Quality & Reliability Testing
To ensure our customers receive product that is of world-class quality, we utilize inside and outside testing capabilities. On a daily basis we manufacture a test panel that includes all of our capabilities. Once it is complete, we steam age the panel for 8 hours, test for solderability, cross section all the hole sizes to verify plating quality, and then test for Ionic Contamination. This is done on a daily basis, but every year we fabricate a daisy chain test panel and send it out for High Temperature Storage (125°C), Temperature Cycling (-45 C - 125 C, 1000hrs.), and High Humidity (100%, 1000 hrs.). These samples must maintain less than 10% resistance and then they are micro sectioned to verify the visual characteristics. In addition to these tests, we perform extensive Ionic Contamination tests, solderability tests, resistance to chemical tests, and Autoclave.

Quality Circles:
Saturn uses quality circles to find ways to improve each production process within the plant. A team of people assembles in each area of production (not necessarily their own) and they look for areas for improvement. Brainstorming meetings are held and all feasible changes are implemented. This program allows operators to contribute towards continuous improvement programs, while gaining knowledge about other processes other than their own.

Kaizen:
Kaizen means continuous improvement in Japanese. Utilizing Kaizen in our processes has helped us to improve our process efficiency by eliminating waste and unnecessary motion within the manufacturing process.

Internal Quality Audits:
Saturn has an Internal Audit system in place, which audits all key elements of our business quality management system every three months. The system verifies whether quality activities comply with planned arrangements, and it also determines the effectiveness of the quality system. A group of trained personnel are assigned to conduct these audits.

Continuous Employee Certification Program:
Saturn employees are not authorized to work on their own until they pass a certification program for each process in which they are involved. All employees undergo retraining and recertification every six months.

Zero defect areas:
Drilling, Routing, Scoring, Image, Electro-plating, Etching, and First Article Inspection are declared as zero defect areas. A zero-defect area is a process in which a single non-conformance must be investigated to find the source of the problem and a permanent action will be taken to prevent it from reoccurring.

Calibration and Preventive Maintenance program:

All equipment at Saturn has its own Calibration and Preventive Maintenance schedule. A well-developed system is established and monitored on a regular basis.

Job Traveler System
Every order at Saturn Electronics is logged in, scheduled, and tracked throughout the manufacturing process with a set of documents that ensure that: 1) We have the capability to build the product; 2) Each process has the job instructions; and 3) the outcome of each process meets customer specifications. These documents are as follows:

• Pre-engineering and Design Rule Check
  Anytime Saturn receives a new order from a customer; it is thoroughly checked and verified for all customer requirements against Saturn’s capabilities prior to starting the job. This insures that Saturn has all the necessary artwork and documentation to manufacture the job and that specifications called out on the order are within our capabilities. If discrepancies are found, the customer is immediately notified, and questions are resolved immediately. Orders are scheduled when this document is complete.
   
• Engineering Data Sheet
  When a purchase order is received, it is logged in, scheduled, and the Engineering Data Sheet is filled out. This form outlines all customer specifications and a bar code label is attached so it can be scanned in and out of each department. At any given time, our Customer Service personnel can track each order throughout the shop.
   
• Quality Control Data Sheet
  The Quality Control Data sheet is used to for traceability purposes and to verify and record customer requirements and process controls.