All geared up

Based in San Carlos at the top of California's Silicon Valley, American Precision Gear Company has been crafting precision gears since 1956. Serving a variety of industries including aerospace, semi-conductor and robotic manufacturers, APG offers an unrivalled range of products and associated equipment, from 48-inch gears for heavy industrial purposes to miniature gears for biomedical clients. To demonstrate their unique capability, at a recent trade show the company displayed - under a magnifying glass - two tiny gears on the front feelers of a moth.

In addition to manufacturing to blueprint, APG provides in-house CNC as well as a wide range of engineering services. Still family owned and operated, the company also boasts a rigorous quality control department.

With considerable experience, they understand the quality control requirements necessary in highly technical industries and conform to general military quality control standards. In July 2004, APG reinforced their commitment to quality by gaining ISO 9001 certification, writing their own manuals guided by IMSM. Following their surveillance audit a year later, the company's Vice President Sales, Tory Hartman, told us:

"ISO 9001 has become the currency in quality control systems. If you don't speak it, you can't come to the table. Although it was a lot of work, becoming certified has improved the inner workings of our company and has made every person acutely aware of the role they play in total performance. Now, paperwork is taken as a given instead of an imposition and ISO has quickly become part of our everyday business life."

Tory continued, "All of the people I came in contact with from IMSM were approachable and weren't jargon-laden bureaucrats-they actually spoke my language and had some great ideas! I received so many helpful suggestions that I felt IMSM was really on our side. They wanted us to succeed as much as we did."

www.amgear.com

23/08/05