Our Process
Fitzpatrick Manufacturing
We are fanatical about every step of our process, from job quoting to part making to final inspection.
At Fitzpatrick Manufacturing, quality and efficiency are achieved through a structured, end-to-end manufacturing process with clearly defined responsibilities, inspection points, and process controls at every stage. Guided by lean manufacturing principles, this disciplined approach helps reduce risk, improve consistency, and deliver reliable results while maintaining the flexibility to support complex and demanding applications.
The Fitzpatrick Way
We are an employee-centric company, and that principle applies to our manufacturing process as well. Everyone, from the project manager to the shop team to our quality control manager, is involved in planning each job.
Quoting
1. Customer Engagement and Quoting
Accurate, realistic quotes are generated based on execution and cross-department expertise, not assumption.
Project Ownership
Project ownership is led by a cross-functional team of department leaders, with a dedicated project manager serving as the customer point of contact every step of the way.
Quote Review
Every project undergoes a thorough review to confirm it is both a strategic fit and within our proven manufacturing capabilities before acceptance.
Cross-Department Quoting
Documentation
Our quote process is built on historical data from similar projects and proven production methods, including:
- Proven feeds and speeds
- Established tooling strategies and tool paths
- Historical cycle times
- Production and process performance data
Pre-Production
2. Risk Assessment and Mitigation (RAM) and Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
This phase defines customer requirements, resolves technical questions, identifies and mitigates risks, and establishes a robust manufacturing process before production begins.
Project Ownership
The project manager assumes day-to-day responsibility as the project moves to the shop floor, while the cross-functional team remains actively involved.
RAM / APQP Review
New projects enter a formal RAM and APQP review to define production strategy, identify risks, assign responsibilities, and establish the controls necessary for a successful launch.
Fixture and Tooling Identification
Define Requirements
Manufacturing
3. Production and In-Process Inspection
Quality is maintained through a combination of process discipline, operator responsibility, and independent in-process inspection, ensuring product conformity throughout production.
Project Ownership
The project manager tracks the project daily, maintaining current status information and seamless communication between teams.
First Article Inspection
The first article is submitted for independent inspection and approval to verify process readiness and product conformity before production continues.
Process Control
Shop floor operators, machinists, and team leaders maintain product quality through a disciplined process control system by actively monitoring production at defined inspection points, conducting in-process verification activities, using documented control methods to ensure product conformity, and taking corrective action when required.
In-process Inspection
In-process inspections are performed at least once per shift, independently of the manufacturing work cell, in a dedicated climate-controlled inspection laboratory as an additional quality safeguard to ensure process control, product conformity, and consistent manufacturing results.
Final Inspection
4. Final Inspection
Our quality assurance team conducts final inspection independent of the production process, in a dedicated inspection laboratory, to verify product conformity prior to release.
Project Ownership
The project manager remains actively involved, receiving regular updates from the quality control and manufacturing teams and maintaining customer communication.
Scalable
Inspection plans are scaled to each project, aligning our quality resources and verification activities with product complexity, risk, and customer expectations.
Risk-Based
We apply a risk-based inspection methodology that concentrates inspection and testing efforts on critical features.
Inspection Lab
Our dedicated inspection lab performs final inspections and validates critical product requirements prior to delivery.
Additional Services
The project doesn't stop with the final inspection. Our team can provide kitting, packaging, documentation, and more services to complete your project under one roof.
Credentials
