Improvement at MPA never rests. Whether assembling a starter, testing an alternator or answering a customer question, the company's vigilant awareness of quality provides the foundation for MPA's culture - throughout all of their global facilities.
Their Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy is more than just a catchphrase - it is their relentless commitment to quality in both products and services. This obsession with quality drives everyone at MPA to take extensive steps and create the highest levels of product performance and customer satisfaction.
As a result of these and other ongoing measures, the company continues to achieve new levels of quality that are recognized by several organizations - setting new benchmarks for innovation within the industry.
As the leading provider of premium remanufactured starters and alternators, MPA has redefined the remanufacturing process - setting new quality standards for both product and process.
The process begins with analyzing core units to identify common causes of failure among various product families. MPA then re-engineers these weak points and extensively tests the modifications in order to improve the performance and durability of the units.
Units are then remanufactured to the strictest of quality standards, implementing the design enhancements. As part of MPA's extensive remanufacturing process, durable parts are thoroughly cleaned and tested and all components prone to wear are replaced. Each unit is then carefully assembled by specialized product teams and protected with ultra-premium, aerospace-grade lubricants - ensuring performance and durability under extreme conditions.
A critical part of MPA's extensive 40-step remanufacturing process is the three-phase testing of each unit. Base components are initially tested to insure compliance with specifications, subassemblies are tested to ensure proper performance and every final unit is end-of-line tested to ensure its individual performance.
This process and the company's commitment to quality ensure every MPA unit will provide dependable performance right from the box, and for a long time to come.
MPA are constantly refining their manufacturing processes to deliver the highest quality products using the most efficient methods possible. Their unique lean-cell manufacturing approach combines the efficiency of traditional lean manufacturing with quality levels you would expect from hands-on craftsmen.
MPA's unique approach starts with cell-based teams that specialize in particular product families. These teams understand the nuances of their product groups and the design of each unit - inside and out. During assembly and testing, they are constantly scrutinizing units at each of more than 40 manufacturing steps - looking for opportunities to improve both their process and unit quality.
When this specialized knowledge is combined with the technologically-advanced facilities and lean manufacturing principles, the result is MPA's powerful and efficient lean manufacturing process - reducing remanufacturing time from a few days down to only a few hours.
As part of MPA's commitment to quality, all starters and alternators are subjected to the rigorous T3 Testing process. The process is a multi-staged, repetitive testing methodology that ensures total quality by paying special attention to each and every unit. The company's team repeatedly inspects and tests components, sub-assemblies and final units to ensure that every unit they ship is dependable and durable.
Every unit is important to MPA.
MPA's commitment to quality control has been documented and certified to TS 16949 standards. This demanding standard was developed by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) - a panel of the automotive industry's major manufacturers, accreditation bodies, registrars and suppliers, who represent the highest quality standards achievable for an automotive parts supplier and the International Organization for Standards (ISO).
As a TS 16949-certified manufacturer, MPA meets or exceeds the highest standards in the industry. TS 16949, the successor to ISO 9000, is a required certification for supplying parts to many of the world's leading automobile manufacturers. MPA achieved TS 16949 certification in May of 2006 and must pass a rigorous inspection by external IATF auditors every six months to maintain certification.
In addition to the quality certifications, MPA has been repeatedly recognized by Frost & Sullivan with awards for Product Innovation and Enhancing Value. Frost & Sullivan is an independent organization that searches out best practices across industries and recognizes organizations that pioneer those practices and implement them effectively. MPA was the first starter and alternator manufacturer recognized with these awards and they continue to pioneer new methods to improve their product and service quality.