Icon Plastics, a precision plastic injection moulding business, has become one of only two companies in the North East to be awarded the highest standard for automotive quality management systems.
The company, specialising in supplying plastic moulded components and assemblies to the automotive electronics, agricultural, healthcare, construction, and defense sectors, spent 12-months working towards the International Automotive Task Force’s (IATF) 16249.2016.
The IATF accreditation brings together standards from across Europe and the US and is the global technical specification and quality management standard for the automotive industry, with Icon Plastics being the only plastic injection moulder in the North East to be accredited.
Companies that hold the current TS16949:2009 are obligated to pass the new guidelines by September 2018, with those failing to comply losing all accreditation.
Gareth Thomas, Icon Plastics Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to receive the accreditation in recognition of our commitment to the high quality standards we put into the automotive parts and assemblies we supply. We have achieved this as a result of considerable investment in our people, plant and machinery, the IATF 16949:2016 accreditation ensures we will continue to give our existing, new and future customers the continued high levels of quality and service they deserve.
“We have seen significant growth over the last couple of years, and this further strengthens our position into the future.”
Luke Hampton, SMMT Senior Supply Chain Manager, said: “UK Automotive relies on its domestic supply chain to remain competitive and central to this is the provision of quality components and assemblies. Suppliers demonstrate this commitment by introducing globally recognised quality management systems, including IATF 16249.2016, and it’s crucial that companies continue investing and developing to further industry success.”