Certified Manufacturing: Why it matters

At Intrex one of the key drivers to our future is our certifications. Being a manufacturer of precision CNC parts we are constantly being challenged by our suppliers to not only provide tight tolerance components, but to also have in-place systems that oversee and document our entire process. Intrex Aerospace now holds ISO 9001 and AS 9100 certifications, and is ITAR registered. We are presently working our way through the CMMC certification process.

ISO 9000 Our First Certification

The first certification we earned years ago was ISO 9000. At the time it was desired by some of our suppliers. Then, over time, it became a requirement for nearly all of them. At first, during the certification process, we did not fully realize nor appreciate how the process and the certification improved our quality and our overall business. It had taken our many years of aggregated knowledge of process information and documented it. It allowed our employees access to this documented information. No more reliance on “tribal knowledge”.

ISO/AS Principles

The principles of ISO 9000 and AS9100 by requiring and maintaining a documented quality system, increases the probability of delivering quality parts, on-time. It provides a traceable framework for building and growing our business. Working our way through these certifications with the required implementation can be onerous, but they have driven us and our customers to be better. Our performance metrics of 98+ OTD, 30 < ppm, are world-class. These certifications have played a key role in raising our value and performance to our customers. Our enhanced performance metrics afford us new quote opportunities. Improvement in quality also means cost reduction to our customers.

CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification)

CMMC is a Department of Defense initiative to improve the level of security in the defense supply chain. It was originally announced by the government in 2019 and updated in late 2021. It is based on the NIST 800-171 standard, with 110 controls that must be implemented. The full rollout will be in the next 24 months. Increased cybersecurity has been building for years, and recent global events have added to its’ relevance and urgency.

Intrex has had ongoing action items on cybersecurity, regardless of CMMC or who we sell to. We recognize our customers are trusting us with their intellectual property. Because we are an aerospace/space ITAR registered manufacturer we are paying close attention to this initiative. We are actively working toward full compliance with the 110 controls of NIST 800-171 and CMMC.

Intrex’s Commitment To Quality Manufacturing

Being a provider of precision CNC parts for aerospace/space/defense, we recognize the need for constant improvement, in every facet of our business. Keeping current with certifications is one of the vehicles we use to this end. These certifications properly implemented and maintained help us monitor and measure our continuous improvement. This requires constant communication and interface with our customers. They are not only used as great documenting and auditing tools; they are proof of our level of commitment to our customer.