SYENSQO (Ajedium Films Division) IATF 16949® Case Study

BACKGROUND

The Ajedium™ Films division of SYENSQO (formerly Solvay Specialty Polymers) manufactures films from a broad array of high-performance polymers to meet the requirements for a variety of industries. These advanced materials are designed to address societal challenges and enhance performance in applications from cars and planes to medical devices and electronics. The combination of properties such as mechanical strength, chemical resistance, wear and abrasion resistance, electrical insulation, and thermal properties makes Ajedium™ Films particularly suited for demanding applications.

Thermoplastic films meet stringent specifications for high temperature, high purity, or specific requirements for strength, clarity, weatherability, dielectric, chemical resistance, or ignition properties. In the automotive market, these high-performance films are widely used as self-lubricating bearing surfaces in various components, including power steering, steering gear, and seat slides.

SYENSQO Newark division has been working with Automotive customers as a Tier 1 Supplier for some time, and the logical path forward was to achieve IATF 16949® Certification.

CHALLENGE

Their Quality Manager contacted simpleQuE to provide a pre-assessment of their processes to determine what gaps may exist in the IATF 16949:2016 standard. She was familiar with simpleQuE’s services and had utilized them while at a previous company.

Most of the initial challenges at the site revolved around understanding all the requirements of the IATF 16949® standard. The automotive APQP process, from the implementation to the finalized PPAP for the customer, and implementing the automotive Core Tools across multiple team members to achieve the required documentation, was a concern. To address this challenge, SimpleQuE provided training and guidance in achieving these objectives and completing the key milestones.

It was determined that the best way for SYENSQO – SSP Newark to achieve IATF 16949® certification was through a process beginning with MAQMSR compliance as an intermediate step, while working to meet the ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016 requirements.

SOLUTION

In 2023, simpleQuE consultant, Paul Gambino, performed an MAQMSR (Minimum Automotive Quality Management System Requirements for Sub-Tier Suppliers) gap analysis and continued consulting through 2024 as the company developed its IATF 16949® Quality Management System. They earned their MAQMSR Letter of Compliance, and Internal Audits were conducted to be sure their system complied with the requirements of the standard. Training for AIAG and VDA FMEA, Control Plan, and Process Audits was also conducted.

“SimpleQuE provided us with easy-to-understand guidelines and value-add action plans that covered the gaps throughout our processes to meet the IATF 16949® standard requirements,” stated their quality manager.

RESULT

IATF 16949® certification was achieved through SGS North America in August 2025, reinforcing the company’s ability to retain current automotive customers and increase bidding opportunities for new automotive business.

“SimpleQuE provided our site with an impartial view of our processes. They provided a clear explanation of the gaps within our processes and identified the IATF 16949® clauses that required improvements. simpleQuE’s expert consultants helped our team to understand the requirements and provided training on core tools to help our site grow through continuous improvements.” 

When asked what improvements occurred due to implementing IATF 16949®, the Quality Manager responded, “Creating FMEA as a team and identifying all the risks associated with these processes and determining continuous improvements from the creation or reviews.  Measurement System Analysis to determine the current state, then reevaluation after the changes shows just how much has been improved. The measurement system identified that the utilization with calipers had a high GR&R, so alternate measurement devices were investigated to improve our measurement techniques.  The GR&R studies showed our current state, so we could continuously improve our accuracy by showing the GR&R with replacement measurement devices.  Changing from handheld calipers to a non-contact measurement device improved the GR&R by over 4%.”

In addition, several process improvements at the site level occurred with assistance from simpleQuE:   

• The implementation of identifying a risk-based thinking process through feasibility review and FMEA creation.   
• Creating Control Plans to show the control of the manufactured product.   
• Utilizing MSA studies to identify our current process and changes to our process improvements. 
• One area of MSA studies was in understanding our current GR&R to small changes to methods, instruments ,or training can improve the GR&R studies.  
• Implementation of Product and Process Internal Audits showing how we can improve our PFMEA and Control Plan to meet the customer's or our expectations.     

"SimpleQue challenged the status quo of the site and encouraged the team to approach the standard way of business from a new direction with a mindset centered around the IATF® standard. This allowed us to go into situations with a new perspective, which ultimately gave us the ability to update processes and our way of thinking to be better prepared for the IATF® audit." – Site Manager, Ajedium™ Films.

With its commitment to quality, SYENSQO will continue to be an industry leader in advanced materials, providing innovative solutions to address critical performance and environmental challenges, while contributing to a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable future.