Astlett Rubber Inc.: Customer Help Sheets

Problem Isolation Procedures
Astlett Customer Help Sheet

Your Receiver may notice that an arrival of rubber seems to be out-of-spec or otherwise presents a problem. To assist in identifying the problem and its rectification, we suggest that the following steps be followed:

Make sure your testing/inspection procedure is done by persons who understand rubber.
Note that proper sample selection and homogenization is required if laboratory test results are to be representative of the lot.
The original producer tests in numbered production lots of 2 to 16 crates each. Production lot I.D. Numbers are shown on the related test certificate. Please correlate your test results with the production lots shown on the test certificate and the crates/pallets of rubber.
Where available, rheometer traces for this lot/shipment are supplied for your assistance.
For material that apparently tests out-of-spec, please consider if you have an alternate application for some or all of the material. An alternate use, even at a cost allowance suggested by you, is usually preferable to a rejection for return and replacement.
In case of rejection, the producers, under the International TSR Contract, put some obligations on us to prove our case for damages etc. The main one is to provide "sealed samples drawn from 10% of the shipment by .. an independent recognized sampler". Copies of your tests supplied to Astlett would also be helpful, since we "feed back" all useful information to the producer to assist them in improving their process. We will attempt amiable settlement with the producer, in which case we may not need samples.

Astlett is committed to providing you with rubber as contracted. We will work with you to solve this problem. We ask that you work with us to ameliorate costs.

If a problem relates to Astlett and/or our producer, please complete and return our "Exception Report".