Quality Control: Three Inspection Gates
Quality problems in this industry are rarely caused by a bad machine. They come from an unmeasured batch, an unrecorded change, or an inspection that happened only at the end. Our process puts a gate at three points so a problem is caught before it becomes a container.
Gate 1 — Incoming material
- Wood: moisture content measured per batch (target 8-12%); slat thickness and width checked against drawing; knots and discolouration graded out.
- Fabric: weight per square metre verified; width and shrinkage tested on a 50 cm sample; colour compared to the approved lab dip under D65 light.
- Hardware: cord, ladder tape and brackets sampled for tensile strength.
Gate 2 — In-process
- CNC machining checked every 200 slats against ±0.1 mm tolerance.
- Lacquer coats measured for film thickness; adhesion tested by cross-hatch on one slat per batch.
- Dye batches recorded with lot number and compared to the approved standard — this is how we prevent shade drift between orders.
Gate 3 — Pre-shipment
| Check | Method | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|
| Visual / workmanship | AQL 2.5 (major), AQL 4.0 (minor) | Zero critical defects |
| Dimensions | Measured against the confirmed size list | ±2 mm on width and drop |
| Moisture content (wood) | Pin meter, 5 slats per carton | 8-12% |
| Operation test | Tilt and raise/lower 20 cycles per set sample | Smooth, no cord fray |
| Colour (fabric) | Spectrophotometer vs approved standard | ΔE ≤ 1.0 |
| Packing | Drop test on 3 cartons, carton weight check | No damage, weight within ±3% |
Records you receive
Every shipment ships with a pre-shipment inspection report, the batch record for the material used, and photos of the packed cartons. If a claim arises, we resolve it against a third-party inspection report rather than a conversation.
Factory verification
We encourage buyers to verify us rather than trust a web page: request a live video walk-through of the slat line, ask for the record of the last three shipments to your region, or send your own inspector. Contact us to arrange a video call — book a factory video tour.
Want the inspection template we use? We will send the checklist so your own QC team can compare it with your standard.
