Quality Assurance
Intercole’s quality assurance processes are built into every stage of manufacture, not added at the end. Operating under ISO 9001 standards and verified through Achilles UVDB Silver Plus accreditation, you get consistent, traceable, and reliable assemblies backed by a quality culture developed over more than 60 years of electronics manufacturing
Quality in electronics manufacturing is not a department, it is a culture. The decisions made at every stage of the manufacturing process, from component sourcing through to final test, all affect the quality of what you receive. At Intercole, our quality management system is the framework that ensures those decisions are made consistently, documented thoroughly, and reviewed continuously.
Quality Policy Statement
It is the policy of the Intercole organisation to ensure our customers’ requirements and expectations are met in a proficient and timely manner.
These needs will be satisfied by supplying cost effective products and services of a consistent acceptable quality level, on time, and in a profitable manner to ourselves.
The organisation will seek to meet statutory and regulatory requirements that apply to the manufactured product where ever applicable. Manufacturing resources and processes within the organisation will be continuously monitored for their effectiveness with a view to achieving improvement to the Quality Management System and as a consequence an enhancement of our customers’ perception of the organisation.
ISO 9001:2015
Provision of electronic and electro-mechanical contract services covering hardware design, purchasing, PCB Assembly and test.
IPC Standard
All electronic production is in accordance with IPC-610 class II for commercial and IPC-610 class III for military and other similar applications.
Workmanship Standards
Our assembly teams work to recognised industry workmanship standards, which set clear criteria for acceptable and unacceptable work across a wide range of assembly operations. These standards provide an objective basis for quality decisions and ensure that the criteria applied are consistent across operators and over time. For customers with specific workmanship requirements, such as IPC class standards, we discuss and agree those requirements at project setup and ensure they are applied throughout production.
ISO 9001 Quality Management
Our quality management system operates under ISO 9001 standards, which provides a recognised and auditable framework for consistent quality across all our processes. For you as a customer, ISO 9001 certification means that our processes are documented, that we have systematic approaches to identifying and correcting non-conformances, and that we are committed to continuous improvement. In practical terms, it means you can have confidence in the consistency of what we produce, and you have the assurance of an independently audited quality system behind every assembly we deliver.
Achilles UVDB Silver Plus Accreditation
Achilles UVDB Silver Plus status confirms that our management systems have undergone independent assessment across key operational areas including health and safety, environmental responsibility, and quality management. For customers, this independent verification provides an additional layer of assurance that our processes meet recognised industry standards and that our organisation operates with strong governance, risk management, and compliance practices.
Traceability and Documentation
For many of our customers, particularly those in regulated industries such as nuclear, defence-related, and industrial sectors, traceability is not optional. Our quality system supports full component and process traceability, and we maintain appropriate records throughout the manufacturing lifecycle. This documentation provides the evidence base for quality conformance and is invaluable if questions arise later about the materials or processes used in a specific batch of assemblies.
Quality Built Into the Process
Our approach to quality is not about inspection at the end of the line, it is about building quality into every stage of the manufacturing process. This starts with component sourcing from reputable, authorised suppliers, continues through controlled assembly processes and in-process inspection, and concludes with thorough final test and inspection before goods are released for delivery. This process-driven approach is more effective than relying on end-of-line inspection, and it results in higher first-pass yields and fewer surprises for our customers.
Continuous Improvement
A quality system that does not improve is one that is gradually falling behind. At Intercole, we take our continuous improvement obligations seriously, reviewing quality data, customer feedback, and process performance regularly to identify opportunities to do things better. This commitment to improvement is part of what has sustained our quality reputation over more than 60 years in the industry.
Frequently Asked Questions for our Quality Assurance
Are you ISO 9001 certified?
Yes, our quality management system operates under ISO 9001 standards. We can provide details of our certification on request.
Do you work to IPC workmanship standards?
Yes, we apply recognised workmanship standards to our assembly operations and can discuss specific IPC class requirements for your project.
What is Achilles UVDB Silver Plus accreditation?
Achilles UVDB Silver Plus is an independent supplier verification used widely across the UK utilities sector. It confirms that a supplier’s management systems, including health and safety, environmental, and quality processes, have been independently assessed and meet recognised industry standards.
Can you support the traceability requirements of regulated industries?
Yes, our quality system supports component and process traceability at the level required for regulated industry customers. Discuss your specific requirements with us during project scoping.