Our Approach

Customers
LCM puts the customer first in all aspects of business. Great emphasis is placed on ensuring that technical and commercial requirements are fully understood, competitive solutions are offered and lead times are both realistic and meet customer expectations.

Processes
All processes are carried out by fully trained staff, working to detailed written procedures. Production records are maintained at all stages, ensuring full traceability throughout the manufacturing process. As alloy and metal producers it is our process control that guarantees fundamental compositions and impurity levels within our products.

Analysis
A comprehensive sampling and analysis programme provides verification of product conformance. LCM has a highly experienced team of qualified chemists working in a well-equipped analytical laboratory. Main techniques used at LCM are ICP-OES Spectroscopy, for compositional and metal impurity analysis, coupled with Gas Fusion analysis for carbon, sulphur, oxygen and nitrogen. All LCM products are supplied with a certificate of analysis that details actual results, method of analysis and certifies compliance with customer specification.

Raw Materials
All raw materials are sourced against comprehensive purchasing specifications and from approved suppliers. LCM staff work closely with key suppliers to ensure a reliable and competitive supply of high-quality raw materials. The same philosophy is applied to all other critical consumables, for example crucibles and moulds used for the melting and casting of LCM products.

Continual Improvement
LCM takes a proactive approach to the identification and implementation of improvement programmes. Such work may be targeted at increasing product performance, through the lowering of key impurity levels or by modifying microstructure or phase distribution. Other work focuses on raw material and process optimisation to give even greater competitive advantage to our products. Often such programmes are carried out in co-operation with customers, with technical expertise, evaluation trials and results being shared to the benefits of both organisations.

Quality Assurance
LCM activities are conducted within the framework of a Quality System certified to the requirements of ISO9001:2000. The Quality System is applied to all levels of the business, ranging from top-level management through to all production, analytical, administrative and financial functions. The System is fully documented and subject to regular examination, both via internal and external audits, and by management review.

It is our policy to achieve a quality of product and service that consistently meets and, where possible, surpasses our customers’ needs and expectations. We are all committed to:

• Manufacturing and delivering metals and alloys that conform to the requirements of our customers, using our technical expertise and flexible process methods.
• Seeking ways by which we can improve our processes and service to customers.
• Focusing on prevention, encouraging a ‘right first time’ approach by all personnel.
• Defining quality objectives against which we will review company performance.
• Striving to improve the effectiveness of our Quality Management System by monitoring clear and visible measures of progress.
• Regular review of our Quality policy and objectives, ensuring their relevance and suitability to both our business and the requirements of the Standard.

We intend to develop a culture within which the consistent supply of excellent products and service is synonymous with business success.
 

Certificate

Less Common Metals Ltd
Valley Road Business Park,
Birkenhead, CH41 7ED, United Kingdom

Has been found to conform to the Quality Management System standard: ISO9001:2000, this certificate is valid for the following product or service ranges:

Production of Rare Earth containing alloys by vacuum induction melting and Co-reduction.

Click on the image above
for larger version