Quality as a sustainability issue

At its core, sustainability is not about saving trees and endangered turtles. It’s about creating a way of operating now that ensures we don’t negatively affect future generations. This means being considered and precise. Measuring twice, so we only need to cut once. Consistently working to achieve repeatable quality outcomes.

For World Quality Month the Bradken Carbon Neutral 2030 team looked at how quality and sustainability are intrinsically linked. When we implement and improve our quality systems and processes, it helps us improve value by reducing waste, emissions and time.

“Every heat that we do uses huge amounts of energy - both gas in ladle pre-heating and electricity in the melt. Using gas and non-renewable electricity results in vast greenhouse gas emissions,” says Kirsty Morgan, CN2030 Project Director.

“It’s imperative that every step of the process, from preparing the moulds, to heat-treating the parts, to finishing the product, is done properly the first time,” says Kirsty.

This attention to detail helps reduce the risk of quality concerns resulting in wasters and having to scrap parts to redo the whole process again.

Our Global Quality Assurance Manager Quality, Josh Cahill, knows how important ‘quality’ is to our customers too.

“Quality puts the customer at the heart of everything we do. Our quality assurance processes are designed to make sure the products we manufacture consistently meet our customers’ expectations, giving them exactly what they need to successfully run their facilities and operations,” says Josh.

“When we meet our customers’ current needs through attention to quality, it also supports us to reach our carbon neutral goals so we can continue to work without compromising the future of the planet,” adds Kirsty.

Just like in our Carbon Neutral Roadmap, quality focuses on operational efficiency. Small, measured changes add up to make sure our products are right the first time, which in turn reduces our emissions. By taking lessons learned and sharing progress, Bradken can continually improve how we operate.