AS9145: An introduction to APQP and PPAP for aerospace and defense manufacturers
In aerospace and defense manufacturing, precision and consistency are crucial to delivering the high levels of quality that help ensure product safety and reliability.
Defined by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), standard AS9145 aims to empower manufacturers to achieve such precision and consistency throughout the production process. Seamlessly uniting product and process designs through a structured methodology, the standard helps ensure designs and products closely align with customer specifications.
AS9145 consists of requirements for two integrated elements: Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP).
APQP
The Advanced Product Quality Planning framework provides standardized requirements for the Product Development Process (PDP) in the aerospace and defense manufacturing industry. It defines a clear, structured methodology for integrating all stages of product development – from purchase order and concept to product validation and production.
As part of AS9145, APQP helps create manufacturable products that are exactly the right fit, form and function to meet the customer’s requirements. It’s a complex framework consisting of five distinct phases - which must be conducted in chronological order, as each phase feeds into the next.
Ultimately, APQP’s key output is the PPAP submission.
PPAP
As a risk-based approach to technical drawing, the Production Part Approval Process evaluates risk at each stage of the APQP framework. It provides a structured framework for approving new and amended parts and production methods, helping to ensure the product’s characteristics and the customer’s requirements are aligned.
The PPAP enables consistency and collaboration across the manufacturing process, creating an efficient, repeatable process to meet customer requirements in production.
Unlike in automotive manufacturing, PPAP submissions in the aerospace and defense industry consist of 11 documents relating to different stages of the APQP process. These must be approved by both the manufacturer and the customer, providing documented evidence that the customer specifications have been met by the product designs.
The benefits of APQP and PPAP compliance
While you’re technically not obliged to comply with AS9145, there are several benefits that make compliance highly attractive to manufacturers in the aerospace and defense industry. Including:
- Closer alignment between customer specifications, product designs, and product characteristics
- Documented evidence that requirements were met, as confirmed by both the manufacturer and the customer
- More successful first production runs, due to thorough planning and preparation prior to manufacturing
- Clear, repeatable processes to consistently and efficiently produce high quality parts
- Reduced likelihood of errors, corrections being needed, and wastage occurring
- Improved communication between the customer, design and production
- Global recognition among IAQG members and increased competitiveness with proven supplier credentials
Fundamentally, if you’re manufacturing and supplying parts in the aerospace and defense industry, no matter where you are in the world, it’s highly advantageous to be AS9145 certified. Complying with the meticulous requirements of APQP and PPAP can be complex, but tools such as Ideagen Quality Control can help you follow the processes more effectively and efficiently.
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To discover more about what’s required for AS9145 compliance, download Ideagen’s guide to AS9145 APQP & PPAP for Aerospace & Defense Manufacturers