Newswise — NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Members of the Superconducting Radiofrequency (SRF) Operations department take pride in their production processes. They follow a quality management system that ensures each project they work on at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility receives meticulous attention to quality, whether they are building unique components for research, assembling particle accelerators for other labs, or reference checking newly arrived parts.
Now, their processes have been re-confirmed as compliant with the rigorous standards of ISO 9001:2015 set by the International Organization for Standardization. ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally recognized premier global standard for quality management systems. It provides a framework for systems that help organizations consistently deliver high-quality products/services, increase customer satisfaction, and drive continual operational improvement.
According to Ashley Mitchell, SRF quality engineer, this is the first refresh of the certification since it was obtained by the lab in 2023. She led this year’s recertification process on behalf of the lab.
“We were certified in May 2023, and they do an annual check-in called a surveillance audit. So, we did surveillance year one and year two. And then for this one, this was our big three-year-cycle recertification audit,” she said.
SRF Operations builds sections of particle accelerators, called cryomodules, and other components for the lab’s very own world-class research particle accelerator, the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility. CEBAF is a DOE Office of Science user facility that serves the research needs of more than 1,700 nuclear physicists worldwide.
In addition, the group has built cryomodules and other components for several major research machines, including the Spallation Neutron Source at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Linac Coherent Light Source at DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
According to Philip Denny, an SRF process equipment engineer, the recertification indicates to both internal and external projects that they will receive the best possible parts. Adhering to ISO 9001:2015 standards ensures that any parts each of these machines receive from Jefferson Lab are built to the highest quality standards.
“It’s kind of like a stamp of approval: this meets a good standard. And it gives outside entities confidence that we are consistently delivering quality products to them that meet their acceptance criteria,” Denny said.
The updated 9001:2015 certification was issued by the NSF-ISR (International Strategic Registrations) and is good for another three years. This certification is also an indication that their quality management system (QMS) aligns with DOE Order 414.1E, which concerns quality assurance.
To qualify for certification, an organization must apply to a qualified firm for a review of their QMS and processes. An auditor reviews the organization’s application, comes on-site and speaks with members of the team using these systems, and watches the team in action. During this review, the auditor is probing how the systems are actually used by team members in the work process and whether or not the process meets the certification requirements.
Mitchell and Denny said the recertification process was a little easier than the initial process. However, it was still a bit nerve-wracking for the more than 70 members of the SRF Ops team.
SRF Institute work area (Jefferson Lab photo/Aileen Devlin)
For instance, in the initial audit, team members brought their reference materials with them to interviews with the auditor. In the three years since, team members had gained enough experience through daily use of the certified quality assurance system and procedures they had put in place that they no longer needed those reference items handy.
“At most companies, once it matures and you’ve got your systems in place, it’s like breathing. You shouldn’t have to worry or think too much. You’re using all the systems you already have. You’re familiar with them. It shouldn’t be a big deal when we have this stuff. And that takes a little bit of time to get there,” Denny said.
In addition, this auditor had visited the lab for one of the annual surveillance audits and was already familiar with some of the lab’s systems. That previous experience proved invaluable to the team.
“He got to kind of see us improve. And one of his comments was that he had seen a lot of improvement in the last year. So, we’ve made that continuous improvement, and it really showed in our report,” Mitchell said. “As we’ve grown and matured and continuously improved, the QMS has become part of the culture in SRF operations, much like safety is a part of the culture at the lab.”
The auditor’s report noted that the SRF Operations’ QMS had no non-conformities, meaning it is fully compliant with all standard requirements. According to Mitchell, that was an almost ideal finding.
“Not only are we continuing to improve our systems and software, I think we’re also making a more capable workforce, as well, to have an eye for quality and doing things right,” she said.
However, the auditor did mention some areas where they could improve their processes. For instance, some written procedures were highly detailed and specific, while others were less so. He suggested they review their written procedures and ensure each process could be followed by a skilled worker, even if they did not have experience specific to building or processing a particular component.
Clean room (Jefferson Lab photo/Aileen Devlin)
Mitchell said she and the team are committed to following up on the note.
“I don’t think it ever starts and stops. It’s just forever ongoing,” Mitchell said. “Every project ends with a ‘lessons learned’ review. And so, we are always learning from our mistakes. This is an ongoing effort to continuously improve, and we’re always striving to do better.”
Further Reading
SRF Operations Earns Certification to Ensure Customer Satisfaction
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SURATech, LLC, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science
