Supplier quality control is an important issue for Polaris—one we take very seriously. One of the ways in which we believe Polaris is superior to our competition is our quality control standards and testing. We have developed excellent sources in China for providing rare earth elements, as well as for the manufacturing of magnet assemblies, sub-assemblies and custom components.
In addition to locating quality suppliers, Polaris also manufactures magnet assemblies, sub-assemblies and custom components to your strict specifications through our strategic relationship with Ningbo NorthStar, a state-of-the-art facility in China. We have invested in an advanced testing lab (link) and maintain strict audit and testing processes. The Ningbo NorthStar facility is ISO14001 and IATF 16949 certified.
Unlike many of our competitors, we regularly visit our overseas suppliers for quality control inspections. In fact, members of our senior staff spend at least six months of the year in China. We perform a variety of testing to ensure the materials and components meet Polaris’ high standards, including:
- Visual Inspections
- Dimensional Testing
- Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer
- Oxygen and Nitrogen Analysis
- Carbon and Sulfur Analysis
- Electron Microscopy
- Corrosion Testing
- Surface Roughness Testing
- Density Testing
- Magnetic Measurements, including BH Curve Testing, Flux Meters and Profilometers
- Humidity Test Chambers
- Tensile Testing
- Low-resistance Testing of Solenoid Cells
- Shorted Turns Testing
- Turn Counting Instrumentation
- Spring Force Testing