R&M Machine Shop Soars to New Heights with AS9100 Certification

R&M Machine Shop, Inc (R&M) is a certified SBA woman owned small business located in Fyffe, Alabama. The company has been in business since 1994 and employs 12 people. R&M manufactures machined components to customer prints and specifications using materials in steel, stainless steel, cooper, aluminum, inconel, brass, bronze and plastics. R&M Machine Shop houses a 13,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing area containing CNC mills and lathes and utilizes Solidworks/CAM Works to create models and programs to ensure quality in their finished products.  

After having an ISO 9001 Quality Management System in place for several years, R&M Machine decided that they wanted to become certified in a AS9100 Quality Management System to gain business from the aviation, space, and defense industries. Leadership reached out to ATN, part of the MEP National Network™, for the expertise to understand how they could successfully transition from ISO to the AS system. R&M needed help setting up documentation and processes to meet the requirements for the AS9100 standard.   

An ATN engineer worked with R&M personnel to develop an AS9100 quality manual and reviewed existing procedures that could be used with the new system. Additional forms that were needed were identified and created as well. For the next phase of the project, internal auditor training was conducted as a requirement of the AS9100 standard. The internal auditor training was valuable in identifying any strengths or weaknesses in the system.  Before the registration audit, training for all employees was conducted on what to expect during the audit, what questions would be asked, and an explanation on the benefits of certification. Once all training was completed, the initial stage I, or readiness review, and the stage II certification audits took place. ATN assisted by reviewing the auditor findings and offered suggestions on how to correct any concerns given by the auditor. Following the phase, R&M Machine successfully received their certification in 2021.