Entwicklung eines Qualitätssicherungskonzeptes unter Einbeziehung von Lean Management für die metallverarbeitende Industrie und dessen Auswirkungen auf die Qualitätskosten

Abstract

The metalworking industry faces the challenge of ensuring consistently high product quality while at the same time focusing on efficiency and profitability. Despite existing quality assurance concepts, errors continue to cause considerable quality costs - in many companies up to 25% of turnover. In practice, the focus is still often on reactive inspection measures instead of proactive error prevention. In addition, there is a lack of quality assurance concepts that meet both the requirements of lean management and an economic view of quality costs. Companies in the metalworking industry need a practical quality assurance concept that combines systematic error prevention and economic control. The master's thesis begins with an analysis of the historical development of quality management and its impact on quality assurance and the relevance of quality in the metalworking industry. This is followed by an explanation of the tasks of quality assurance and a quality cost model for the metalworking industry. Based on this, a quality assurance concept is developed that is oriented towards the three tasks of quality assurance - planning, inspection and control. It integrates central lean tools such as Poka Yoke, 5S and the Ishikawa diagram, as well as quality techniques such as QFD, FMEA and quality assurance agreements and a quality cost model for the economic evaluation of the measures. The methodology is based on in-depth literature research in scientific databases and specialist books. The knowledge gained was supplemented by a practical reflection in which the developed quality assurance concept was compared with the existing quality assurance concept of an Austrian special machine construction company (Plasser & Theurer). The master's thesis shows that a significant increase in efficiency can be achieved by combining quality techniques, lean tools and an economic evaluation of quality costs. Error prevention is more cost-effective in the long term than inspection or immediate/corrective measures. The quality assurance concept developed offers a structured approach to quality planning, inspection and control. It became clear that companies can make well-founded decisions by systematically recording quality costs in order to harmonize quality and profitability. The comparison with Plasser & Theurer's existing quality assurance concept revealed gaps in inspection planning, the quality techniques to be applied, in the area of lean management and in the consideration of quality costs.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Klaus Altendorfer (Supervisor)