Description
Product assembly inspectors evaluate products for compliance with specifications and defects in-line with clients’ requirements and organisational policies. They use measuring and testing equipment to ensure conformity to engineering and manufacturing specifications, quality, and safety standards and regulations. They also provide detailed inspection documentation and recommend action where problems are discovered.
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to product assembly inspector:
products assembly inspector
assembled products quality control inspector
assembled products production inspector
assembly quality compliance inspector
assembly inspector
products
assembled products quality inspector
product compliance inspector
consumer goods production inspector
consumer goods quality inspector
consumer goods quality control inspector
goods compliance inspector
Minimum qualifications
A high school diploma is generally required to work as a product assembly inspector.
ISCO skill level
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
- the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
- the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
- the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Product assembly inspector is a Skill level 2 occupation.
Product assembly inspector career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to product assembly inspector.
rolling stock assembly inspector
vessel assembly inspector
aircraft assembly inspector
motor vehicle assembly inspector
consumer goods inspector
Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of product assembly inspector. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of product assembly inspector with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
motor vehicle engine inspector
rolling stock engine inspector
vessel engine inspector
aircraft engine inspector
avionics inspector
Essential knowledge and skills
Essential knowledge
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of product assembly inspector.
- Quality assurance procedures: The procedures to inspect a product or system to ensure that it is according to specifications and requirements.
- Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of product assembly inspector.
- Create solutions to problems: Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
- Inspect quality of products: Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.
- Undertake inspections: Undertake safety inspections in areas of concern to identify and report potential hazards or security breaches; take measures to maximise safety standards.
- Operate precision measuring equipment: Measure the size of a processed part when checking and marking it to check if it is up to standard by use of two and three dimensional precision measuring equipment such as a caliper, a micrometer, and a measuring gauge.
- Manage health and safety standards: Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company’s health and safety programmes.
- Use testing equipment: Use equipment to test performance and operation of machinery.
- Notify supervisor: Report problems or incidents to the supervisor in order to find solutions to problems.
- Check for damaged items: Identify products that have been damaged and report the situation.
- Communicate problems to senior colleagues: Communicate and give feedback to senior colleagues in the event of problems or non-conformities.
- Conduct performance tests: Conduct experimental, environmental and operational tests on models, prototypes or on the systems and equipment itself in order to test their strength and capabilities under normal and extreme conditions.
- Write inspection reports: Write the results and conclusions of the inspection in a clear and intelligible way. Log the inspection’s processes such as contact, outcome, and steps taken.
- Use technical documentation: Understand and use technical documentation in the overall technical process.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of product assembly inspector. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Engineering principles: The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.
- Electromechanics: The engineering processes that combine electrical and mechanical engineering in the application of electromechanics in devices that need electricity to create mechanical movement or devices that create electricity by mechanical movement.
- Mechanics of vessels: The mechanics involved in boats and ships. Understand the technicalities and participate in discussions over related topics in order to solve problems related to the mechanics.
- Publishing industry: Key stakeholders in the publishing industry. Acquisition, marketing and distribution of newspapers, books, magazines and other informative works, including electronic media.
- Footwear industry: Major brands, manufacturers and products available on the footwear market including the different types of shoes, components and materials used.
- Textile industry: Major textile manufacturers on the market of various brands and materials.
- Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
- Mechanics of motor vehicles: The way energy forces interact and affect components in motor vehicles such as cars, buses, invalid carriages and other motorised vehicles.
- Clothing industry: Major suppliers, brands and products involved in the clothing industry.
- Pharmaceutical industry: The main stakeholders, companies and procedures in the pharmaceutical industry and the laws and regulations that govern the patenting, testing, safety and marketing of drugs.
- Furniture industry: Companies and activities involved in the design, manufacture, distribution and sale of functional and decorative objects of household equipment.
- Quality assurance methodologies: Quality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.
- Cosmetics industry: Suppliers, products and brands in the cosmetic industry.
- Mechanics: Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of product assembly inspector. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Act as contact person during equipment incident: Act as the person to be contacted when an equipment incident occurs. Participate in the investigation by providing insights.
- Prepare audit activities: Prepare an audit plan including both pre-audits and certification audits. Communicate with the different processes in order to implement the improvement actions that lead to certification.
- Inspect aircraft manufacturing: Conduct inspections in the aviation industry; inspect plants where aircraft parts are manufactured to ensure safety and quality control. Ensure that aircraft components are manufactured in compliance with safety and design specifications.
- Give instructions to staff: Give instructions to subordinates by employing various communication techniques. Adjust communication style to the target audience in order to convey instructions as intended.
- Inspect manufacture of rolling stock: Inspect manufacturing plants where rolling stock parts are produced to ensure safety and quality control. Ensure that components are manufactured in compliance with safety and design specifications.
- Execute analytical mathematical calculations: Apply mathematical methods and make use of calculation technologies in order to perform analyses and devise solutions to specific problems.
- Record test data: Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
- Apply statistical analysis techniques: Use models (descriptive or inferential statistics) and techniques (data mining or machine learning) for statistical analysis and ICT tools to analyse data, uncover correlations and forecast trends.
- Monitor packaging operations: Observe and supervise the packaging operations undertaken by the workers for compliance to production requirements. Check products for proper packaging such as labelling and date coding in order to ensure appropriate and safe transportation.
- Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
- Read standard blueprints: Read and comprehend standard blueprints, machine, and process drawings.
- Supervise staff: Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.
- Maintain test equipment: Maintain equipment used for testing the quality of systems and products.
- Supervise work: Direct and supervise the day-to-day activities of subordinate personnel.
- Manage maintenance operations: Oversee maintenance activities, making sure that staff is following procedures and ensuring routine and periodic refurbishment and maintenance activities.
- Liaise with engineers: Collaborate with engineers to ensure common understanding and discuss product design, development and improvement.
- Send faulty equipment back to assembly line: Send equipment that didn’t pass inspection back to the assembly line for re-assembly.
- Analyse production processes for improvement: Analyse production processes leading toward improvement. Analyse in order to reduce production losses and overall manufacturing costs.
- Lead inspections: Lead inspections and the protocol involved, such as introducing the inspection team, explaining the purpose of the inspection, performing the inspection, requesting documents, asking appropriate questions, and maintaining a high level of professionalism when investigating subjects.
ISCO group and title
7543 – Product graders and testers (excluding foods and beverages)
References
- Product assembly inspector – ESCO