Mead Metals Blog: Quality Control

ISO Certified: ISO 9000 vs. ISO 9001

Posted by: Dani Weinhandl on March 2, 2023 | 3 min. read

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental organization that creates international standards for quality, safety, and other procedures in many industries. 

ISO Classifications for Workpiece Material Metals

Posted by: Dani Weinhandl on November 10, 2022 | 2 min. read

Maintaining consistency and quality is essential across the metal industry. Having a metal supplier who is ISO certified is the key to ensuring quality assurance for your project or process. ISO classifications for workpiece metals inform fabricators and CNC machinists of the proper tools, speeds, and specifications to cut metal materials. Keep reading to learn more about ISO certifications, ISO-certified material, ISO workpiece material groups, and ISO material group classification charts.

Why Your Metal Service Center Needs to be RoHS and DFARS Compliant

Posted by: Dani Weinhandl on April 20, 2022 | 4 min. read

If you work with metal, chances are you’ve heard about DFARS and RoHS. But what do they stand for? And what do they have to do with where your metal is melted?

How Do We Handle Metal That Doesn't Meet Our Quality Standards?

Posted by: Dani Weinhandl on January 11, 2022 | 3 min. read

The quality of your materials often makes or breaks a project. You can’t afford to risk investing time and money in a steel and metal service center that sources from low-quality providers or skimps on quality control measures.

At Mead Metals, quality control and customer satisfaction are our driving purpose. We always prioritize trust and transparency when communicating with clients about our sourcing practices. So here’s an inside look at how we identify, correct, and handle “reject” materials before they have a chance to leave our warehouse.

Why The Lowest Material Price Isn't Always Better

Posted by: Brian Rothstein on November 30, 2021 | 3 min. read

Let’s say you want to buy a car. You have the option of buying a high mileage vehicle for $5,000, or you could buy a slightly newer, lower mileage vehicle for $9,000. 

Obviously, you have to fork up an extra four thousand dollars for the nicer vehicle, but you have to weigh your options when it comes to what’s most important to you: a more reliable vehicle, or a lower overall price that may break the bank when you have car issues in a few months. 

It’s a similar idea when comparing metal prices. Depending on the crucial quality requirements of your project, sourcing materials like steel, copper, or bronze at the lowest cost could drive up your overall cost later. 

Finding the lowest material price and finding the lowest material price that meets your specific needs are two very different things. 

So, this drives us to an important question.

The Quality vs Price tradeoff in Metal Products [Infographic]

Posted by: Brian Rothstein on November 11, 2021 | 2 min. read

We've all heard the phrase, "you get what you pay for," and metal purchasing is no exception. To help you understand how the price of metal products is oftentimes related to quality, take a glance at the following handy infographic.

Mead Metals Customer Feature: Engel Diversified Industries

Posted by: Brian Rothstein on January 12, 2021 | 2 min. read

The customer relationships that stand the test of time have so much to teach us. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to someone who’s worked with Mead Metals to source material for over 28 years—as long as they’ve been with the company. Below, I’ve shared some highlights from this conversation with the VP of Sales and Marketing at Engel Diversified Industries. 

How to Read Mill Test Reports [Example]

Posted by: Dani Weinhandl on December 14, 2020 | 2 min. read

What is It? 

Mill test reports detail an important step in a metal product's journey: the step from the mill that melted the metal to the service center the mill sold the metal to. A mill test report is a quality assurance document that certifies a metal product's chemical and physical properties. Below, I'll outline what you typically see in a mill test report. 

Mead Metals Customer Feature: HSI Metal Stamping

Posted by: Brian Rothstein on November 18, 2020 | 3 min. read

Have you ever known somebody so long that you can’t even remember how you met? That just happened to be the case during a recent conversation with the President of HSI Metal Stamping. Our two companies have been working together before both of our times. I guess it’s just the sort of thing that happens when both companies started up in the early 60s and 70s. Still, we had a great conversation about our more recent working history. You know, the past two or three decades. 

What Certifications Can Customers Get with Their Order? [Video]

Posted by: Dani Weinhandl on September 25, 2019 | 2 min. read

Check Out Our New Video!

As you saw in this video, Mike details how Mead Metals works with customers who require material certifications. Below, I've provided an even more in-depth account of how we handle certifications.