Quality at Riway runs on documents and procedures, not slogans. Written procedures and batch records keep every step of production traceable. QC is split into three separate stages, so a problem missed at one stage is still caught at the next. Independent checks at each stage stop quality issues from slipping through.
In short: three separate control stages sit between your raw materials and your shipment — incoming material control, in-process control on the converting and packing line, and pre-shipment control before release. Each one is recorded against a batch record, and each one can hold a batch. This page explains what is checked at each stage, what documentation you receive, where these gates fall in the project timeline, and what happens when a check fails.
The three quality control stages
The three stages are independent on purpose: each covers a different failure mode, and a defect that survives one stage should be caught by the next rather than by your customers.
| Stage | When it runs | What is checked |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Incoming material control | On receipt, before anything enters production | Nonwoven roll goods against the agreed specification (fibre, GSM, sheet width, roll condition); film structure, thickness and print; closure fit; carton quality; formula ingredients and their batch codes |
| 2. In-process control | During converting and packing, per batch | Line settings against the approved sample and spec; lotion loading and pack weight; sheet count, fold and stack; seal integrity; print registration; lid adhesion |
| 3. Pre-shipment control | After packing, before the order is released | 100% quality inspection of the finished product before delivery; carton count and labelling; batch and shelf-life coding; retained samples; completeness of the document pack |
Pre-shipment inspection is 100% of the finished product, not a sample of it — the same commitment Riway publishes on our OEM/ODM services page.
What is documented for every batch
The point of documentation is that any unit in your shipment can be traced back to what made it. For each batch we keep, and can retrieve:
- the approved specification and the approved sample reference;
- material batch codes for the nonwoven, film, closures and formula ingredients;
- the line settings used for the run, including lotion loading;
- in-process check results, recorded as the batch was produced rather than reconstructed afterwards;
- the finished-goods inspection result and the release decision;
- retained samples from the batch, so a later question can be compared against the physical product rather than a description of it.
Documents that travel with the shipment — certificates, test reports and declarations — are listed on our certificates and reports page, along with how to verify them independently.
Where quality control sits in the project timeline
QC is not a stage at the end of a project; it is a gate at each stage. The table below maps the project from first conversation to delivery, and shows what you approve, what you receive, and where the delays normally come from.
| Stage | What happens | What you approve | What you receive | Timing | What usually delays it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Specification | Requirements clarified: product type, formula, material, packaging and quantity | The written specification | A written specification you can quote against | Confirmed before quoting | The specification still changing while quotations are being prepared |
| 2. Sampling | 1–3 sample sets developed, including formula testing and packaging design | The physical sample | Sample sets, plus confirmation of formula and packaging | 3–5 working days standard; 5–10 working days where formula, material or packaging changes | Artwork, film structure or pack-format decisions arriving late |
| 3. Order confirmation | Quotation and contract issued against the approved specification | Quotation, contract and production cycle | Quotation, contract, specification sheet, tooling treatment | Set in the quotation | Payment terms or Incoterm not yet agreed |
| 4. Material preparation | Substrate, film, closures and ingredients ordered to specification; incoming control applied | — | — | Depends on material lead time; confirmed in the contract | A non-standard substrate, or custom film and lid tooling |
| 5. Mass production | Production follows the approved sample and specification; in-process control; progress updates shared with you | — | Progress updates and batch records | Around 30 days after sample approval | Peak-season capacity; artwork or print rework |
| 6. Pre-shipment & delivery | 100% inspection before delivery; logistics arranged by sea, air or express; tracking provided | Release to ship | Inspection record, document pack, tracking information | Set in the quotation | Documents incomplete, or a missed booking cut-off |
Timings shown in bold are the ones we publish. Where a stage depends on your specification or on material lead time, the figure is fixed in the quotation rather than estimated here — see our note on why we do not publish rates and lead times as fixed figures.
What happens when a check fails
A check that cannot fail is not a check. When something does not meet the specification, the sequence is:
- The batch is held. Nothing leaves the plant while a non-conformance is open.
- The non-conformance is recorded against the batch record, naming the material or process step responsible.
- The cause is investigated — incoming material, a line setting, or packaging — rather than the symptom being reworked away.
- A corrective action is applied and the batch is re-checked before it can be released.
- Retained samples make the comparison possible, so the re-check is against the physical product, not a description of it.
- If the batch cannot be brought to specification, it is not shipped — and you hear about the delivery impact rather than receiving something that does not match the approved sample.
Where a market requires specific testing or documentation — flushability evidence, or a declaration of plastic content, for example — that requirement is agreed at the specification stage so it is folded into the same batch record rather than bolted on before shipping. For the UK and EU requirements now in force, see our plastic wet wipes ban compliance guide.
Want the quality documentation for a specific product? Tell us the product and the market you are selling into, and we will confirm which tests and documents apply and how they are recorded per batch. Request a quote or see our OEM/ODM services.
Related guides
- Nonwoven material guide — how fibre and bonding choices affect performance and cost
- How a wet wipes OEM quotation is built — the cost blocks behind your unit price, and how to compare quotes
- Wet wipes MOQ and packaging guide — minimum order quantities by packaging format
- Certificates and reports — the certificates we hold and how to verify them
- Wet wipes sample lead time — what speeds up or slows down the sampling stage