A uniform set of rules can even out results across the board. Meeting these goals can provide consumers with additional confidence while streamlining processes for workers. On the other hand, it takes time and resources to achieve International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 certification. The standardization benefits can translate to a time-consuming and costly process. Piping Supplies Inc., a flange manufacturer and pipe making supplies provider, is conscious of both sides of this issue.

In short, ISO 9001 family of regulations is the “international standard for a quality management system” and certification does not depend on company size, industry products. According to The Standards Stores, a provider of management system toolkits, the roll-out of an effective Quality Management System that adheres to ISO 9001 standards will ensure “appropriate and effective” operations. It’s important not to over-complicate things and this example of how ISO 9001 can be applied to baking cookies shows us the significance of internal and external issues, parties involved, scope and quality management.

Manufacturing is a process rooted in exact measurements and tasks carried out hundreds of times to render identical results. When creating pipe flanges, our machinists are expected to take custom dimensions and machine a unique part. Now that we’ve explained the basics of ISO 9001, it’s easy to see how the expectations are applicable. A flange manufacturer who is producing pipe flanges for customers will need to consider some of the following when taking on the order: efficiency and productivity, waste reduction, consistent results and how these plans could be provided to smaller and larger firms. Customers expect pipe flanges to perform as intended once installed; our efforts to properly thread and bore every flange exactly the same is what ISO 9001 is all about.

To play devil’s advocate here, does a flange manufacturer really need to be ISO 9001-certified? Our pipe making supplies have been tried and tested and our reputation for one-off orders and meeting exacting demands speaks for itself. It takes time to learn, implement and adhere to these standardizations – and that’s time taken away from the actual manufacturing work that we do. If the pipe flanges we’re currently producing are pleasing customers every single time, should our small machine shop be concerned with such subjective goals? Even if ISO 9001 is a globally-accepted form of standardization, Piping Supplies Inc. is often more concerned with our local customers around the corner. In fact, it’s these clients that have helped us solidify such a positive reputation over our 50 years of operation. These are all important decision we must make internally and since it can affect the outcome of our projects, it’s one we take very seriously.

Some people shy away from technical details and how-to tutorials. It’s far easier, in their opinion, to leave the specialized work to the specialists. At the other end of the spectrum are people who want to see how the sausage is made, to use a certain expression. The question that a flange manufacturer must ask themselves is about sharing internal information, the benefits of doing so and possible risks. Do customers care about the maximum outside diameter of ANSI B16.5 pipe flanges? Or, do they place greater priority on the fact that we’ve been a contributing member to New Jersey’s economy since the late 1960s? As such, our longevity is plenty of evidence to prove our capability. The amount of internal information to share with the public can be a balancing act for companies offering pipe making supplies, but we continuously try offer as much relevant context as possible.

Nuts and bolts (and other fine details): The work we do must meet exacting standards. The pride of any flange manufacturer are pipe flanges that are used to complete important projects. Piping Supplies Inc. works hard to fulfill government contracts and produce products made from copper alloys. These offer corrosion resistance and are perfect for maritime applications. That’s one reason why the U.S. Navy requests them from us. Anyone in our industry will place plenty of value in this information, but we want to encourage many different industries to consult us for work.

Small clients welcome: Piping Supplies Inc. is happy to help customers who have unique requests for one-off pipe flanges. Just because we count the U.S. Navy as a large client doesn’t mean we can’t crank out products for your small job. In these instances, we’ll encourage people to contact us directly to discuss the specifics of their project. This limits the amount of technical information we share and gives the customer the opportunity to lay the ground rules for the new task at hand.

Practical machining: Working with carbon steel, stainless steel, copper-nickel, Inconel, Hastelloy and aluminum takes vast technical knowledge. As a flange manufacturer, we’ve amassed a great deal of skill creating pipe flanges that will thread up, slip on, weld to and generally connect your piping systems. We’re confident that required bolt hole patterns and other dimensions will meet ANSI, American National Standard Institute, (note for Webimax only: ASTM and ASME make the specs for the different types of metal/steel and not the dimensional specs for the items we make) as well as American Society of Mechanical Engineers standards. At the same time, we have to be cognizant of not overloading customers with information. Let us take care of the heavy lifting and we’ll happily explain our process.

