The most common problems are wrong or unverified material, dimensions out of tolerance, casting defects, poor surface finish or plating, rust from weak packing, and incomplete documents. None of these is unique to India, and most are preventable with clear specifications and checks at the right moments.
Problems are more likely with suppliers that lack measuring equipment, rely on many subcontractors, or change processes without telling the buyer.
The usual problems
- Material does not match the specified grade, often because a cheaper or nearer grade was substituted.
- Critical dimensions drift out of tolerance as tools wear during a long batch.
- Castings show porosity, blow holes or shrinkage that appear only after machining.
- Heat treatment is uneven, so hardness varies between parts in the same batch.
- Plating or paint is thin, patchy or poorly bonded, and fails early in service.
- Threads are tight, loose or to the wrong standard, such as BSP instead of NPT.
- Parts rust during sea freight because packing lacked proper rust protection.
- Machines arrive with missing manuals, wiring diagrams or conformity documents.
Why they happen
Many problems start with the specification. Material named by a trade name, missing tolerances or no thread standard leave room for interpretation. Others start with control. A factory that checks the first part but not the hundredth will miss tool wear.
Hidden subcontracting is another cause. Heat treatment, plating and castings are often done by outside units that the buyer never sees. If the main supplier does not check their work, nobody does.
Finally, quality often slips after a successful first order, once attention moves elsewhere. That pattern is explained in why quality drops after the first container.
How to prevent them
- Write a complete specification with standard material grades, tolerances, finishes and thread standards.
- Ask for material test certificates and spot-check material with an independent test.
- Approve samples with a full dimensional report before production starts.
- Agree in-process checks on critical dimensions and ask to see the records.
- Require notice and approval for any change in material, process or subcontractor.
- Inspect before shipment, before the balance payment is released.
- Specify export packing with rust protection for steel and iron parts.
Choose the right supplier
Quality differences between factories are far larger than differences between countries. A good audit before the first order, as set out in how to audit an engineering factory, filters out most weak suppliers.
When a problem does appear, ask for a written root cause and corrective action, not just replacement parts. A supplier who finds the cause and changes the process is worth keeping. A supplier who only replaces parts will send the same fault again.
Next step
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