American-Style Cabinet Quality Inspection Report
Inspection Commission: Commissioned by a U.S.-based cabinet importer
Inspector: FRANK
Inspection Type: On-site comprehensive quality inspection
Supplier Origin: Malaysia
Inspection Time: December 2025
Confidentiality Note: Names of the importer (client) and supplier are redacted in accordance with the confidentiality agreement signed by both parties.
Inspection Overview: Pursuant to the entrustment from the U.S. importer, Inspector FRANK conducted a full-range, all-dimensional on-site quality inspection on the American-style cabinets supplied by the Malaysian supplier in December 2025. The inspection covered raw material quality, manufacturing precision, structural stability, surface finishing, hardware accessories, and compliance with American-style cabinet industry standards and the importer’s technical specifications. During the inspection, common quality defects of American-style cabinets were identified, corresponding corrective suggestions were put forward, and defective cabinets were removed from the warehouse and labeled as defective products to prevent non-conforming products from entering the subsequent supply chain.
1. Inspection Scope & Standards
1.1 Inspection Scope
All batches of American-style cabinets stored in the supplier’s warehouse (Malaysia), including but not limited to base cabinets, wall cabinets, tall cabinets, drawer units, and matching decorative components. The inspection covered 100% of the key structural parts and random sampling (sampling ratio: 30%) of surface finishing and hardware installations.
1.2 Inspection Standards
- American National Standards for Kitchen Cabinets (ANSI/KCMA A161.1)
- Technical specifications and quality requirements specified in the purchase contract between the importer and the supplier
- Industry norms for American-style cabinet craftsmanship (e.g., classic molding details, wood grain matching, paint finish standards)
- Safety and environmental protection standards for building materials imported into the United States (formaldehyde emission limit: ≤0.124 ppm, in line with CARB P2 requirements)
2. Inspection Process & Methods
Inspector FRANK adopted a combination of visual inspection, dimensional measurement, structural testing, hardware performance testing, and environmental testing to conduct the on-site inspection, ensuring comprehensiveness and accuracy of the results.
- Visual Inspection: Check surface finish (paint, veneer), wood grain consistency, molding details, joint gaps, and presence of scratches, dents, or color differences.
- Dimensional Measurement: Use precision measuring tools (tape measure, caliper, level ruler) to verify whether the cabinet’s length, width, height, and installation hole positions comply with design drawings.
- Structural Testing: Test cabinet stability (e.g., load-bearing capacity of shelves, firmness of corner joints), door panel alignment, and drawer sliding smoothness.
- Hardware Performance Testing: Inspect the quality of hinges, slides, handles, and other hardware (material, plating, wear resistance) and test their opening/closing flexibility and load-bearing capacity.
- Environmental Testing: Use a formaldehyde detector to test the formaldehyde emission of cabinet panels and adhesives.
3. Quality Defects Identified
During the on-site inspection, several common quality defects of American-style cabinets were found, which are categorized and detailed as follows:
3.1 Surface Finishing Defects
- Paint Imperfections: 8 out of 150 inspected cabinets had paint bubbles, pinholes, and uneven coating on the door panels and side panels. This is mainly due to inadequate surface treatment of the base material before painting and unstable temperature and humidity during the painting process.
- Color Differences: There were obvious color differences between individual cabinet panels and door panels (3 batches, totaling 12 cabinets). The root cause is inconsistent dyeing parameters during the veneer processing or mixed use of materials from different batches.
- Scratches & Dents: 5 cabinets had surface scratches (length 2-5cm) and small dents, which were caused by improper handling during warehouse storage and transportation.
3.2 Structural & Dimensional Defects
- Unqualified Dimensional Accuracy:6 cabinets had deviations in the distance between installation holes (deviation range: 2-3mm), and 4 cabinets had uneven cabinet tops (levelness deviation >1mm/m), which would affect subsequent installation.
- Loose Joints: 7 cabinets had loose corner joints (visible gaps of 0.5-1mm) due to insufficient glue application and incomplete curing of the adhesive during assembly.
- Door Panel Misalignment: 9 cabinets had door panel misalignment (gap difference between left and right sides >2mm) after installation, caused by incorrect adjustment of hinges and uneven cabinet frame.
