Author: Darren Fleck

What is Factory Production Control and why is it important?

Read time: 3 minutes
Date: 30 Nov 2021

Flat Roofing
Rainscreen & Façades
Sheeting & Cladding

Factory Production Control (FPC) is a set of procedures that are used to ensure that products are manufactured to a consistent standard of quality, in a safe and efficient environment.

This is important because fasteners play an essential role in joining structural systems. Customers, therefore, rely on the fact that every fastener will meet the declared performance values to ensure the building envelope is safe and secure. FPC is a legal requirement for products that are CE Marked.

Learn more about performance values

What does FPC cover?

Every manufacturer’s FPC is different, but at Fixfast we use the Six Sigma improvement methodology, starting with the DMAIC strategy. This stands for:

Define - What is the goal, challenge or problem?
Measure - What are we measuring and how? Examples could include fastener performance values, speed of production, etc.
Analyse - How are we going to analyse the data from the measurement stage?
Improve - How will we use this information to make changes to implement improvements?
Control - Once we have achieved the desired result, how will we ensure that production is controlled so that the output is standardised and the required quality is consistently delivered?

The DMAIC strategy can be used at any stage of a project from the start, such as when we are developing a prototype fastener, to solving problems within existing manufacturing processes or it can be used to drive improvements.

Our processes cover the ‘six Ms’ – variables, that can affect quality standards. Examples of how the ‘six Ms’ can affect our processes include:

Variable	Considerations
Man (people/human factors)	What are the required skills? How are these defined and recorded? What training systems are in place?
Method	Has the process method been standardised? Is it visual?
Machine	Is machine maintenance and calibration planned? How is machine maintenance and calibration recorded?
Material	Does the raw material conform to the required specification? How is the raw material tested? Is the raw material batch traceable?
Mother nature	How does the environment affect manufacturing? Are the necessary controls in place?
Measurement	What quality checks are required? How are they consistently and visually recorded?

Please note, this is not an exhaustive list, and the processes will change depending on the production requirements.

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