Designated Source Inspectors: A Top-Tier Honor for UMC

When we manufacture parts for exacting industries like aerospace, defense, and medical instruments, we’re held to the most demanding standard of precision. We should. And it’s a standard we rise to meet—and exceed—time and again. It’s what we work and live for. And it protects and saves lives, so we take it extraordinarily seriously.

So, while we know our business inside and out and down to the ten-thousandth of an inch, these parts must pass muster in inspections processes, too. Source inspections help a manufacturer maintain regulatory compliance, avoid counterfeit parts, and run a leaner, more profitable business across their supply chain. Often, the customer sends in their own inspector to make sure we have done our job right.

But occasionally, when we have proven ourselves to be reliable in manufacturing parts—and by reliable, we mean 100 percent quality for at least six months—a customer may offer the privilege to be a dedicated source inspector, too.

This means that we use our own UMC employees to inspect and approve the parts we’ve manufactured. Serving as a source inspector requires its own intensive training and qualifications on top of our existing certifications (AS9100D, ISO-13485, FDA Registered, ITAR Registered, and Nadcap Accreditation Nonconventional Machining) and the expertise we use daily on the job.

The idea is that if the defect is found here, it will cost them less money in the long run than finding it on their own assembly line. It saves even more money. And it’s better for us, too. It reduces lead time, person-power, and scheduling, and as soon as we’re done—it’s out the door.

But beyond that, becoming a designated source inspector really instills a sense of confidence and trust that another organization believes we can provide that service on their behalf. And we’re always in favor of helping our customers save money and time. And we continue to burnish our reputation as being very thorough, knowledgeable, efficient, and offering new opportunities to our employees.