How do Analytical Laboratories Help with Product Quality Control?

Poor product quality can seriously affect organization results and customer satisfaction. Ensuring product quality is a huge responsibility — and it’s impossible to go it alone. If you’re looking for a team to help you secure the highest quality product, an analytical laboratory can be the answer. We’ll support you and your products from start to finish using a range of quality control testing techniques.

So, what exactly can an analytical lab do for you? Below we highlight some common uses for an analytical test in product quality control.

Electronics Manufacturing Analytical Testing

The smallest contaminant can make a massive difference in electronic manufacturing. Contaminants such as residual flux or cleaning agents can result in corrosion and/or electrical failures on circuits.

Analytical testing can be used during the manufacturing process to look for microcontamination that can affect product function and safety — for example identifying ionic contamination on printed circuit boards. And testing can also determine the cause of circuit board shorts and other performance issues.

Food Processing Analytical Testing

Food purity is a top priority in the food and beverage industry — and analytical testing can help. Say a manufacturer is buying parmesan cheese as an ingredient for their line of popcorn. If they are concerned that the cheese may have fillers, an analytical lab can use a test to determine if foods have been adulterated or if they are as advertised.

Product quality testing can also help to pinpoint sources of food contaminants, such as bacteria, in the production line. Quickly identifying and resolving the problem can help keep customers safe and minimize downtime.

Plastics Manufacturing Analytical Testing

A common question we hear at our analytical laboratory is, “What’s this stain?” Often this question comes from clients who use plastics in the manufacturing process. And while stains don’t always impact product performance, sometimes they do. Analytical testing can identify stains and whether they are cause for concern.

In addition, there are numerous ways that an analytical test can ensure that the chemical composition of plastics are ideal for their intended use. Some examples include:

Guaranteeing continued product quality when changing suppliers or processes.
Identifying toxins in manufactured products such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and phthalates that may concern consumers.
Comparing material composition of a good part with a bad part when troubleshooting the cause for product failures.

Pharmaceuticals Analytical Testing

Analytical tests play a significant role in the development of pharmaceuticals. After all, it’s only after numerous tests that a company can determine the ideal mix of ingredients for their medication. But formulating the product and getting approval is only the beginning.

Next comes the essential job of ensuring that every dose is free from contaminants and remains physically and chemically stable throughout the manufacturing process. A typical application for analytical testing determines if the chemicals used in the manufacturing process, such as methyl methacrylate monomer and ethanol, affect product quality.

Medical Device Manufacturing Analytical Testing

There is no room for contaminants or product failure when developing medical device products, especially when the products are implanted in patients. So, it’s no wonder that medical device companies leverage analytical testing at nearly every stage of the process to ensure product quality.

For example, cleanliness testing is vital to identify microcontaminants on medical devices that may affect product performance. Analytical testing is also used to evaluate passivation layers for product safety.

Ensure Top Quality Products with Analytical Testing

If you want to ensure consistent quality in your products or need support for failure analysis, quality control testing at our analytical lab may be the answer. We can also support research and development projects through techniques such as reverse engineering and formulating your product from the ground up.

To learn about even more ways that testing can ensure product quality and add value to your business, check out The Beginners Guide to Analytical Testing.

Do you have questions, or are you ready to get started? Fill out a contact form or call us at 888-740-5227.