ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill.—Sonoscan’s decades-old quality management system has reached a new level with its recent ISO/IEC 17025:2005 certification from the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation for the firm’s SonoLab division testing laboratories in Elk Grove Village, Ill., Santa Clara, Ca. and Scottsdale, Ariz.

Called simply the “Quality Manual” in the mid-'90s, Sonoscan’s quality management system began changing in order to comply with ISO 9001. In 2012, the structure began another change, this time to fit with ISO 17025 for testing labs.

The three SonoLab locations received accreditation within the last six months.

Each of the SonoLab locations performs acoustic micro imaging to evaluate parts and materials used in electronics and numerous other industries. Laboratories that operate under ISO/IEC 17025:2005 also operate in accordance with ISO 9001.

In preparation for ISO 17025 certification, lab personnel created a comprehensive quality management system to achieve and maintain the highest product quality, SonoLab products are the inspection reports sent to customers.

Creating the systems involved looking at everything that impacts the quality of the inspection process and reports. In addition, ISO 17025 examines the technical competence of lab personnel as well as on-time delivery and customer feedback.

To achieve certification, SonoLabs’ personnel conduct internal audits of their quality management systems following ISO 17025 guidelines. These audits are followed by management review and audits by a third-party assessor, who verifies compliance to ISO 17025 requirements.

For more information, visit www.sonoscan.com.