Quality systems: AS9100 and ISO 9001
A quality certificate is the first thing most aerospace buyers ask for and the last thing most small shops want to pay for. Here is what the certificate proves, and the quality paperwork you will meet either way.
Why buyers ask
A buyer placing an order for a flight part cannot inspect every step in your shop. A quality system certificate is a substitute. It says an outside auditor has checked that you have documented processes for controlling drawings, materials, work instructions, inspection, nonconforming product, calibration, and corrective action, and that you follow them.
Federal contracts express this through FAR Part 46. Many solicitations for defense parts include a higher level contract quality requirement clause that names a standard, often ISO 9001 or AS9100, that your quality system must meet. Primes go further and usually require the certificate itself before they add you to an approved supplier list.
So the certificate does two jobs. It is a ticket to be considered, and it is a claim about how you work that an auditor has verified.
ISO 9001 and AS9100
ISO 9001 is the general quality management standard used across industries. It asks you to define your processes, set quality objectives, control documents and records, manage suppliers, inspect product, handle nonconformances, and improve over time. A small shop can meet it with a modest manual and disciplined records.
AS9100 is ISO 9001 plus requirements written for aviation, space, and defense. It adds emphasis on configuration management, product safety, counterfeit part prevention, risk in operations, control of work transferred to suppliers, and first article inspection. If you make aerospace parts, this is the certificate buyers expect. Companion standards exist for distributors and for maintenance organizations.
Certified aerospace suppliers are listed in an industry database maintained by the aerospace quality group, and prime buyers check it. A certificate that is not in the database will raise questions.
What a registrar does
Certification comes from a registrar, also called a certification body, that is accredited to audit against the standard. You choose the registrar, and you pay for the audits. The registrar does not write your system; it checks it.
The process usually runs in stages. A readiness review confirms your documents cover the standard. A certification audit checks that your shop follows them, with auditors walking the floor, pulling records, and interviewing staff. Findings are written up as nonconformances you must close. Then the certificate is issued for a fixed term, with surveillance audits at intervals and a recertification audit at the end of the cycle.
Consultants can help you build the system before the audit. Keep it simple and true to how you actually work. A system copied from a larger company will fail its first audit because nobody follows it.
Quality paperwork you will meet on orders
Certificate or not, defense and aerospace orders come with quality requirements written into the contract. These are the ones a small shop sees most.
Common quality requirements
| Requirement | What it is | Where you will see it |
|---|---|---|
| First article inspection | A full inspection and report on the first part from a new process, proving every drawing feature is met before production runs | FAR first article clauses on the order; AS9102 report format on prime orders |
| Certificate of conformance | A signed statement that the parts shipped conform to the order, drawing, and specifications | FAR clause 52.246-15 and nearly every prime purchase order |
| Material certifications | Mill test reports and process certifications traceable to the lot shipped | Drawing notes, specialty metals clauses, prime quality clauses |
| Calibration | Measuring equipment checked against standards traceable to national standards, on a schedule, with records | ISO 9001 and AS9100, and most supplier surveys |
| Source inspection | Government or prime inspection at your plant before shipment | FAR Part 46 inspection clauses; DCMA performs government source inspection |
| Nonconformance and corrective action | Documented handling of defective product and the fix that stops it recurring | Quality standard requirements and prime supplier corrective action requests |
First article, in practice
A first article requirement means the buyer wants proof before you make the lot. Under FAR clauses, first article testing may be done by you and reported, or by the government. Prime orders usually want an AS9102 style report: a balloon drawing with every dimension and note numbered, a results sheet with the measured value for each, and material and process certifications attached.
Price the first article as its own job. It takes inspection time, paperwork, and often a wait for approval before production can start. Delivery dates on the order usually count from first article approval, so read the schedule carefully.
Calibration and certificates of conformance
Calibration is the quiet requirement that trips up audits. Every micrometer, gage block, thread gage, and CMM you use to accept product needs a calibration record showing when it was checked, against what, and when it is due. Outside calibration labs accredited to the relevant laboratory standard make this easy. Keep the certificates and a master list.
The certificate of conformance is the document that closes each shipment. It names the order, the part number and revision, the quantity, the lot or serial numbers, and states that the product conforms. It is signed by someone with authority. Attach material and process certifications behind it. A missing or incomplete certificate is the most common reason a defense shipment is rejected at receiving.
Build the records before the certificate
Calibration logs, material traceability, inspection records, and corrective actions are required on defense orders whether or not you are certified. Start keeping them now. Certification then becomes a review of what you already do.
Related guides
- Subcontracting to primesWhere the certificate gets you onto an approved supplier list.
- Reading a solicitationFinding the inspection and first article clauses.
- Pricing a government bidCosting the first article and the paperwork.
- ITAR, EAR, and DFARS basicsSpecialty metals and the certifications that prove compliance.
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