Product Quality Assurance
The UACJ Group contributes broadly to society by striving to provide customers with products and services that earn their satisfaction and trust.
Basic Policies and Systems for Quality Management
Basic Policies
Philosophy
The UACJ Group aims at contributing toward the realization of a sustainable and prosperous society by striving to provide products and services that satisfy customers and earn their trust through quality-oriented, faithful manufacturing.
Action Guidelines
- We will promote to improve our technical development, quality improvement, and enhance our manufacturing capability.
- We will meet all applicable requirements.
- We will continuously improve our quality management system.
- We will establish quality targets, review the results, and allocate management resources as needed.
- Group members shall understand the quality policies and act accordingly. All members shall participate in quality improvement activities.
Quality Management System
The UACJ Group has established its Quality Committee as the highest organ for advancing quality management. Chaired by the President and vice-chaired by the Executive in Charge of Quality, the Quality Committee discusses and reports on the status of quality, significant problems, and other quality-related matters.
Quality control groups have been established for each of the Group’s businesses - flat rolled products, extrusion, foil, casting and forging, and precision-machined components. These individual quality control groups work together with the Quality Management Department and the leaders of organizational units, as they pursue quality management activities.
Formulation of the UACJ Group’s Annual Quality Management Direction
The UACJ Group sets an annual quality control policy and implements specific quality improvement measures.
In fiscal 2023, we set specific targets, defined priority issues, and implemented quality enhancement measures following our slogan, “To realize VISION 2030, let us strengthen our quality foundation, which is the basis of our business.”
In fiscal 2024, we will continue advancing initiatives following the slogan, Advancing toward " VISION 2030," let's meet customers’ expectations by strengthening our quality foundation!” to achieve our quality targets and clear the path toward our objectives.
Fiscal 2023 Results and Fiscal 2024 Initiatives
Fiscal 2023 Quality Targets
- Serious quality accidents: Maintain zero accidents
- Claims : Reduce last year’s results by 10% or more
Focused Activities
- Improvement of customer satisfaction
- Prevention of occurrence/recurrence of defects
- Continuous improvement of quality control/assurance system
- Strict compliance with public standards and customer agreements
- Improvement of reliability of testing, inspection, and report issuance
Initiatives to achieve the quality targets for fiscal 2023 produced the following results.
Our Group goal is for “ serious quality accidents: maintain zero accidents,” and in fiscal 2023 our group-wide activities helped us achieve the goal.
We did not achieve our target to “ claims : reduce last year’s results by 10% or more,” as complaints declined by only 4%. Although we did not reach the target, we were able to continue the downward trend and will implement quality improvement measures to reach the target in fiscal 2024.
Our slogan for fiscal 2024 is “ Advancing toward " VISION 2030," let's meet customers’ expectations by strengthening our quality foundation!” We are setting quality targets, clarifying what we need to do to strengthen our foundation of quality, and continuously implementing measures to improve quality.
Fiscal 2024 Quality Targets
- Serious quality accidents: Maintain zero accidents
- Claims : Reduce last year’s results by 10% or more
Focused Activities
- Improvement of customer satisfaction
- Prevention of occurrence/recurrence of defects
- Continuous improvement of quality control/assurance system
- Adherence to quality compliance
- Improvement of reliability of testing, inspection, and report issuance
Quality Management based on International Certifications
The UACJ Group practices quality control in accordance with international quality management system certifications that UACJ and our Group companies have obtained. The Quality Management Department supervises quality management in line with international certification requirements for group companies that have not acquired certification.
Strengthening the Quality Assurance System by Preparing Quality Assurance Guidelines (UACJ ver.)
The Japan Aluminum Association formulated the Guidelines for Quality Assurance in March 2018 in response to specific issues in the industry, including falsified quality data and inspections by unauthorized personnel at manufacturing companies.
The UACJ Group established in August 2018 and continually updates the UACJ the Quality Assurance Guidelines, which are based on the Group’s quality control system and Japan Aluminum Association guidelines.
Quality-related measures in fiscal 2024 included conducting education sessions and awareness surveys on quality compliance, automating test and inspection data processes, and mutual audits among Group sites.
Product Safety Initiatives
Aluminum’s high strength and light weight along with its excellent workability, corrosion resistance, and recyclability have made it common in industrial products, packaging material, and in a wide variety of items in our daily lives. We place particular importance on consumer safety with our products because they are often used in situations involving human life, such as for food packaging and in the automobile and aircraft industries.
The UACJ Group conducts product safety checks in design reviews at the engineering stage and continues carrying out thorough checks of product safety-related items (such as chemical composition and strength) itemized in specification sheets provided to customers at the manufacturing stage.
In addition, we provide our customers with a material inspection report (mill sheets) for verification of product compliance.
Product Defect and Safety Compliance Data
The UACJ Group has established rules for responding to major incidents concerning product quality and safety. Under the Rules for Handling a Serious Quality Incident, when a product defect, regulatory violation or other incident is discovered, we set up a special incident investigation committee, verify the details of the situation, and provide relevant information to customers and consumers. To date, there have not been any incidents requiring that these steps be taken.
Measures to Improve Customer Satisfaction
UACJ Group companies directly receive customer the comments and requests in its daily sales activities. The information we receive is an important part of our ongoing efforts to improve our business and develop new products. We highly value dialogue with our customer and are constantly striving to increase customer satisfaction.
Responding to Customer Questions
On its website, the UACJ Group has created a page where customers can submit questions on matters such as orders for aluminum materials and technical issues concerning applications, and ask for prepared information. Regardless of the nature of the inquiry, we make a point of providing customers with swift, accurate responses.
Going forward, we intend to further deepen our interaction with customers and reflect what we learn in the development of new products and other activities, as well.
Dissemination of Information on New Products and Technologies
Publication of a Technology and Research Journal
UACJ publishes UACJ Technical Reports, a technical and research journal in which we share the Group’s research results, new products and technologies. We publish the journal on our website to provide technical information on aluminum and aluminum alloys available to as many people as possible. The UACJ Technical Reports will also continue to provide the latest information on the Group products and technologies.