 History
Witness Inspection officially opened its doors in March of 1998. The idea for the company itself was born when the two of the founders, who were working in the automotive industry, were discussing the slow and inefficient method of hand sorting for defects in parts. Laminations in steel are an unavoidable aspect of industry, and sorting by hand was the only way of weeding them out. There had to be a better way, yet the entire industry was using an antiquated and flawed system of picking up parts one at a time, looking them over, and hoping for minimal human error. The goal of zero defects touted by the industry was more hoped for than realistic.
But there was a better way. After brainstorming, trial and error, and late nights, a prototype was invested in, designed and tested; and it worked beautifully. This new sorting system means faster turnaround, increasing sorting efficiency from 70%-80% to virtually 100%, and saving money in the process for the client.
Witness has also merged with Vision Integration Services out of Fennville, Michigan to offer complete machine vision solutions, from in-house contract sorting, custom machine design and fabrication, to our flexible inspection machines, the Series 100 and Series 150.
Current capabilities
Witness is now located in its second building since opening, and looking to expand to a larger facility soon. We sort for laminations, I.D., O.D., Height, Color, Rust, Critical Dimensions, and many other types of defects. While hand sorters run on average of 1,000 pieces per hour, at Witness our machines average between 6,000 - 20,000 pieces per hour. We have sorted over 30 million pieces, most of which are critical engine parts. In addition to sorting, we offer packaging and shipping, final audit checks, and storage at our facility. We have the ability to perform short or long run sorts, or we can set up a system to work in-house for the customer.
Vision
Our company is on the leading edge of a technology that is just beginning to be understood by the market. Organizations will have to raise their standards of quality to survive competition, and we're offering the solution. Companies must be able to achieve zero defects. Also, as companies increasingly function on a global scale, complexity abounds. Often there isn't the local technical expertise necessary to solve problems at a remote location. Our goal is to always stay one step ahead — to identify problems, to offer solutions, and to see what's coming and help avoid problems before they happen.
For more information regarding Witness, please contact Kurt Haveman at 616-394-9210 or info@witnessinspection.com.
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