All around the world there is at least one recall action in the automotive industry every day. If we add all the recall actions in other industries, more than 100 million products are involved every year. Manufacturers would rather avoid damage claims resulting from these recall actions, not only because they damage a company´s reputation but also because they are a financial blow.

A generic cause of such recall actions cannot be pinpointed. What can be said, however, is that partners in the supply chain do not always have processes and procedures in place that are in accordance with the standards agreed on. Quality is an increasingly important factor, because products are ever becoming more technically complicated and their components are shrinking in size.

Chain accountability in the world of co-makership, where outsourcing certain operations is a common phenomenon, is no rarity. To prevent being affected by chain accountability and damage claims resulting from it, you can partner up with PIEK. There are three services that you can benefit from:

First of all, PIEK’s consultancy department can assist you in the following situations:
• In case of a dispute between supplier and buyer our consultants can give you a second opinion;
• Technical analysis of a product;
• Assessment of the quality of a product, etc;
• ESD Audit, PB en PBA process audits;
• COP & COC;
• PB Design validation in line with the IPC standards.

Secondly, PIEK has a test centre where you can have your own products and those of your suppliers tested, to see whether they meet the agreed standards. The tests that PIEK can do are the following:
• Surfaces Characterization;
• Chemical Laboratory;
• Compliance with RoHS Directive and Environmental Analysis;
• Shock and Vibration;
• ESD Measures (ElectroStatic Discharge);
• Rework and Repair Processes for Microelectronics;
• Qualification / Validation of Materials and Processes;
• Failure Analysis;
• Statistical Analysis of Product Design, Process and Reliability;
• Dimensional Analysis;
• Reliability Analysis for Processes and Products Counterfeiting of Electronic Components.

Thirdly, PIEK is one of the few IPC educational centres in the world that has been certified to provide the IPC Validation Service. This service concerns both material and process aspects, as well as QPL (Qualified Process List) at a product level plus QML (Qualified Manufacturers List) at a supplier level.

With these services PIEK can help you keep your own products and services at a high level at all times.

If you have any questions, please contact Ms Wendy Wings of our customer care department. She can be reached on telephone number + 31 45 570 33 33 or at email address support@piektraining.com.