Quality Management in Photovoltaics

Transcription

1 Quality Management in Photovoltaics Quality Control Training Manual for Manufacturers Peter F. Varadi PV GAP Geneva, Switzerland Ram n Dominguez Dominguez and Associates Rockville, Maryland, USA Deborah McGlauflin Insights in Action, Inc. Annapolis, Maryland, USA

2 Copyright 2001 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / THE WORLD BANK 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C , USA All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America First printing January 2001 The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this book are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this volume do not imply on the part of the World Bank Group any judgment on the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. The material in this publication is copyrighted. The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and grants permission to reproduce this work.

3 Table of Contents Preface... ix Acknowledgments... xi Chapter 1: Quality in Manufacturing General Concepts Introduction The Photovoltaic (PV) Industry Pilot Program Design Elements of a Quality System Quality Manufacturing Process Standards for the Performance of Products Testing Laboratories Auditing by an Outside Organization Global Approval Program for PV (PV GAP) Why Is a Global Approval Program for PV Needed? The Elements of the PV GAP Approval System PV GAP Administered by a Globally Accepted Approval Body Globally Utilized PV Quality Mark and Seal The Evolution and Merits of Quality Systems ISO Standards for Quality in Manufacturing What Is ISO 9000? Your Company s Quality System Requirements Definitions ISO Documentation Levels ISO Quality Definitions The Fundamentals of Quality Management (ISO 4.1) What Does Quality Mean for Your Business? Management Responsibility The Role of the Management Representative Management Reviews Homework Assignment Day One Chapter 2: ISO 9000 Standards Quality in Manufacturing Procedures and Planning (ISO 4.2) Standard General Description Standard Quality System Procedures Standard Quality Planning Contract Review Process (ISO 4.3) Design Control (ISO 4.4) Suggested Process for Establishing Design Control Procedures to Control and Verify the Design of Products Document and Data Control (ISO 4.5) Control of Quality Records (ISO 4.16) Case Study No Purchasing (ISO 4.6) iii

4 2.7.1 Purchasing Data Evaluation of Subcontractors Product Tracking and Verification Inventory Control Case Study No Control of Customer-Supplied Products (ISO 4.7) Product Identification and Traceability (ISO 4.8) Homework Assignment Day Two Chapter 3: ISO 9000 Standards, Continued Process Control (ISO 4.9) Inspection and Testing (ISO 4.10) Incoming Inspection In-process Inspection and Testing Final Inspection and Testing Control of Inspection, Measuring, and Test Equipment (ISO 4.11) Inspection and Test Status (ISO 4.12) Control of Nonconforming Products (ISO 4.13) Corrective and Preventive Action (ISO 4.14) Corrective Actions Preventive Actions Training (ISO 4.18) Handling, Storage, Packaging, Preservation, and Delivery (ISO 4.15) Handling Storage Packaging Preservation Delivery Case Study No Servicing (ISO Planning and Scheduling Servicing Activities Spare Parts Availability and Management Servicing Instructions and Records Case Study No Statistical Data (ISO 4.20) Non-Numerical Methods Numerical Methods Description of Non-Numerical Methods Description of Numerical Methods Homework Assignment Day Three Chapter 4: PV Standards Existing Standards for PV What is a Standard? Why Are Standards Needed? iv

5 4.2 How Are Standards Established? National or Regional Standards Case Study No Global/International Standards for PV (IEC Standards) The Two Categories of IEC standards for PV PV GAP Recommended Specifications (PVRS) Case Study No The Development of a Charge Controller for Navigational Aids Work Item Initiated by PV GAP When There Are No Standards Certifiable PV Standards Is a Technical Standard Enough? What is a Certifiable Standard? What is in a Detail Specification? Time Required to Complete the BDS Intermediate Tests and Final Product Test Incoming Inspection and Tests Intermediate Testing Final Inspection and Testing Case Study No Testing Laboratories Purpose of Testing Laboratory Quality Systems Accreditation Process Why Is It Necessary to Have an Accredited Testing Laboratory Do the Tests? The Importance of Reciprocity Chapter 5: The Qualification Process Quality Audits (ISO 4.17) The Internal Audit The External Audit Noncompliance The Steps to ISO 9000 Qualification Preliminary Stage Setting up the Quality System The Certification Process IECQ/PV GAP Approval Process How Does the IECQ Approval Process Work? What Are the Steps a Manufacturer Must Take to Get IECQ Approval for Its Products? What Does the SI Then Do? Withdrawal or Suspension of Approval The PV GAP Approval Process Recognition PV GAP Mark and Seal How Can People Recognize Quality Products? What Is the Benefit of a PV Quality Mark/Seal? PV Manufacturer s Identification Number The Cost of PV GAP Licensing v

