TRW's Linkage & Suspension Division Earns QS-9000 Certification
30 October 1997
TRW's Linkage & Suspension Division Earns QS-9000 Certification
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., Oct. 30 -- As part of its company-
wide commitment to quality and continuous improvement, TRW today announced
that its Linkage & Suspension Division has earned QS-9000 certification -- the
automotive industry's rigorous quality systems requirement -- as well as
ISO-9001 certification. The announcement was made by Frank P. Boccabella,
vice president & general manager, TRW Linkage & Suspension Systems.
Certification of TRW's Linkage & Suspension Division -- which includes
facilities in Sterling Heights, Mich. and St. Catharines and Tillsonburg,
Ontario -- is expected to significantly reduce costs, improve quality and
increase productivity at each certified facility and throughout the entire
organization.
"Receiving QS-9000 and ISO-9001 certification at these three facilities is
a significant achievement made possible only through the involvement of all
TRW Linkage & Suspension employees," Boccabella said. "It underscores our
commitment to providing world-class products and services to our customers --
and it marks another milestone in our ongoing continuous improvement journey."
The QS-9000 certification assessment, which was conducted by KPMG Quality
Registrar, encompassed 23 elements. These included management responsibility,
quality systems, contract review, design and process control, training,
inspection and testing, continuous improvement and manufacturing capabilities.
QS-9000 -- the quality system requirement for automotive suppliers
developed by the Big Three Supplier Quality Requirements Task Force -- was
adapted from individual Chrysler, Ford and GM quality programs and the
internationally recognized ISO-9000 (International Organization for
Standardization) quality standard.
Established in 1956, TRW's 350,000-square-foot Sterling Heights facility
has more than 525 employees. The plant produces automotive steering linkages,
ball joints, rack and pinion linkages, idler arms, centerlinks and draglinks
for Chrysler, Ford, GM and several aftermarket customers. The facility's
manufacturing capabilities include cold forming, machining, heat treating,
assembly and injection molding.
The St. Catharines facility, which consists of two plants totaling
approximately 444,200 square feet, has more than 1,000 employees. Together,
the plants produce steering linkages, ball joints and upper and lower control
arms for Chrysler, Ford, GM, Nissan and Federal-Mogul, and provide forging,
heat treating, machining, assembly and E-coating capabilities.
TRW's Tillsonburg facility employs about 430 employees at two plants
totaling approximately 137,090 square feet. The plants' manufacturing
capabilities include machining, assembly and E-coating. Together, the plants
produce stabilizer bar links, ball joints and upper and lower control arms for
Chrysler, Ford, Saturn Corporation, Nissan and Federal-Mogul.
With 137 principal facilities and operations in 26 countries,
TRW is one of the largest independent OEM automotive suppliers in
the world. In 1996, the company's automotive businesses recorded sales of
$6.5 billion, over 65 percent of the total $10 billion in sales. Based in
Cleveland, Ohio, USA, TRW also provides advanced technology products and
services for space and defense markets worldwide. For more information, visit
its web site at http://www.trw.com.
SOURCE TRW