QualityTools used for Quality Improvement in Small and Medium Foundry Enterprises at Kolhapur

One of the most important Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) ecosystems in India is the Kolhapur foundry cluster, which supplies cast components to the engineering and automotive sectors. These SMEs have embraced a variety of high-quality tools and techniques in response to the growing need for castings that are flawless. This study examines the quality technologies utilized in Kolhapur foundries, including Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, Statistical Process Control (SPC), and basic QC tools. Survey data, case studies, and literature serve as the study's foundation. The results show that although basic quality tools are widely used, more sophisticated approaches like digital quality systems and Six Sigma are still being developed. Recommendations for improving competitiveness and quality performance are included in the paper's conclusion.