6 5.5 The Costs and Benefits of Quality Who Benefits from ISO 9000 Implementation? Appendix 1. Pilot Training Schedule Appendix 2. Example of a Standard Quality Plan Appendix 3. IEC Standards Possibly Useful for PV Appendix 4. Publications Issued by IEC TC Appendix 5. PV GAP Recommended Specifications (PVRS) Appendix 6. Example of a Certifiable Standard and PVRS Appendix 7. Supervising Inspectorates Appendix 8. Provisional List of Testing Laboratories Glossary of Terms Bibliography List of Figures Figure 1.1. How ISO, IEC, and IECQ Are Related... 3 Figure 1.2. Elements of the Global Approval Program for PV (PV GAP)... 9 Figure 1.3. Quality System Documentation Control Figure 1.4. Procedure to Elaborate a Quality Statement Figure 2.1. Nonstandard Product Purchase Order Procedure Figure 2.2. Design Review Figure 2.3. Documentation Control Figure 2.4. Sample Controller Flow Chart Figure 2.5. Why Use Purchasing Specifications? Figure 2.6. Sample Tags and Labels Figure 3.1. Process Control Figure 3.2. Handling a Nonconforming Product Figure 3.3. Training Figure 3.4. Cause-and-Effect Diagram Figure 3.5. Sample Flow Chart Figure 3.6. Sample Pareto Charts Figure 3.7. Sample Histograms Figure 3.8. Performance Charts Figure 3.9. Scatter Diagrams Figure Statistical Tools for Problem-Solving Figure Control Charts Figure 4.1. Relationship between PV GAP, IEC, and IECQ Figure 4.2. PV GAP Recommended Specifications Figure 4.3. When No Published Standard Is Available Figure 5.1. Internal Audits Figure 5.2. Top Reasons for Noncompliance Figure 5.3. The Road to ISO Figure 5.4. ISO Procedures and Processes Figure 5.5. The IECQ System vi

7 Figure 5.6. The Steps a Manufacturer Must Take to Get IECQ Approval for Its Products Figure 5.7. Quality Mark and Quality Seal Figure 5.8. The Importance of Quality Marks and Quality Seals Figure 5.9. PV GAP Licensing List of Tables Table 1.1. The Rewards of Quality... 8 Table 1.2. A Comparison of the ISO 9000 Standards Table 1.3. Elements of ISO Table 3.1. Steps to Make a Control Chart Table 5.1. Most Common Reasons for Noncompliance during ISO 9001 Audits Table 5.2. Areas of Relevance of the Various ISO Requirements (ISO 9001) Table 5.3. The Voice of the Customer Table 5.4. Results that Speak for Themselves Table 5.5. Comparison of Quality Systems List of Boxes Box 1.1. The PV GAP Mission Statement... 6 Box 3.1. Rules for Brainstorming Box 4.1. Advantages of Having Global Standards Box 5.1 Self-Audit Exercise List of Forms Form Statement of Commitment to Quality Form Management Representative Form Sample Organizational Chart Form Job Description Form Management Representative Responsibility Checklist Form Annual Review of the Quality System and Its Impacts on the Company and the Company s Products and Customer Relations Form Work Flow Diagram Form Sample Documentation of the Steps in the Work Flow Process Form Instructions for the Use of the Quality System Procedures Form Quality Planning Checklist Form Contract Order, Review,Verification, and Validation Form Form Form for Quality Control of Design Procedures Form Design Review,Verification, and Validation Form Form Document Flow and Control Form Form Materials Control Data Form Form for Qualifying Outside Vendors/Products and Tracking and Verification Form Customer-Supplied Product Tracking and Verification Form Product Tracking and Verification Form Product Tracking Form Process Control Form Form for Monitoring Production Process Form Procedure and Schedule for Equipment Maintenance Form Documentation for Receiving, In-Process, and Final Inspection and Testing Form Procedures for Quality Control of Measurement and Test Equipment vii

