirement, we need to inspect all the possible dimensions and functional tests, which may be the lifespan of the part, all those tests that are being conducted that is a part of layout inspection.
4. Product audit is done at sampling basis and at different stages of the production process, including labeling and packaging. But layout inspection is about the finished product and mainly check whether it is complying with the requirement or not.
5. Product audit is about the effectiveness of quality management system with respect to the product, layout inspection checks the present status at this point of time.
6. Product audit is mainly to see since the last audit whether the product is complying with the requirement or not and if not what needs to be done. In layout inspection, the inspection of the dimension will be done to check for all the parameters which are specified in the drawing, and also check for the last two or three years to see that where the trend is going.