AST Bearings Inc. (USA; privately held) said it has received the latest ISO Quality Management System certification, ISO 9001:2008.

Founded in 1963, AST specializes in miniature bearings and miniature ball bearing products. AST also supplies bushings, rod ends, roller and linear bearings, custom cost-effective subassemblies, and other products.

The certification came after extensive quality systems analyses by Perry Johnson Registrars.

AST had previously qualified complaint under ISO 9001:2000, but the re-certification process requires additional commitments to customer satisfaction and quality improvement.

Companies complying with ISO 9001:2000 but who have not qualified for ISO 9001:2008 by November 2010 will lose that ISO 9001:2000 certification.

For AST, specific points of the quality policy included:

• Verified customer satisfaction
• Continuous improvement
• Understanding and conforming to customer requirements
• Maintaining a compliant ISO 9001:2008 Quality Assurance System

And in order to be consistent with ISO 9001:2008, AST has sent out standardized surveys to its customers for the past three years, to determine the company's performance in five key areas: Sales and Customer Service, Engineering, Quality, Shipping Delivery, and Overall. The survey also solicits feedback on good and bad areas.

Dale Kaminski, AST CEO, said: "AST has always has a commitment to quality. This is a core value for AST that permeates every level of our company from senior management on down. Each and every one of us at AST Bearings is committed to delivering quality products with outstanding reliability, along with the very best service and support. Our new ISO 9001:2008 certification is yet another example of our company providing "value beyond the part". For our customers, it represents further assurance that when they purchase a product from AST, they are investing in a superior product backed by an organization that stands behind everything it sells."