Fastener products distributor and manufacturer Optimas OE Solutions announced Aug. 25 that it has re-opened its Quality Lab in Columbus, Indiana as part of the company’s “Forward Faster” strategy introduced last year that enables the company to be closer and more intimate with customers.

Wood Dale, Illinois-based Optimas is No. 29 on MDM’s 2022 Top Industrial Distributor list and No. 8 ranked fastener distributor.

“Over the last two years, we’ve gathered key learnings, many of which include quality services, which has helped us develop our Forward Faster strategy,” Optimas Americas president Daniel Harms said in a news release. “Based on customer requirements, it made sense to re-open the lab and provide fast, cost-effective quality lab services closer to our customers’ locations, ” said Daniel Harms, president of the Americas for Optimas. “Our foundational aspect of ‘Forward Faster’ is to be ‘one’ with our customers and to do everything we can to make them more successful. This move is another effort to do that in this region and beyond.”

The quality lab conducts general parts inspections and production part approval process (PPAP) evaluations, with the goal of offering faster quality lab services by localizing capabilities.

“With the Columbus quality lab, we can apply world-class equipment and expertise to validate quality and offer solutions to performance issues,” explained Gabriela Gallegos, Optimas VP of quality. “This keeps parts local, deepens relationships at production facilities, saves times and costs, and is convenient for customers.”

The lab offers additional inspection tools and capabilities with localized service. This includes Optimas’ recent installation of the latest VisionLab general inspection equipment — a 3D inspection device for first piece inspection and PPAP. In addition, upgrades have been made to an existing VisionLab system used for angles and O rings. Both machines provide hands-off inspection of fasteners, which the company notes is more accurate. The lab also offers the ability to check torque specs with torque guns, conduct harness testing and check the porosity of section parts. 

Kevin Coryell, Optimas’ senior manager for quality control, said the lab averages over 200 PPAPs per month, including new products, kitting and engineering changes. PPAP is a framework of requirements used in the automotive supply chain to establish confidence in suppliers and their manufacturing processes.