CTR Carbide Dies working with West Midlands Manufacturing Measurement Centre and the Manufacturing Advisory Service West Midlands have applied Six Sigma methods to improve the production process capabilities and the function of thier inspection department. Firstly, a full capability of the measurement processes were completed and some equipment was replaced. Then a pilot data capture system was agreed and tested on the CNC lath area. SPC data was captured by the machine operators and random sampling of process measurements and chart monitoring was introduced. From this initial study the outcomes were discussed with the production teams and improvement actions agreed. This method was then rolled-out across the entire shop. CTR has seen a marked improvement in the areas of increased productivity, reduced cost of quality and a 'massive reduction' in returned parts for rework. Ultimately, CTR now have a renewed confidence in their production and quality capabilities, and they are now expanding their product portfolio for larger and more varied work.