It is sometimes difficult to quantify the cost of poor quality. Customer complaints, returned goods, lower productivity through re-working or new manufacture, and waste materials are just some of the elements to be considered.

Thus, QC inspection forms a vital function in detecting and preventing defects, in both products and processes, to provide corrective actions and for preventing defective goods being shipped to customers.

Not only does this fortify bottom line financial performance, but has a critical impact on; reduction of waste, scrap or pollution;  lower maintenance costs; increase productivity and operator efficiency; and bolster staff motivation and morale.

Label Source supply a range of QC and QA labelling for marking products, and in identifying their quality status. These include our QC inspection ranges, Inspection labels and our Production status label ranges.

You've probably seen the recent news reports about Samsung phones unexpectedly catching fire. The Korean tech giant was forced to recall millions of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones worldwide when it became apparent that the devices were unsafe, and the company's profits have reportedly dipped by 30% as a result.

So what's next for Samsung? How are they planning to recover from this huge hit to both their bottom line and their public image as a cutting-edge, industry-leading electronics brand? Well, earlier this week, we got a clue in the form of the following report from Reuters:

"Samsung...said it would make significant changes to its quality assurance processes in the wake of the withdrawal of its Galaxy Note 7 devices over safety concerns."

Of course, quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) are both crucial considerations for any business that manufactures and distributes products. Whether you're making complex electronic devices like smartphones or something far simpler, it is very much in your company's best interest to implement a robust quality assurance system and ensure that it is followed throughout every stage of the production process.

Planning and implementing a comprehensive QA system may seem like a waste of time, particularly if you've never had any significant complaints about the quality of your products to date. However, the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco demonstrates that it's never too early to take a hard look at your approach to quality control; Samsung's bosses will now have to go back to the drawing board and carry out a complete review of their quality assurance processes, but if this evaluation had been undertaken sooner, the company could have saved themselves a global recall and a lot of bad press (not to mention that 30% loss we mentioned earlier).

The best QA process is one that's uniquely tailored to the business in question. We at Label Source can't tell you how to guarantee yourself against catastrophes like the Samsung phone fire fiasco, but we do supply a wide range of quality assurance and quality control products that can help you to ensure that no defective item escapes your notice:

• Quality assurance labels
• QC inspection labels
• Quality assurance signs (with custom options available)
• Quality assurance tags

Label Source’s range of inspection labels continues to be popular for many quality assurance, test, service, calibration and maintenance applications. These are available in three sizes, 15mm diameter, 25mm diameter and 40mm diameter, making them suitable for marking equipment, instruments, appliances and machines, from small hand-held versions to larger fixed plant.

The inspection labels can be easily marked or punched to identify the month and year of the current or next required action, and can cover a six year cycle. The labels are available in self adhesive vinyl, and in security material, tamperproof vinyl, where warranty or guarantee integrity may be important.

Beside our standard ranges, we can manufacture to customer requirement, including company logos in a wide range of shapes and sizes. For further information contact Label Source by e-mail (sales@labelsource.co.uk) or by telephone (0800 3761693 in UK, or + 44 1443 842769 outside the UK).

Laboratories are dangerous places to work. Many of the materials or chemicals that you come into contact with on a daily basis are potentially harmful to your health, and to the health of your co-workers if handled in a careless or incorrect manner. For this reason, it is vital to ensure that all the risks and potential hazards that could occur in this environment are clearly labelled.

Within our comprehensive range of safety signs and labels you will find a variety of labels, tapes and signs that are designed specifically for the identification of hazards within laboratories. Now, we know that time is precious, and it is very likely that you don’t have the time to search through our extensive range of labels and signs to find the signs that are relevant to your business...so we've done the searching for you! Below you will find a list of the most popular product categories for laboratories:

Laboratory Safety Labels & Tapes

Working in a laboratory means that you are often surrounded by biological hazards and infectious diseases. We have dedicated a whole section of our website to signs that have been specifically designed to raise awareness of such hazards and help to minimise the risk of infection.

In this department you will not only find various warning signs and labels, but we also offer a range of tapes that can be used to alert co-workers, visitors, couriers and even emergency services to the dangers present in your lab.

To view our full range of Laboratory Safety Labels & Tapes, please click here. 

General Health & Safety Signs

When you are handling dangerous chemicals and materials, it is incredibly important to wear the correct PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) and wash your hands after handling certain objects. In our General Health and Safety Sign department, you will discover a range of signs that will help remind people of the equipment that they should be using and the correct procedure for carrying out certain activities. We even have a number of signs that alert people to your various first aid locations.

To view our extensive range of health and safety signs, click here.

Quality Assurance Labels

Quality assurance testing is an essential activity that is carried out by laboratories worldwide to ensure that their products are produced to the highest standard possible. We have a huge range of quality assurance labels and tags on offer, and they are suitable for a range of applications throughout the production process.

We manufacture our quality assurance labels to an incredibly high standard, so you can be confident that whatever the situation or conditions that you require our labels to endure, they are more than up to the task.

If you would like to browse our comprehensive range of quality assurance labels, click here.  

Quality Assurance Tapes

Not only do we supply an extensive range of quality assurance labels here at Label Source, we also stock a large number of quality assurance tapes. These tapes are manufactured with a strong adhesive bind that is ideal for packaging and product segregation.

We have a whole range of printed QA tapes including caution tapes, checked tapes, QC inspected, QC rejected, dispatch and handling tapes, and much more.

If you would like more information on our tapes, or are interested in viewing our complete range, please click here.

Here at Label Source, we aim to provide our customers with a truly comprehensive range of labels, tapes and signs. However, if you can't find the exact product you are looking for, please get in touch with our customer service team, who will be more than happy to help.