Certified Automotive Success — the IATF 16949 Certification
In demanding industries like aerospace or automotive, failure is not an option. To guarantee that each component fulfills the highest standards, independent associations such as the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) develop and implement global quality standards for the automotive industry.
As a leading supplier of the automotive industry, Saint-Gobain® has fulfilled IATF 16949 standards for many years and we are proud that the Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions site in Biandrate (Italy), where Saint-Gobain h-old® tapes are manufactured, joined the family of certified plants in 2023! But what does this mean for our customers and partners?
Learn more about the challenges to become IATF 16949 certified and the advantages this certification brings for customers and partners from our interview with Valentina Miceli, Product Stewardship Specialist EMEA at Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions.
Why is this certification important for Biandrate?
IATF 16949 certification is a key achievement for the team in Biandrate as it ensures adherence to quality standards in automotive manufacturing, enhancing trust, brand reputation and overall competitiveness within the industry. It qualifies our company to supply the automotive industry with certified Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions h-old products, improving customer satisfaction. IATF 16949 certification ensures optimized processes and product quality, resulting in reduced defects and risks.
How did the Biandrate-team support the certification process?
The Biandrate team showed big collaborative efforts to achieve the certification: they supported the certification process through rigorous quality control measures, process documentation and collaboration to meet IATF 16949 requirements. Coordinated by the quality team, eight departments such as Purchasing, Customer Service and Production participate in this process. Meanwhile the R&D and Operation team implemented all required documentation such as PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) which is a structured sampling procedure for series parts in the automotive environment. They succeeded in implementing FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), a tool to identify and visualize avoidable risks in product manufacturing.
What are the benefits and added value our customers can expect from Biandrate being IATF 16949 certified?
The main benefit of IATF 16949 certification is that customers save time, money and effort as additional quality checks are reduced to a minimum. The certification allows our teams to significantly enhance our supply chain and quality reliability, further improving customer satisfaction.
Thanks to being listed in the IATF database, customers can save time finding suitable products fulfilling required quality standards. Customers can determine the validity of the certificate concerned from the sites in question. The continuous attempt to reach the highest levels of quality helps to improve credibility and corporate image.
What are the next steps to improve our processes and capabilities even further?
The certificate is valid for three years and confirmed by certified third parties in annual audits focusing on improvements in key figures and productivity. IATF 16949 strengthens the continual improvement culture in our teams, aiming to further improve processes and capabilities. The next steps involve reinforced continuous monitoring, feedback integration, and ongoing training initiatives for our team to stay aligned with industry best practices. New Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) were implemented to further increase the efficiency of processes.
Explore Our Products for the Automotive Industry
Not only did Biandrate pass through the long-lasting certification process, it joined other sites of Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions which succeeded. Overall, IATF 16949 certification is a big step forward for our plants. Take the opportunity and read more about our unique products for the automotive industry!
