Quality Systems

Quality Systems

Consistent quality through compliance with ISO 9001 standards and on-going research and development are top priorities at Active Minerals. Located in Eatonton, GA (USA), the Active Minerals Technical Center (AMTEC) supports each production facilities’ technical needs beyond QC testing. It houses several different labs and groups that work together and independently to support AMI’s targets. In addition a new R&D lab in Houston, TX, opening later in 2021, will apply materials science and engineering to develop new products, new processes, and new applications.

Complimenting our Technical Center is our Quality Assurance and Compliance group located in our Macon, GA (USA) office. Our Quality Group coordinates with all other AMI technical centers, plants, offices, and shipping locations to assure that proper quality procedures are always followed upholding the high standards expected by our customers and that we expect from ourselves.

man working in a lab
container ship passing under a bridge
Man wearing a lab coat, conducting a quality test

Principles of Quality

Bolstered by the strength of an ISO 9001 registered quality system and a dynamic continuous improvement culture, each of these four simple statements embodies the meaning of quality for every employee at Active Minerals.

I am responsible for quality
We see personal responsibility as the cornerstone of our quality system. Each team member understands the critical nature of their role in ensuring first run capability and customer satisfaction.

I know what our customers want
Through effective communication and documentation by our Customer Service and Sales teams, employees understand individual customer needs and their place in meeting them.

I ensure our customers’ requirements are met
Our goal is customer satisfaction the first time, every time. Each of us is empowered to successfully meet our customers’ needs, instilling confidence so they order from us every time.

I make us better at what we do
Built upon a strong framework of continuous improvement systems and tools, the AMI culture is not one that is satisfied with standing still. Our leadership in the industrial minerals marketplace is contingent on a constant passion for better.

Quality Assurance Processes

AMI operates a company-wide online Quality Management System (QMS) whose foundation is ISO 9001 certification through ABS Quality Evaluations, ISO 9001 Registered. QMS has a company-wide scope including all manufacturing facilities, Sales and Customer Service offices, technical centers, and the Macon Engineering and Administration office.

Our Corrective Action Process, a robust system for documenting internal non-conformance and customer issues, provides opportunities for continuous improvement.

Quality Customer Service & Logistics

Our Customer Service Teams –  located in the USA, Taipei and Shanghai – provide excellent customer service on a global basis.

With the support of a Logistics Team of seasoned professionals coupled with Plant Operations, AMI has been a major supplier to large volume global markets such as fiberglass for several decades. Customers such as these, where consistent quality and on-time deliveries are critical, have received an uninterrupted supply despite trucking and steamship line interruptions as well as pandemics and catastrophic storms, both here and abroad. Our team has strategic partnerships in various modes of transport to optimize our supply chain services to our customers.

Delivering to 70+ locations worldwide, AMI is recognized as a Top 100 U.S. Exporter. Capable of contracting with logistics companies directly without reliance on third party firms, AMI provides this additional economic benefit to our customers.

container ship passing under a bridge

AMTEC Services
Strong Technical Support

General Lab Services 
The heart of Active Minerals Technical Center (AMTEC) is two large technical labs capable of testing all of AMI’s crude materials as well as the physical and chemical properties of finished products. They assist with the development of products for new market applications.

Ceramics Lab
The Ceramics Lab evaluates our wide range of clay deposits to assess their ceramic properties and potential use as a component in making Acti-Cast® ECS Engineered Casting System for sanitaryware. Quality verification is confirmed through basic ceramic tests (such as viscosity, casting rate and MOR) on slips, dry product and fired bodies.

Concrete & Mortar Lab
The Concrete Lab supports a wide range of concrete and mortar testing designed to gain approval of Acti-Gel® 208 admixture in customer formulations. The technology and equipment at AMTEC provide AMI with a top facility designed to support product sales, compare competitor products and conduct research and development. The concrete lab is configured to achieve certification from CCRL, AMRL and DOT’s across the nation, as well as perform testing specified by the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) and American Concrete Institute (ACI).

Pilot Plant
To compliment the technical labs, AMTEC also contains a fully functional wet-process pilot plant. The Pilot Plant  that can perform all basic functions of a full-size production facility, including centrifuging, spray drying, belt filtering and calcining.

Slurry Pipeline Lab
Slurry and paste pipelines are economical transports for earthen materials, but they require extraordinary suspension and stable rheology. AMI’s Acti-Gel® 208 admixture can meet those needs. AMTEC has a pipeline slurry testing lab with the capability to thoroughly evaluate different material characteristics, additives and provide comparisons on multiple types of slurries through bench-top testing. In addition, larger scale dynamic testing in AMI’s Mobile Flow Loop evaluates reduced pressure gradients, flow rates and soft-settling of slurries and pastes treated with Acti-Gel® 208 admixture in a true pipeline environment.

Exploration and Mine Development
A cornerstone of AMI’s success is comprehensive mine planning. AMTEC’s location allows the Exploration/Geology Group to be centrally based to our current and future mining campaigns. This optimizes AMI’s ability to efficiently process and evaluate an extensive number of drill cores from multiple locations. It also allows assistance in managing various mining reserves and land properties for maximum economic benefit. One clear result has been AMI winning the highest awards in the State of Georgia – for minimizing the environmental effects of mining and returning mined lands to their former state – for each year we reclaimed land (8 of the past 10 years). The technical center is another tool AMI uses to distinguish itself from competition and help invest in all of our futures.

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