AS9145 is how the Aerospace industry would like your organization to develop a product from concept all the way to production and customer feedback!
This standard establishes requirements for performing and documenting Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and Product Part Approval Process (PPAP).
APQP begins with conceptual product needs and extends through product definition, production planning, product and process validation (i.e., PPAP), product use, and post-delivery service. This standard integrates and collaborates with the requirements of the 9100, 9102, 9103, and 9110 standards.
The requirements specified in this standard are complementary (not alternative) to contractual and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. Should there be a conflict between the requirements of this standard and applicable statutory or regulatory requirements, the latter shall take precedence.
The AS9145 Aerospace standard was created to define the aviation, space, and defense process requirements for APQP and PPAP. The APQP process defines a methodology for ensuring that the product development processes deployed throughout the aviation, space, and defense industries are fully integrated phased processes that extend from concept and design through manufacturing process planning and execution, and on into product use, service, and customer feedback. The PPAP is an output of APQP confirming that the production process has demonstrated the potential to produce products that consistently fulfill all requirements at the customer demand rate.
AS9145 is designed to reduce risk throughout the Product Development process. It helps ensure successful launches based on robust new product development processes and how to employ these tools to manage continual improvement in products and processes. It provides guidance on the Aerospace PPAP submission requirements and quality tools such as DFMEA, PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, and SPC.
APQP in the Automotive world is how a vehicle transitions from concept all the way to maturity. Aerospace then took that and developed AS9145 which is a standard that you will see come up during contract review. So, if your customer requires you to engage in AS9145 management of your project, that’s how this came into play.
Is AS9145 different than AS9100?
Most people think of AS9145 as different than AS9100, but it’s not. AS9100 is the quality management system for Aerospace. Most companies are AS9100 compliant already, if not certified.
AS9145 is how you do Section 8; like doing a contract review during the design, during the purchasing, and more. It is laid out in five distinct phases.
The big selling point is simultaneous engineering between product and process.
In the past, product design and process design have largely been thought of as separate entities. In AS9145, both product and process initiate together, evolve together, and mature together to get to a product that is not only the right fit, form, and function, but also that is manufacturable. That is one of the huge selling points, as it leads to less redundancy, fewer design iterations, and decreased tooling costs, all due to redesign.
What the AS9145 group did, they said at each phase we will put together activities and deliverables, these deliverables are the outputs of AS9145.
Why is this beneficial?
You do not want to get the end of your program and figure out that you don’t have everything built in. Pump the brakes and check at each phase if you have the deliverables to exit the phase. These deliverables are absolutely engineered to build one on top of the other.
Recap:
- AS9145 is how you bring a product to market in the Aerospace industry all the way from concept to maturity
- It aligns perfectly with AS9100 section 8; and if you’re already engaging in AS9100 you’re already doing these activities
- There are 5 distinct phases
- Each phase is predicated by the one before, every output builds on the output before
In addition, there are five largely recognized core tools. AS9145 is the mother of them all.
Aerospace Quality Core Tools
- Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) is a process that enables a manufacturer to demonstrate that it can design and manufacture a product in line with customer requirements. The main objectives of APQP are effective communication, timely completion of the tasks, reduction of quality issues, and minimization of quality-related risks during product launch. The steps in APQP are: planning, product design and development, process design and development, product and process validation, and finally, on-going production, use and post-delivery service.
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a method for identification and prioritization of different modes of failure and resulting effects. The risk represents a relationship between modes of failure, their potential effects, and causes of failure. FMEA has proven itself as a valuable risk assessment tool in the design (DFMEA) and production (PFMEA) process.
- Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) is a method of evaluating variability in the measurement process. It is primarily used to determine the viability of an evaluation or measuring methodology for use on a specific part characteristic. MSA looks at five distinct parameters: bias, linearity, stability, repeatability, and reproducibility, and guidelines for acceptance are “Percent Error to Tolerance” and “Percent Error to Variation.”
- Statistical Process Control (SPC) is a statistical method applied in quality control, and it is primarily used to monitor and control processes.
- Product Part Approval Process (PPAP) is a process of demonstrating that the produced part meets design intent and initial requirements, and that the production process can consistently provide such products. The result of PPAP is a set of documents called the “PPAP package,” which needs to be approved by the supplier and the customer to demonstrate that the client’s requirements are understood, that the product meets the requirements, and that the production process is capable of providing conforming product.
These core tools are used during the Product and Process Development phases of New Product Introduction (NPI) and during certain events such as failure investigation or engineering changes. The training methodology from QSG harmonizes and links the inputs and outputs of the core tools to one another. Linked tools increases their value to one another and reduces overall workload.
Is AS9145 right for you?
AS9145 Training, Materials and Tools
- ASA-AS9145 APQP PPAP Training (PowerPoint Slides and Webinar)
- DFMEA Template
- GRR Template Attribute Gauge Short Method
- GRR Variable Gauge Template
- PFMEA Template
