Published: 3/15/2022
(Akron, Ohio) – March 15, 2022 – Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services, announces that Jeff Andrasik is presenting best practices for validating products in a changing supply chain at the 2022 Hose and Belt Manufacturers Conference. The Hose and Belt Manufacturers Conference will take place in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on April 12-13, 2022. Smithers are also a sponsor for the event and will have a booth to support customer discussions.
Andrasik’s presentation will focus on audit programs that manufacturers can implement to manage and adapt to rapid changes in supply or material choices.
“The hose and belt industries have experienced significant supply chain disruptions and raw material price fluctuations over the past eighteen months,” said Andrasik. “Many have had to adjust their material choices on very short notice so they can ensure supply while still meeting quality standards. My goal is to share some insight, from the testing side, into validation processes that could help them to react quickly and remain profitable in a changing market.”
Andrasik will discuss a variety of laboratory test methods specific to reinforced rubber products and components designed for high performance applications and the value of each test method in a quality validation program.
“Jeff is deeply committed to the Smithers promise of accurate data, on time, with excellent service, and he has years of experience designing and conducting quality audit programs,” said Jim Popio, Vice President of North American Operations, Materials Science and Engineering, Smithers. “With his background and expertise, he has a lot of valuable guidance to offer anyone who attends the 2021 Hose and Belt Manufacturers Conference.”
As General Manager of Product Testing, Andrasik directs all product testing operations and engineers in North America. He first joined Smithers in 2002 and has worked in product testing, material testing, and sample preparation. He has developed and executed a wide variety of test programs, including pressure, vibration, and temperature specifications on automotive, industrial, aerospace, nuclear, and consumer products. Andrasik has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical and polymer engineering from the University of Akron and a Master of Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University. He is a member of the Hose Safety Institute Advisory Council of the Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution (NAHAD).
Located in Akron, the Ohio product testing laboratory serves clients across a number of industry segments and has special expertise in fluid transfer systems and related components. The facility includes Smithers’ analytical and physical testing laboratories and has a satellite lab in Lansing, Michigan. The combination of the two locations, plus laboratories in the United Kingdom and Suzhou, China, gives Smithers the capacity, flexibility, and expertise to meet any client’s product testing needs worldwide.
For more information about Smithers, please visit https://www.smithers.com/
###
About Smithers:
Founded in 1925 and headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Smithers is a multinational provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services. With laboratories and operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, Smithers supports customers in the transportation, life science, packaging, materials, components, consumer, dry commodities, and energy industries. Smithers delivers accurate data, on time, with high touch, by integrating science, technology, and business expertise, so customers can innovate with confidence.