3.3 Hardware-Related Defects
- Hinge Failure: 10 hinges (distributed in 8 cabinets) had inflexible opening/closing and abnormal noise, and 2 hinges showed signs of plating peeling. This is due to the use of low-quality hinges that do not meet American industry standards.
- Drawer Slide Issues: 6 drawers had unsmooth sliding and poor load-bearing capacity (sagging when loaded with 5kg). The problem lies in the insufficient thickness of the slide rails and improper installation.
3.4 Environmental & Material Defects
2 cabinets had formaldehyde emission exceeding the standard (test result: 0.15-0.16 ppm), which was caused by the use of low-grade particleboard with unqualified formaldehyde emission as the base material.
4. Defective Product Handling Measures
To ensure product quality and avoid non-conforming products being delivered to the U.S. importer, Inspector FRANK took the following on-site handling measures:
- Removal from Warehouse: All defective cabinets (total 44 pieces, covering all defect types mentioned above) were immediately removed from the qualified product warehouse and transferred to a dedicated defective product area for isolated storage.
- Labeling: Each defective cabinet was affixed with a standardized defective product label, clearly indicating the defect type, inspection date, and inspector (FRANK) to facilitate traceability and subsequent disposal.
- Notification: The supplier was immediately notified of the detected defects and the handling measures, and a written record was made for confirmation to ensure the supplier fully understands the quality problems and takes follow-up actions.
5. Improvement Suggestions
In response to the common quality defects of American-style cabinets identified in the inspection, the following targeted improvement suggestions are put forward to the supplier to prevent similar problems from recurring:
5.1 Optimization of Surface Finishing Process
- Strengthen the surface treatment of base materials: Before painting, strictly implement sanding, degreasing, and dust removal processes to ensure the surface is smooth and free of impurities, thereby avoiding paint bubbles and pinholes.
- Standardize the painting environment: Control the temperature (20-25℃) and humidity (40%-60%) in the painting workshop to ensure stable coating quality and avoid uneven painting.
- Establish batch consistency control: For veneer and painted parts, conduct color matching tests before mass production, and strictly separate materials from different batches to avoid color differences.
5.2 Enhancement of Structural & Dimensional Precision
- Improve the accuracy of processing equipment: Regularly calibrate CNC cutting machines, drilling machines, and other equipment to ensure dimensional accuracy of cabinet parts (tolerance control within ±1mm).
- Optimize the assembly process: Increase the amount of environmentally friendly adhesive appropriately, extend the curing time of joints, and use auxiliary fixing tools (e.g., clamps) to ensure firm corner joints.
- Strengthen pre-installation adjustment: Conduct door panel and drawer adjustment before leaving the factory, ensuring that door gaps are uniform and drawers slide smoothly.
5.3 Upgrade of Hardware Quality & Installation
- Replace hardware suppliers: Use hinges, slides, and other hardware that comply with ANSI standards, and conduct incoming inspection on hardware to reject unqualified products.
- Standardize hardware installation: Train assembly workers on professional installation techniques, ensure that hinges and slides are installed in place, and conduct 100% performance testing after installation.
5.4 Strict Control of Material & Environmental Indicators
- Optimize material procurement: Purchase base materials (particleboard, MDF) that meet CARB P2 formaldehyde emission standards, and require suppliers to provide relevant test reports.
- Strengthen incoming material inspection: Conduct random sampling of base materials and adhesives for formaldehyde emission testing, and prohibit the use of unqualified materials.
5.5 Improvement of Warehouse & Handling Management
Add protective measures in the warehouse: Use foam pads or cardboard to separate cabinets to avoid scratches and dents during storage and handling. Train warehouse staff on standardized handling operations to reduce man-made damage.
6. Inspection Conclusion
Through comprehensive on-site inspection, it is found that the American-style cabinets supplied by the Malaysian supplier have common quality defects in surface finishing, structural precision, hardware performance, and material environmental protection, which do not fully comply with the American industry standards and the importer’s quality requirements. The defective products have been properly handled (removed from the warehouse and labeled) to eliminate quality risks.
It is recommended that the supplier strictly implement the above improvement suggestions, complete the rectification within 15 working days, and conduct a re-inspection before the next batch of production. The U.S. importer reserves the right to conduct unannounced inspections on the supplier’s rectification results and subsequent production batches to ensure the quality of American-style cabinets meets the required standards.
Inspector’s Signature: FRANK
Inspection Date: December 30, 2025
