Webinar: Ensuring Hose Quality in a Changing Automotive Market
In this 45-minute webinar, Smithers expert Jeff Andrasik will discuss quality validation for automotive hoses
Webinar: Best Practices for Validating Your Product in a Changing Supply Chain
Original Run Date: Thursday, January 20th, 2022 | download below>
In the latest webinar, Smithers expert, Jeff Andrasik discusses best practices for validating your product in a changing supply chain.
The presentation will cover:
Global supply chains have experienced major disruptions since early 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires across North America, an unprecedented deep freeze in Texas, the Suez Canal blockage, and more. These unpredictable factors have led to unpredictable shipping timelines and fluctuations in raw material prices. Hose and belt manufacturers have had to adjust their material choices on short notice while continuing to meet quality standards, customer needs, and profitability benchmarks.
Reacting to unexpected changes and managing these important goals at the same time can be challenging. A well-designed methodical process can help companies validate alternatives efficiently so they can adapt with minimal disruption and ensure quality over time.
In this 45-minute webinar, Smithers expert Jeff Andrasik will deliver a comprehensive overview on the value of audit programs and processes. He will start with a current look at market trends and supply chain delays, including some anecdotal feedback from within the industry and implications for future supply chain disruptions.
Andrasik will discuss the risks associated with changing product design and formulation and your options for mitigating that risk, specifically validation testing. He will cover a variety of test methods specific to reinforced rubber products and components that are designed for high performance applications, including:
- Material property testing
- PVT testing
- Fatigue testing
- Failure analysis
Lastly, Andrasik will walk through the elements of a reliable quality validation program. He will share different options for testing schedules, volumes, and other guidelines to consider.
About the Presenter
As General Manager of Product Testing, Jeff directs a team of ten engineers at two product testing laboratories in North America: one in Akron, Ohio, and one in Lansing, Michigan. He first joined Smithers in 2002 and has worked in product testing, material testing, and sample preparation. He has developed and executed a wide variety of test programs including pressure, vibration, and temperature specifications on automotive, industrial, aerospace, nuclear, and consumer products.
Jeff has more than 15 years of experience testing rubber and plastic components, parts, and products against common industry and governmental standards including ASTM, ISO, SAE, Fed, MIL, FDA, and automotive OEM specifications.
Jeff is a member of the Hose Safety Institute Advisory Council of the Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution (NAHAD). He is a graduate of the Univeristy of Akron with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Polymer Engineering. He has also presented at numerous conferences on product testing best practices.