General quality information

The AKM Group has obtained ISO9001 certification, the international standard for quality management systems, and IATF16949 certification, the automobile sector standard.

Certification acquisition history

June 1995, ISO9001: certification acquired
April 2003, ISO9001: 2000 certification acquired
July 2008, ISO / TS16949: 2002 certification acquired
July 2011, ISO9001: 2008 certification acquired
August 2018, ISO9001: 2015 certification acquired
August 2018, IATF16949: 2016 certification acquired

The AKM Group manages each stage from product planning to development, production, and end of production. When moving to the next stage, we conduct examinations to meet the product requirements so as to ensure customer satisfaction.

The AKM Group product realization stages

1-1 Product planning: Investigate market trends and define and plan product specifications
1-2 Product planning review
2-1 Development plan: Define detailed product specifications and formulate a development plan
2-2 Review of development plan
3-1 Development implementation: Design and develop products and manufacturing processes
3-2 Examination for production commencement
4-1 Production: Mass production of products and stable production through continuous improvement
5-1 Proposal for discontinuation of production
5-2 Discontinuation of production: Discontinue production of the product

As shown in the quality assurance system diagram for details of the product realization system, the Quality Assurance Department is involved in the examination and certification of each stage up to production to confirm the validity of product development.

The AKM Group conducts tests with reference to industry standards such as JEITA, JEDEC, and AEC-Q100, depending on the purpose of verification. 

Reliability certification

At the product development planning stage, the intended application, required reliability level, and customer requirements are clearly defined.

Based on this information, differences from the existing products (novelty) are identified and evaluated. In accordance with AKM Group standard test conditions and applicable industry standards, the reliability tests to be conducted as well as the certification criteria are determined.

After completion of the reliability testing, product certification is granted only after confirming that all predefined certification criteria (necessary requirements) have been fully satisfied.

Difference analysis points (examples)

• Quality target, actual use environment, actual use condition
• Circuit configuration, layout pattern, circuit elements used, strictness of applied design rules
• Manufacturing process flow, process control method, and equipment
• Interrelationship between chip and package (electrode material / structure, top layer protective film, chip size, tab size, etc.)

The Purchasing Department of the AKM Group evaluates the quality and performance of raw materials and services when they are purchased. We also encourage our suppliers to obtain ISO9001, IATF16949, and ISO14001 certifications, and build a supply chain with our customers. In addition, giving consideration to the environment and the materials contained, at the evaluation, we obtain and confirm non-content certificates and non-use certificates as necessary.
Please refer to "Environmental Information" for measures taken against environmentally hazardous materials and green procurement.

Outsourcing company management

When part of the manufacturing process is outsourced, the AKM Group establishes a cooperative system based on the specifications exchanged with the outsourcing contractor and promotes the maintenance and improvement of the quality of the AKM Group products through continuous evaluation and verification. 
From the perspective of supply chain management, we take the following points into consideration when managing the supply chains.

1. Enhancement of prior activities that lead to prevention of quality abnormalities, not just responding after quality abnormalities occur.
2. Development of a quality management system for contractors with the goal of conforming to IATF16949.