Any company that’s been around as long as us, which is five decades and counting, can attest to monumental changes in business practices over the years. The number of locally-owned machine shops may have decreased compared to the 1960s and 70s, but those that still exist are carrying on a proud tradition. This includes providing goods and services to neighbors who choose to work with the entrepreneurs who are supporting the local community. As a flange manufacturer, we’ve proudly worked with local customers for years and when someone approaches us for a limited run of pipe flanges, we relish the opportunity.

The question that arises in this digital-first shopping environment is how companies make initial contact with potential customers. Do salespeople continue to make outreach and offer our pipe making supplies, or can we rely on the Internet to organically increase our presence? It’s a fair question and one that many companies are asking themselves in an era when online shopping is king.

Consider the following: The average Internet user who is on the hunt for a specific product – be it pipe flanges or new shoes – will turn to online shopping at least once a month. According to consumer education news outlet BrizFeel, 92 percent of the 30,000 people they surveyed said they shop online at least one a year. These folks do so because they value the online shopping experience, price and supporting a certain brand. To capitalize on these trends, even companies that make pipe flanges need to double down on their online presence. Per the study, just 27 percent of respondents would return to a website they previously visited if “had trouble accessing it, while 73 percent of consumers said they will visit another website.” That’s letting a sale walk out the digital door — and that’s no good for a flange manufacturer.

What’s telling, according to the survey, is that there are favorable feelings toward online shopping, but in-person options remain quite viable. The final percentages for the 30,000 people consulted were 57 percent in favor of online shopping compared to 31 percent who would rather make a deal in-person. This is where the future of a salesperson comes into play. The sheer scale of customizations that a customer can make when ordering pipe making supplies and pipe flanges makes in-person communications very effective. Shoppers can voice their questions and comments to an actual person, who can then relay that information to the manufacturing departments in charge of naval, industrial or energy products sector flange designs.

Working with a small-scale flange manufacturer is truly the best of both worlds. Our customers are encouraged to visit our website and learn more about our products and equipment. We then ask visitors to contact us directly so we can best understand their specific needs, quickly quote them and because we’re a nimble firm that can make pipe flanges to meet the specific needs of for their job small projects. Our goal is to fulfill that one-off order and help get an important project closer to completion.

Once a pipe dream and then a novelty, additive manufacturing (AM) has come a long way in the world of custom machined products. Building up layers of plastic or metal to create a part or tool is an innovative way of doing things – but it’s practicality has yet to be determined.

Piping Supplies Inc., a turn-key solution for pipe flanges and specialty machined parts when you need a small and responsive firm, is more than happy to consider AM as a future offering. At present, this sector of engineering and manufacturing is still proving its worth. As a flange manufacturer, it’s our job to stay on top of the latest technology and AM certainly falls into that category. The question remains: is it still too early to start using this untested technology for our products?

The public has largely been introduced to AM via 3D printers that produce small plastic components. Even if the final product is a small toy or knick-knack, it still represents a powerful design process. Plans produced with computer-aided-design (CAD) software can then be fed to a 3D printer to make individual objects. The layer-upon-layer construction of individual parts is unique to AM. With a focus on the design aspect and an eye for reducing waste, it’s a modernized revolution to the factory assembly lines seen a century ago.

Piping Supplies Inc., which specializes in steel and alloy pipe flanges, is also cognizant of the simplicity in the design and revision process. Updating CAD files to tweak a product is the perfect job for the tech-savvy workforce of tomorrow. What’s more, the tools required to produce objects made through AM are becoming more budget-friendly. This allows a flange manufacturer considering this avenue to begin marketing smaller runs of products – be it pipe flanges or other pipe making supplies. According to PTC.com, an industrial advisory firm, “nothing beats additive manufacturing for speed and economy” when making low-quantity products. Moreover, on-demand printing of objects “removes the need for warehouse space, personnel, and piles of obsolete parts.” Piping Supplies Inc. is proud to help clients who come to us with requests for custom and specialty-machined flanges. Knowing that overall roundness and bolt holes of these unique orders match exact specifications is why people choose us.

Times have changed. The machinist making small adjustments to a lathe when carving a part out of solid metal helped shape the future. Time will tell if that future is rampant with 3D printers churning out objects made through AM. For now, Piping Supplies Inc. will continue to consider this technology as a possible option when clients come to us with one-off projects for custom machined parts.