Commitment to Quality Brings F3 to Next Level.

PATERSON, N.J. -- A reaffirmation to providing quality service and products along with a NAVAIR contract are allowing Form Fit and Function (F3), a company that develops and produces proprietary motion control products for military and commercial applications, to continue its impressive growth in 2007.

This growth is due in part to a $1.1 million contract that was just awarded by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), an organization responsible for delivering solutions and providing support for vital programs for the United States Navy. The contract involves the creation and manufacturing of a device that will allow rapid distribution of mission data files for Navy and Marine Corps aircraft.

The Memory Loader Verifier Set (MLVS) accurately and rapidly reprograms electronic warfare and avionics systems. The contract, awarded through the Lakehurst, N.J. Naval Base, calls for delivery of 25 MLVS units in 2007.

The MLVS was created in the early 1990s and works with a variety of aircraft. It is currently being used by the Navy and Marine Corps for the rapid distribution of mission data files.

The benefits of the MLVS in the deployment of electronic warfare and avioncs data files are many: accuracy and reliability, speed, inexpensiveness, compactness, one-person portability and operability, managing classified data, usability in unsheltered conditions and support in various levels of maintenance.

F3's involvement with military clients also resulted in its voluntary Quality Management System registration upgrade to AS9100. The firm was ISO 9001:2000 registered in September 2005, demonstrating its commitment to quality design and manufacturing for its clients. With 96 percent of F3's contracts dedicated to military avionics, F3 President Odilo Vazquez knew his company needed to take the extra step toward the more specialized aerospace registration.

"AS9100 registration elevates our quality management to the same levels as those recognized and expected by the aerospace industry," Vazquez said. "It allows us to continually demonstrate our commitment to quality, safety and customer satisfaction, both in the military and commercial avionics industries."

The AS9100 registration was introduced in 1997 by the Society of Automotive Engineers. It has since evolved to include all major aerospace manufacturers and in an industry that is moving more toward requiring suppliers to be AS9100 compliant/certified, F3 will benefit from the improved process and continuous improvement that is the foundation of the registration.

F3 worked with Change Management Consulting, Inc. in Wayne, N.J., which successfully identified a $22,000 custom training grant for F3.

According to Stan Cherkasky, Change Management's Managing Partner, F3's AS9100 Oasis audit score of 99.5 out of 100 is exemplary in the industry.

"This is an unprecedented achievement," Cherkasky said. "This score indicates that F3 has in place a model quality management system that other quality-conscious companies can emulate.

"F3 is a company with a passion for exceeding customer expectations," he continued. "This commitment to quality is embraced by not only its senior staff, but every employee in the organization. By achieving this registration, F3 has embarked on a performance excellence journey that includes methodologies such as external benchmarking and Lean Six Sigma deployment. This long-term perspective is going to uniquely position them in the future."

The three-year registration was awarded in December 2006.

About F3

F3 designs, develops and produces proprietary motion control products for military and commercial applications. With expertise in semi-active control devices using magnetorheological fluids, F3 provides viable vibration and shock management designs in a complete package, including mechanical, controls and sensors. For more information on F3's dedication to providing technical guidance and support to its customers, please visit www.fffdesign.com or call Ken Rosenbaum, General Manager at [phone].