From its beginnings as a manufacturer of rod ends and spherical bearings, QA1 has expanded into custom machining to service a broad range of customer applications. QA1 will continue to pursue this global sourcing aspect of the business aggressively. QA1 is driven by customer demands for:
These aspects of 21st century partnering are not unique or new to the manufacturer/customer relationship. QA1's broad array of machined and forged products is the sole result of just such partnering - the creative exchange of ideas between QA1 and its time-tested customer relationships. Often the specialized nature of these unique production parts began from a simple rod end demand-supply relationship, where the list of customer demands has been met on every point
Supplying high quality, cost competitive solutions on these items began with the construction of a factory near Shanghai, China. QA1 made a major investment to assure the steady supply of spherical balls for much of its rod end spherical bearing products. QA1 cultivated similar supplier/partner relationships along the way, and celebrated the opening of its first wholly-owned, newly-constructed foreign manufacturing plant in April of 2001, not far from Shanghai. With a full staff of design engineers and quality control personnel accountable to QA1 standards of excellence, QA1's fully integrated supply chain is truly a global enterprise
The ability to engage its global engineering staff, via contract engineering arrangements, has allowed QA1 to work with numerous customers from product concept, through design and development, to the production of many distinct items - a sampling of which you see here. The investments made by QA1, both in the U.S. and abroad, have resulted in the manufacture of forgings, sand and investment castings, rubber and injected-molded parts, and a variety of other parts and processes.
Some examples of projects that QA1 has designed and manufactured/sourced/assembled include:
Modular Front Suspension and Drive Assembly
This assembly was specifically designed by QA1 for the fast-growing neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) market.The components that QA1 designed, manufactured or sourced in this sub-assembly include: welded tubular sub frame, tubular suspension arms, ball joints, suspension bushings, knuckle castings, special wheel bearings and seals, wheel hubs, stainless brake disk, forged aluminum brake caliper, and CV drive shafts. The customer receives the completed sub-assembly in returnable packaging, bolts in its drive motor and existing steering rack, with final assembly into the chassis
Steering and Front Drive Assembly
This off-road design by QA1 has been used by a major all-terrain vehicle manufacturer.The design and reliability requirements of this type of assembly approach that of military specifications. The assembly is ubjected to the most severe conditions of heat, cold, water submersion, and obstacle impact-- and it requires little or no maintenance. QA1 is very familiar with these and other off-road omponents, and can similarly design for your existing application, or assist from the design stage, to meet a broad range of customer needs.
