ABSTRACT
In order to deliver lubricants that meet customers’ requirements, the supply chain must be able to control the quality of the products it supplies. The first problem is to define what is meant by quality. The second problem is to establish methods for measuring it, and the third problem is to implement strategies and plans to control it.
Chapter 11 focuses on all three issues. It provides definitions and advice on methodologies for quality control and quality assurance. Quality management, a different subject, is the focus of Chapter 14.
Methodologies for controlling quality before, during and after blending are presented and discussed in this chapter. External organisations that monitor the quality of lubricants in the market will also be discussed. At the end of the chapter, an established method to help the quality control and quality assurance processes, using a coding system for raw materials and lubricant formulations, is presented.
