Many customers believe that the cost of a transformer is limited to the amount that they pay upfront. At a basic level, transformer costs are determined by the time and materials used during the manufacturing process. However, the truth is that transformer costs are impacted by numerous complex factors, particularly when considering the impact on the overall system in which they're installed.

As magnetics contain several different materials, defects in the products that employ them are not uncommon. In fact, an estimated 150 magnetic parts per million will fail. Although the accepted industry quality level is 125 defective parts per million, at Triad Magnetics, we aim to do significantly better—our goal is zero defects on every product. Achieving this goal necessitates investing a significant amount of time and effort into quality assurance (QA), but as a dedication to quality permeates every aspect of our company, we are more than up to the job.

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The Importance of Quality Assurance in Magnetics

QA is a proactive process that focuses on observing and improving production operations to prevent potential defects. Its main goal is to serve as a managerial tool that enables industry professionals to optimize development and testing phases—ultimately increasing the final product quality levels achievable—through carefully planned, implemented, and documented solutions.

Some examples of QA activities includes:

• Process mapping
• Project audits
• Standards development
• Supplier control

Many companies overlook quality assurance in favor of quality control (QC). However, QA is a highly important step in ensuring the ultimate quality of any product, including magnetics. At Triad Magnetics, we’re proud to say that our manufacturing teams are skilled in both QC and QA. By partnering with us, our customers don’t need to sacrifice quality for efficiency or effectiveness—our company-wide focus on quality enables us to deliver highly dependable magnetics products.

Key QA Factors That Determine the Cost of a Transformer

When it comes to overall transformer costs, there are six major QA factors to consider:

• Hard failure: failure stemming from either a break in the winding or a complete break-over from high voltage
• Component failure: failure of a single component, which can lead to damage to or complete failure of the entire transformer
• Partial discharge: causes transformers to experience intermittent failures and a significantly shortened service life
• Capacitive discharge: failure of  a seemingly functional system that occurs after it’s connected to a dynamic load
• Excess heat generation: excess heat within the core resulting from improper wire or core usage
• Production inconsistency: an inability of manufacturers to produce consistent parts, resulting in the output of products which may not meet customer requirements and are more likely to fail

Transformer manufacturers well-versed in QA are able to watch for and prevent these common problems. On the customer end, purchasing a transformer from a company dedicated to QA helps lower overall costs by minimizing the need for repair and replacement operations—and the resulting downtime—throughout the service life of the product.

Learn More About Quality Assurance at Triad Magnetics

Despite the enormous importance of quality assurance, not all companies are as thorough as Triad Magnetics. Our QA protocols go above and beyond, making us stand out from the competition. When looking for a transformer supplier, this dedication to process quality is key to ensuring the delivery of a durable and reliable product solution.

To find out more about our quality initiatives and tools or view case studies on how we used QA to create long-term solutions, download our eBook, Why Is Quality Important? Quality Control and Quality Assurance in Magnetics.