Quality Manufacturing Corporation Turns
3D Inspection Data into Actionable Insights
Enterprisewide access to meaningful inspection reports through PolyWorksIDataLoop™ cuts production time, improves communication, and better supports informed decision-making.
Quality Manufacturing Corporation performs first-piece, periodic, and audit inspections using various scanning arms combined with PolyWorks|Inspector™ universal software. Image courtesy of Quality Manufacturing Corporation.
Who is Quality Manufacturing Corporation?
Company profile
Founded in 1995, Quality Manufacturing Corporation is a full-service fabrication company offering services ranging from prototype development to large-scale OEM production. It has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality, competitively priced components while preserving the personalized service associated with its small-company roots.
Based in Urbandale, Iowa, the manufacturer employs approximately 500 people. It primarily serves clients in the agriculture and construction industries and is currently expanding into the industrial sector. Its production floor operates 24 hours a day, with a sustained focus on part quality.
Quality engineering and inspection teams are present across all manufacturing areas. They apply Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) to new parts, including assessing manufacturing capability, mitigating potential failure modes, and controlling critical characteristics.
What Drove the Need for Better Manufacturing Performance?
The challenges
Inspection efficiency is a critical component of Quality Manufacturing Corporation’s metrology processes. With a continuous flow of new projects as well as first-piece, periodic, and audit inspections, the company’s quality department faces consistently high demand. Enhancing the effectiveness of quality reporting for floor operators, leads, and customers was thus a primary driver of Quality Manufacturing Corporation’s improvement efforts.
“Simply presenting raw numbers was no longer sufficient. We recognized the need to deliver more meaningful, visual reporting that incorporated images, trend analysis, and deeper data insights. This approach allows us to better identify root causes and address issues proactively, before they escalate into larger, more costly problems,” indicates Zach Kapfer, Quality Engineering Manager.
Kapfer has been with the company for 13 years and runs a team of 20 quality engineers and inspectors. “My role covers a wide range of products and keeps me actively involved across all areas of the floor; solving problems as they arise, putting preventive measures in place, and working with teams to complete corrective actions,” he explains.
Quality Manufacturing Corporation has been using PolyWorks|Inspector for dimensional inspection since 2013. They adopted PolyWorks|DataLoop in 2023 to simplify 3D data sharing enterprisewide and noticed significant gains in productivity. Image courtesy of Quality Manufacturing Corporation.
Quality Manufacturing Corporation has been using PolyWorks|Inspector for dimensional inspection since 2013, operating a fleet of FARO Quantum Max and Hexagon ROMER portable arms. With production teams spread across multiple buildings, ensuring measurement process consistency from one production floor to another has been essential. Implementing a 3D data management system became the next logical step in the company’s pursuit of efficiency, leading to the adoption of PolyWorks|DataLoop in 2023.
“InnovMetric demonstrated a shared commitment to enhanced reporting through PolyWorks®, while also providing easier, more efficient access to critical data via PolyWorks|DataLoop,” Kapfer adds.
A customized report created by Quality Manufacturing Corporation and displayed directly in PolyWorks|DataLoop, providing clear, color-coded insight. Image courtesy of Quality Manufacturing Corporation.
What Was the Value of Implementing a 3D Data Management System?
Key Benefits
1. Streamlined Manufacturing Inspection Workflows
“One of the most significant benefits has been a measurable reduction in turnaround time,” Kapfer says. “By leveraging PolyWorks|DataLoop, we have been able to streamline our inspection workflows. The results are greater consistency among all our quality engineers and a notable decrease in overall inspection time. Standardizing our processes not only improves throughput but also ensures our inspection results are reliable and repeatable, regardless of who performs the work. With tight schedules and high-quality expectations, consistency is key.”
2. Simplified and More Effective Communication
The dashboard creation capability has had the greatest impact on communication and decision-making. “We have developed customized, pre-set dashboards for each of our production areas, providing a clear and immediate visual representation of our targets and performance metrics,” indicates Kapfer.
Some shop floor operators are not native English speakers. “Being able to have this very simple red-green visual cue has been huge! You don’t really need to know anything about the software to understand that green is good and red is bad. It just helps bridge the communication between everybody,” he adds.
This improved visibility has significantly enhanced the organization’s ability to monitor production quality in real time and clearly communicate insights across teams. Colleagues with credentials can access these reports whenever needed. “The ability to quickly search for and load programs has been a notable efficiency gain in our day-to-day activities,” Kapfer states.
The PolyWorks|DataLoop Web Interface is simple to learn and use, enabling rapid adoption. “It is highly intuitive and easy to navigate, requiring minimal onboarding time for our team,” Kapfer explains.
Quality Manufacturing Corporation’s operators can quickly monitor their inspection results from SPC charts displayed in PolyWorks|DataLoop.
Image courtesy of Quality Manufacturing Corporation.
3. Responsive and Reliable Technical Support
Strong technical support has also played a key role in maximizing the value of PolyWorks|DataLoop. Kapfer highlights the importance of having a trusted partner to rely on:
“The team there has been incredibly helpful. They have been extremely responsive and beneficial, not only in addressing my own inquiries, but in supporting other team members as well. Their ability to quickly resolve questions and provide clear guidance has been invaluable. We see them as a great partner,” he says.
This high level of support has enabled Quality Manufacturing Corporation to fully leverage the capabilities of the solution with confidence, thereby resolving issues more quickly and boosting overall productivity.
How to Turn 3D Measurement Data into a Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Conclusion
By investing in PolyWorks|DataLoop and integrating it into broader quality planning and measurement efforts, Quality Manufacturing Corporation is positioning itself at a distinct competitive advantage. “Our customers have come to trust and rely on the accuracy of our measurement data, knowing that we are committed to delivering the most precise and reliable information available,” highlights Kapfer. “This level of confidence in our capabilities strengthens existing customer relationships and provides a solid foundation for long-term partnerships. Additionally, our technology investments have proven to be valuable assets in the onboarding of new customers,” he notes.
“Being able to showcase our capabilities early in customer relationships sets a strong precedent for the quality and transparency they can expect from us. As we look to the future, we believe these investments will continue to differentiate Quality Manufacturing Corporation in the industry and support our ongoing growth,” concludes Kapfer.
PolyWorks|Inspector™
PolyWorks|DataLoop™