ISO/TS 16949 certification confirms highest process quality

On account of the rapidly growing utilisation and thus steadily increasing importance of electronic components within the automotive industry, HolyStone has further strengthened its market position for the future

The additional ISO/TS 16949 certification documents the consistent growth strategy of HolyStone as a worldwide supplier of reliable high-quality components with a strong focus on its automotive customers. For many years customers have confirmed that the internal procedures and production processes of HolyStone comply with the highest standards. The certification according to ISO/TS 16949 is the official confirmation that this is also proved for the automotive industry. As an approved company HolyStone further strengthened the recognition it needs to grow, compete, and succeed. This really is a milestone for the well-known and trustworthy company and opens up global business opportunities.

Ready for demanding markets
Automotive is one of the worlds’ largest and most important industries for electronics. The boundaries for suppliers to gain access to the automotive market are solid. The manufacturers expect several certifications; one of the most important is ISO/TS 16949. The standard is a business requirement for international trade. The reason for this is simple: Automotive is a – amongst others – safety-driven high-tech market. The players therefore need traceability and reliability for their whole manufacturing chain. They want components, parts and reference designs with proven functionality. As an ISO/TS 16949 certified company HolyStone demonstrates that it manages and delivers highest quality every day and makes excellence a habit.

As an independent manufacturer of high quality Multi-layer Ceramic Components, HolyStone is well positioned to support application specific products as well as standard products across all industry sectors. To complement its full range of ceramic capacitors, HolyStone has a focus on application specific products and technologies such as:

• High voltage capacitors (200VDC to 10KVDC)
• X1/Y2 SM safety-certified capacitors
• X1/Y2 and X1/Y1 safety-certified disc capacitors
• Polymer terminated capacitors (SuperTerm)
• High C/V Tantalum replacements (1-100uF)
• High CV Class 1 (NPO/COG) products for stability and efficiency
• High voltage disc capacitors for inverter and power supplies
• Stacked chip capacitors

Innovation, premium quality and the highest standards across the entire supply chain are crucial for success in the international automotive industry. In this sector the technical specification ISO/TS 16949 is regarded as the world’s foremost quality standard. It is aimed at the development of a quality management system that provides for continual improvement, emphasising defect prevention and the reduction of variation and waste in the automotive industry supply chain. ISO/TS 16949 has largely replaced older standards like QS 9000 and VDA 6.x. For suppliers a certified management system in accordance with ISO/TS 16949 is a ticket to new markets, customers and business opportunities. It shows that a supplier makes continuous improvements to its system and process quality and place customer-specific requirements at the heart of his design, development, production, and service processes. Automotive manufacturer gain better predictability and benefit from more continuous product quality of the supplied goods. What’s more they can reduce costs thanks to the standard’s focus on prevention and planning. Certification in accordance with ISO/TS16949 takes place on the basis of the certification rules issued by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF). The certificate is valid for three years. It must be confirmed annually as a minimum by an IATF certified auditor of an IATF recognised certification body – for example TÜV SÜD, TÜV Rheinland, TÜV NORD in Germany. After three years a re-certification is required.

AEC-Q200 – stress testing passive components
Passive electronic components that are intended for use within the automotive industry must meet the demanding requirements of the AEC-Q200 qualification process – the global standard for stress resistance. Parts have to pass a stringent suite of stress tests and show very high resistance to temperature and vibration and protect against short-circuiting.

In fact temperature conditions in automobiles can vary greatly, with the most demanding locations being in the engine, transmission, and brake systems – for example some of the wheel-mounted components can reach 250°C. Therefore components should not only be selected for the application in question but for a specific function and location, too.