Page 369 - Reciprocating Compressors Operation Maintenance

354 Reciprocating Compressors: Operation and Maintenance

be assessed. This is the responsibility of the vendor, since he is sole-
ly responsible for the completion and quality of the order.
3. Does the vendor regularly perform the type of work he is quoting or
is this merely something he thinks he can do or which he would like
to do? Has he supplied a list of clients for whom he has done the
same sort of work?
4, Do the key shop personnel have technical qualifications and experi-
ence? Are they only machine operators or have they worked in the
actual manufacture of the parts under consideration?

You will encounter ordinary machine shops that solicit compressor
component manufacture and reconditioning. No matter how well-
equipped the machine shop is, unless its employees have compressor
experience, it should not be considered for anything other than plain
machining work.

PROCEDURES AND SPECIFICATIONS

The following questions can be used to evaluate the vendor's proce-
dures.

1. Does the vendor have a written quality control manual? Are its pro-
cedures and work processes adhered to by shop employees, or is the
manual "just for show"?
2. Does the vendor have written specifications and procedures for
reconditioning or manufacture of compressor components for which
they are quoting? If the vendor has the specifications, have they
been made a part of his quotation without being requested? Are the
specifications issued to shop employees who are to perform the
work?
A qualified vendor will have procedures, specifications, and qual-
ity control manuals and will be eager to show them without being
asked. If it is necessary to request these documents, beware.
If the vendor does not have specifications and yet is selected to
perform the work in spite of this inadequacy, the purchaser must
supply the specifications for the work. Under no circumstances
should a job be performed without specifications.
3. Does the vendor have copies of reports of work performed for other
clients? The vendor is contractually obligated to provide a written