8 Form Form for Product Status, Disposition, and Corrective/Preventive Action Form Corrective Action Request Form Sample Component/Product Handling Form Form Audit Planning Form Internal Audit Report Form Training Documentation Form Form Servicing Documentation Form viii

9 Preface Photovoltaic (PV) products are manufactured in many countries and sold all over the world. Most work well and are very reliable, with the result that industry market growth is higher now than at any time in the last 15 years. Although there are no worldwide statistics, product failures are probably less than 5 percent of total shipments, and the quality of modules produced by the major manufacturers is outstanding. PV product failures are predominantly attributable to manufacturers and systems integrators in developing countries, although some developing countries have much higher product quality than others. Even though the overwhelming majority of PV companies deploy quality systems, it is necessary to bring those that do not up to the level of the rest of the PV industry to avoid jeopardizing customer confidence in the quality and reliability of PV products. The purpose of this training manual is to establish global quality standards and to begin to help everyone in the industry meet them. This will not happen overnight, and some very real barriers must be addressed. Good quality is always cheaper in the end, however, and companies that strive for it can expect to be rewarded with greater profits. Other industries have faced similar challenges and have created some solutions that the PV industry can study and adopt. Today the globally accepted system for a quality management of the manufacturing process is the ISO 9000 standard. It is generic and, therefore, is used in many industries. At present, a few PV manufacturers primarily larger and older ones meet the ISO 9000 standard, but many do not. Of the latter, many simply may not know about the standard, but others think that the ISO 9000 system is too technical and expensive to be practical for small and medium-size companies to implement. Recognizing that this is a valid concern and that the original ISO 9000 documentation was far from user-friendly, the Global Approval Program for Photovoltaics (PV GAP) has developed this manual to spell out in simple terms what is required by the ISO 9000 standard and to provide forms that PV companies can refer to, to easily and inexpensively install a quality manufacturing management system without having to hire an extensive staff. PV GAP was established by the PV industry to establish a uniform approach to quality assurance. This training manual, Quality Management in Photovoltaics, is part of that effort and was prepared for the World Bank. It builds on an earlier manual that PV GAP developed under a contract from the Energy and Atmosphere Programme of the United Nations Development Programme that focused on one key requirement of the ISO 9000 standard the development of a quality process manual. This training manual completes the picture by explaining all the ISO 9000 requirements and giving companies the tools they need to comply with them fully, but with an economy of effort. It describes how the PV GAP system uses the established International Electrotechnical Commission Quality Assurance System for Electronic Components (IECQ). The manual also introduces the PV quality Mark and Seal and explains how they help ix

10 customers distinguish high-quality PV components and systems from those of poor or unknown quality while, at the same time, they help the PV manufacturers who are qualified and licensed to use them be more globally competitive. x

11 Acknowledgments The following people deserve special thanks for contributing sections of the text or reviewing drafts, or both: Mr. Harvey Berman, Joe Chiaramonte, Regi Sam, Rich Lap, and others; Underwriters Laboratories; IECQ US National Supervising Inspectorate; Melville, New York Mr. M. M. Bhardwaj; REIL, India Dr. Anil Cabraal, the World Bank Dr. Harvey Forest and Mr. John Wohlgemuth: Solarex, USA Mr. Enno Heijndermans: The World Bank Mr. Philippe Jacquin: Erik Lysen, and Bernard McNelis; IEA/PVPS/ Task III Mr. Richard Kay: IECQ Secretary, Switzerland Mr. Wim J. van Nes: Novem, the Netherlands Dr. Markus G. Real: Alpha Real AG, Switzerland Mr. Hidenori Shimizu: JQAO, Japan Dr. K. S. Srinivas: MNES, India xi

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