Meet our Quality Assurance Expert: Geoff Daniels

Meet our Quality Assurance Expert: Geoff Daniels

At Kewell Converters, we pride ourselves on maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety in our operations. To give you an inside look into how we achieve these standards, we sat down with Geoff, our dedicated Quality Assurance and Health and Safety Manager. With almost four years at Kewell Converters and over 40 years of engineering experience, Geoff brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our manufacturing team.

How long have you been with Kewell Converters?

Geoff: I have worked for the company for almost four years. I come with more than 40 years’ experience in engineering (including mechanical, electrical, electronic and optical). For the past two decades, I have specialised in Quality Assurance and Quality Control.

Can you describe your role?

Geoff: Each day is diverse and challenging with two core responsibilities: Quality Assurance and Health and Safety. My role involves working closely with the Design, Production, and Maintenance teams.

What is most important to you?

Geoff: I am self-motivated with a passion for quality and continuous improvement and ensuring the safety of all staff and visitors.  Safety is paramount in manufacturing and at Kewell Converters we have so many machine capabilities.

What are your biggest achievements?

Geoff: My biggest achievements include maintaining ISO accreditations and introducing Standard Operating Procedures which improve and control our manufacturing processes.

Can you tell us what’s involved in securing an ISO accreditation?

Geoff: We must ensure the IMS (Integrated Management System) is maintained. The IMS integrates our systems and processes into one complete framework. Systems include Quality Management, Environmental, Safety Management, Energy Management, Information security, and Compliance Management.  This is no mean feat.

Formal internal audits are performed twice a year to review and establish if any non-conformances exist against our IMS and also review any Opportunities for Improvement (OFI). Process checks and OFIs are performed continually to ensure adherence.  I manage all of this.

What are the values that drive Kewell Converters?

Geoff: Kewell Converters’ values include providing outstanding quality, technical ability, offering flexibility to our customers, and quick order turnaround.

What are some of the most interesting projects you’ve worked on?

Geoff: There are so many. I enjoy working on interesting projects. One that springs to mind are manufacturing run-flat foam tyre inserts for mountain bikes.  The other project has been working on a new long-term project for the energy sector.

What project has posed the biggest challenge and why?

Geoff: The biggest challenge for me has been the implementation of a Pipe Insulation project. We’ve encountered a number of challenges along the way including determining various machine setup parameters for different size tubes.  This ensure parts are manufactured to specification, as well as ensuring full traceability from the material being received to the finished goods dispatched.

But through months of perseverance and finetuning, tube manufacturing parameters were defined for various sizes. System batch number controls were modified and included for the manufacturing stages.  This provides full traceability for the customer which is key.

What do people not know about you?

Geoff: My formal qualifications are in Electrical, Electronic Engineering and Computer systems. I worked in the defense industry for 30 years before joining Kewell Converters in both the Naval and Military industry. And I worked for 15 years as a Supply Quality Manager, spending much time working in the Far East, Europe, and USA.

What do you do outside of work?

Geoff: Outside of work, I enjoy pursuing lots of interests from motorsports and vintage push and bike restoration to metal detecting and watching Charlton Athletic.  But most importantly, I love to spend time with my granddaughter.

Conclusion

Geoff’s extensive background and dedication to quality and safety have been invaluable assets to Kewell Converters. His commitment to continuous improvement and his hands-on approach to problem-solving highlight the core values that drive our company. As we look to the future, we are confident that with vital team members like Geoff, Kewell Converters will continue to excel in delivering outstanding products and services to our clients. If you have any questions or need expertise in custom foam solutions, feel free to reach out to us – we’re here to help.

Download our environmental policy and read more from the blog including an interview with Omar Gutin, manufacturing engineer and reflecting on engineering’s future with insights from our MD.