RELY · Quality Containment · Aluminum casting recovery programNO. 18
THIRD-PARTY INSPECTION & REWORK · POWER SYSTEMS / INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT
An inspection request turned into a supply chain rescue.
More than half the incoming castings were failing a single bushing feature while thousands of parts were already in motion toward a U.S. line that could not stop.
- >50%Of incoming castings failed specification on arrival
- 4Distinct failure modes identified and resolved
- >2,500Parts inspected + reworked
- 100%Inspection rate maintained
- 3Outside machine shops sourced and managed
- 0Line stoppages at the customer's plant
What a 51% reject rate was really putting at risk
A bushing feature out of tolerance does not stay a supplier problem once thousands of parts are already crossing the border toward a line that cannot stop to wait for it.
HOW IT COMPOUNDED
- 01
INSPECTION REQUESTED
Customer asks for incoming inspection support on a critical casting.
- 02
PROBLEM SURFACES
Containment reveals over half of incoming parts are out of spec, across four failure modes.
- 03
PARTS ALREADY IN MOTION
Thousands of parts are already crossing a cross-border supply chain.
- 04
LINE STOPPAGE BECOMES THE RISK
Unresolved, the functional failures trigger downstream assembly downtime.
An inspection request had quietly become a supply chain rescue.
WHAT RELY ACTUALLY OWNED
- SORT THE POPULATION100% incoming inspection of every machined feature, conforming vs. nonconforming.
- CUSTOM-GAUGE THE FAILUREDesigned and procured custom gauges for bushing ID and press depth.
- REWORK TO PRINTCustom-built machining tooling to correct bushing ID and insertion depth in place.
- QUALIFY OUTSIDE CAPACITYSourced and managed 3 machine shop partners, competitively quoted, on the customer's behalf.
- DOCUMENT EVERY DISPOSITIONStandardized inspection criteria, segregated material, full traceability through completion.
- ABSORB THE MOVING TARGETRan multiple inspection passes as new defect modes emerged, without slowing releases.
COMPONENT PROFILE
Aluminum die-cast head casting, approx. 10-12 lb
- Bushing ID requirement
- 1.001 in
- Insertion depth requirement
- 0.14 in max
- Drilled hole gauge
- 1.75 in pass
RELY didn't just inspect parts, they stabilized our supply chain and kept our production line running.
START HERE
Send us your next incoming inspection request.
We'll tell you in the first week if it's a bigger problem, and scope the recovery before it costs you a shutdown.