Controlled processes
Oerlikon Balzers' working methods are highly process-oriented. The process definitions are determined by current and future needs of external and internal customers. Efficient and effective business processes are a cornerstone of the Oerlikon Balzers company philosophy. Process documentation, measurement of process efficiency, continuous training of the employees involved and internal and external audits ensure that these process definitions are followed and improved.

Certifications
All coating centres are ISO 9001-certified. Coating centres that specialise in the coating of precision components also meet the QS-9000 quality standard.  The changeover to the new ISO/TS 16949 standard has already taken place in certain countries. Oerlikon Balzers UK was the first centre to have been awarded the ISO 14001 environmental certification. BUK has started on the route to registration to AS9100 for aerospace, with the objective of certification by the beginning of 2007.

Products and services
For Oerlikon Balzers, quality means fulfilling customer expectations and is the basic requirement for customer satisfaction. The objective is always the same: to offer high-quality products and services with zero-defect quality and optimised procedures. Our employees and suppliers are always aware of this high expectation.

Continuous improvement to zero-defect quality world-wide
Every day, Oerlikon Balzers coats over 500,000 parts and processes thousands of orders. In order to achieve a uniform level of quality throughout the world, Oerlikon Balzers has comprehensively documented technical standards for its coating centres. Compliance with these standards is ensured by internal audits in all centres. In order to improve quality, the systematic reject evaluations and resulting improvement measures are communicated to all centres.