Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers, often called quality-control inspectors or another, similar name, ensure that your food will not make you sick, that your car will run properly, and that your pants will not split the first time you wear them. These workers monitor or audit quality standards for virtually all manufactured products, including foods, textiles, clothing, glassware, motor vehicles, electronic components, computers, and structural steel. As product quality becomes increasingly important to the success of many manufacturing firms, daily duties of inspectors place more focus on this aspect of their jobs.
Regardless of title, all inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers work to guarantee the quality of the goods their firms produce. Specific job duties vary across the wide range of industries in which these workers are found. Materials inspectors may check products by sight, sound, feel, smell, or even taste to locate imperfections such as cuts, scratches, missing pieces, or crooked seams. These workers may verify dimensions, color, texture, strength, or other physical characteristics of objects. Mechanical inspectors generally verify that parts fit, move correctly, and are properly lubricated; check the pressure of gases and the level of liquids; test the flow of electricity; and do a test run to check for proper operation of a machine or piece of equipment. Some jobs involve only a quick visual inspection; others require a longer, detailed one. Sorters may separate goods according to length, size, fabric type, or color, while samplers test or inspect a sample taken from a batch or production run for malfunctions or defects. Weighers weigh quantities of materials for use in production. Testers repeatedly test existing products or prototypes under real-world conditions. Through these tests, companies determine how long a product will last, what parts will break down first, and how to improve durability.
Quality-control workers are involved at every stage of the production process. Some examine materials received from a supplier before sending them to the production line. Others inspect components and assemblies or perform a final check on the finished product. Depending on their skill level, inspectors also may set up and test equipment, calibrate precision instruments, repair defective products, or record data.
These workers rely on a number of tools to perform their jobs. Although some still use hand-held measurement devices such as micrometers, calipers, and alignment gauges, it is more common for them to operate electronic inspection equipment, such as coordinate-measuring machines (CMMs). These machines use sensitive probes to measure a part's dimensional accuracy and allow the inspector to analyze the results with computer software. Inspectors testing electrical devices may use voltmeters, ammeters, and ohmmeters to test potential difference, current flow, and resistance, respectively. All the tools that inspectors use are maintained by calibration technicians, who ensure that they work properly and generate accurate readings.
Inspectors mark, tag, or note problems. They may reject defective items outright, send them for repair, or fix minor problems themselves. If the product is acceptable, the inspector will certify it. Quality-control workers record the results of their inspections, compute the percentage of defects and other statistical measures, and prepare inspection and test reports. Some electronic inspection equipment automatically provides test reports containing these inspection results. When defects are found, inspectors notify supervisors and help to analyze and correct the production problems.
The emphasis on finding the root cause of defects is a basic tenet of modern management and production philosophies. Current philosophies emphasize constant quality improvement through analysis and correction of the causes of defects. The nature of inspectors' work has changed from merely checking for defects to determining the cause of those defects.
This increased emphasis on quality means that companies now have integrated teams of inspection and production workers who jointly review and improve product quality. In addition, many companies use self-monitoring production machines to ensure that the output is produced within quality standards. These machines not only can alert inspectors to production problems, but also sometimes automatically repair defects.
Some firms have completely automated inspection with the help of advanced vision inspection systems using machinery installed at one or several points in the production process. Inspectors in these firms monitor the equipment, review output, and perform random product checks.
Working conditions vary by industry and establishment size. As a result, some inspectors examine similar products for an entire shift, whereas others examine a variety of items.
In manufacturing, it is common for most inspectors to remain at one workstation. Inspectors in some industries may be on their feet all day and may have to lift heavy objects, whereas in other industries they sit during most of their shift and read electronic printouts of data. Workers in heavy manufacturing plants may be exposed to the noise and grime of machinery; in other plants, inspectors work in clean, air-conditioned environments suitable for carrying out controlled tests. As a result of these varied working conditions, injuries are not uncommon for this occupation, and workers must follow proper procedures to minimize risks.
Some inspectors work evenings, nights, or weekends. Shift assignments generally are made on the basis of seniority. Overtime may be required to meet production goals.
| 1. | Discard or reject products, materials, and equipment not meeting specifications. |
| 2. | Analyze and interpret blueprints, data, manuals, and other materials to determine specifications, inspection and testing procedures, adjustment and certification methods, formulas, and measuring instruments required. |
| 3. | Inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, and work for conformance to specifications. |
| 4. | Notify supervisors and other personnel of production problems, and assist in identifying and correcting these problems. |
| 5. | Discuss inspection results with those responsible for products, and recommend necessary corrective actions. |
| 6. | Record inspection or test data, such as weights, temperatures, grades, or moisture content, and quantities inspected or graded. |
| 7. | Mark items with details such as grade and acceptance or rejection status. |
| 8. | Observe and monitor production operations and equipment to ensure conformance to specifications and make or order necessary process or assembly adjustments. |
| 9. | Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers. |
| 10. | Analyze test data and make computations as necessary to determine test results. |
| 11. | Collect or select samples for testing or for use as models. |
| 12. | Check arriving materials to ensure that they match purchase orders and submit discrepancy reports when problems are found. |
| 13. | Compare colors, shapes, textures, or grades of products or materials with color charts, templates, or samples to verify conformance to standards. |
| 14. | Write test and inspection reports describing results, recommendations, and needed repairs. |
| 15. | Read dials and meters to verify that equipment is functioning at specified levels. |
| 16. | Remove defects, such as chips and burrs, and lap corroded or pitted surfaces. |
| 17. | Adjust, clean, or repair products or processing equipment to correct defects found during inspections. |
| 18. | Clean, maintain, repair, and calibrate measuring instruments and test equipment such as dial indicators, fixed gauges, and height gauges. |
| 19. | Stack and arrange tested products for further processing, shipping, or packaging and transport products to other work stations as necessary. |
| 20. | Fabricate, install, position, or connect components, parts, finished products, or instruments for testing or operational purposes. |
| 21. | Supervise testing or drilling activities. |
| 22. | Grade, classify, and sort products according to sizes, weights, colors, or other specifications. |
| 23. | Position products, components, or parts for testing, or direct other workers to position them. |
| 24. | Make minor adjustments to equipment, such as turning setscrews to calibrate instruments to required tolerances. |
| 25. | Set controls, start and monitor machines that automatically measure, sort, or inspect products. |
| 26. | Interpret legal requirements, provide safety information, and recommend compliance procedures to contractors, craft workers, engineers, and property owners. |
| 27. | Compute defect percentages or averages, using formulas and calculators, and prepare reports of inspection or test findings. |
| 28. | Weigh materials, products, containers, or samples to verify packaging weights and ingredient quantities, or to determine sorting. |
| 29. | Administer tests to engineers and operators to assess whether they are qualified to use equipment. |
| 30. | Disassemble defective parts and components, such as inaccurate or worn gauges and measuring instruments, using hand tools. |
| 31. | Compute usable amounts of items in shipments and determine prices, based on quantities and grade assessments. |
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