TPC – CryoR’s method for Quality Assurance

In the demanding world of aerospace and defense products, even a minor defect can have catastrophic consequences. For tactical cryocoolers reliability is not just a metric; it is a mission requirement.

In our operations, we define quality through our unique method:

TPC = Trust + Professionalism + Culture

Here is a look behind the curtain at how we ensure our cryocoolers operate for decades in the harshest environments.

Trust

Interpersonal trustworthiness. This is the key point for success in every manner, and in quality assurance as well. We trust our employees to do their best, to report every doubt, and to keep full transparency. That is exactly what we (management) demand from ourselves. Trust means reporting failure at crucial times, self-made or by any other reason, even when consequence financial damage.

We trust our sub suppliers, and yet, we perform tight quality inspection for every purchase order. When necessary, we perform MRBs and demand correction actions from our suppliers and ourselves. We invest much effort and resources to keep core technologies in-house, for example, finned-tube manufacturing and final assembly of heat exchangers.

Professionalism

Quality begins long before a single piece of metal is cut. We use Quality Planning (QP) to establish procedures that eliminate risk at the source. Our approach is to “keep it simple” as possible.

• Raw material selection: we prefer well-known materials, those we have experience with regarding machining, part joining and surface treatments. A Certificate of Conformance (COC) is always required, and purchasing from a reliable source is essential.
• Monolithic Machining: less parts means less joints, which reduces the potential for leakage and breaks.
• Joints: proper selection of joint technology is crucial. We choose between soldering options and brazing options to obtain the most robust assembly.
• Quality Control: We measure crucial performance parameters of our final product in the frame of an ATP (Acceptance Test Procedure). Obviously, we use calibrated instruments, define “must tests” and “sample tests”, and adequately record all findings.
• Human Resource: We believe that the key to high quality products is the professionalism of our employees. It all starts with recruiting high level employees, suitable for the mission, and mind set to CryoR’s culture of professionalism. We assign employees to appropriate positions and provide proper training and refresh important aspects prior to every new manufacturing batch.

Workers who understand the product can recognize unique potential failures. Written instructions cover weak points which are identified during development stage and production line preparation, to the best of our knowledge and experience. New and unusual failures might appear on the way and can only be monitored by a professional worker.

Culture

At CryoR, our experience has proven that high-performance cryogenic cooling systems require more than just technical specifications, they require a culture of precision. Well-defined and documented procedures are the backbone of each cryocooler production. Nevertheless, high level quality relies on human resources.

Being certified to ISO 9001:2015, we strictly follow quality assurance rules. Special attention is invested to avoid FOD (Foreign Object Debris).

The Human Factor in Quality

While automation and documentation are essential, they are not substitutes for the “common sense” of professional, enthusiastic employees. In tactical cryocoolers manufacturing, human intuition and expert decision-making are what prevent failure in high-stakes environments. The combination of rigid process integrity and an expert workforce is our winning formula. This approach allows us to deliver high quality coolers, reducing risks for our customer projects