AS 9100 is the international quality management standard specifically written by the aerospace industry in a concerted effort to improve quality and assure the integrity of supplies to the industry. It has been published in Europe as EN 9100, in the United States as AS 9100 and in the Far East as SJAC 9100.
The standard is based on the tested and proven foundation of ISO 9001, which it supplements with specific additional requirements necessary to address civil/military aviation and space needs. This enables organisations with an ISO 9001 quality management system to progress to AS 9100 without significant modification.
It also represents significant effort by the aerospace industry to produce a single standard for use across the global aerospace supply chain.
Contributing sources include:
- The preceding standards AS 9000 and TS 157
- Aerospace industry regulatory requirements
- Government procurement standards
- Contributions from various national and international stakeholders representing the industry
Who is AS 9100 / AS 9120 applicable to?
AS 9100 is applicable to organisations that design and manufacturer products for the aerospace industry including parts, components and assemblies.
AS 9120 is applicable to stockists and distributors of parts to manufacturers that supply the aerospace industry. This standard addresses chain of custody, traceability, stock control and availability of records.
What are the benefits of certification?
- Global recognition as a reputable supplier - as certification is recognized and accepted throughout the aerospace supply chain as an industry benchmark
- Customer satisfaction - through delivery of products that consistently meet customer requirements
- Reduced operating costs - through continual improvement of processes and resulting operational efficiencies
- Improved stakeholder relationships - including staff, customers and suppliers
- Legal compliance - by understanding how statutory and regulatory requirements impact the organization and its customers
- Improved risk management - through greater consistency and traceability of products and services
- Proven business credentials - through independent verification against a globally recognized industry standard
- Ability to win more business - particularly where procurement specifications require certification as a condition to supply
Features and Concepts introduced by AS 9100
Clarification of:
- Aerospace industry expectations
- Roles and responsibilities of regulatory agencies (e.g. Federal Aviation Administration, Joint Aviation Authorities and Defence Contract Management Command etc.)
- Pre-production planning requirements
- First off inspection
- Aerospace material traceability/accountability systems
- Subcontractor approval and control requirements
- Component proving process
- Critical characteristics control and non-conformity reporting
- Cascading of quality requirements
- Foreign object damage
- Stamp control
- Non-conforming material, approval and control requirements
- Sampling inspection requirements and limitations
How to gain certification to AS 9100 / AS 9120
- The process of registration follows three simple steps:
- Application for registration is made by completing the AS 9100 questionnaire
- Assessment to AS 9100 is undertaken by UK cert - the organisation must be able to demonstrate that its quality management system has been fully operative for a minimum of three months and has been subject to a full cycle of internal audits
- Registration is granted by UK cert and maintained by the organisation. Maintenance is confirmed through a programme of annual surveillance and a three yearly re-certification audit.
Initial Certification Audit
The assessment process for achieving certification consists of a two stage Initial Certification Audit as follows:
Stage 1 - the purpose of this visit is to confirm the readiness of the organisation for full assessment. The assessor will:
- confirm that the quality manual conforms to the requirements of AS 9100
- confirm its implementation status
- confirm the scope of certification
- check legislative compliance
- produce a report that identifies any non-compliance or potential for non-compliance and agree a corrective action plan if required
- produce an assessment plan and confirm a date for the Stage 2 assessment visit
Stage 2 - the purpose of this visit is to confirm that the quality management system conforms to the requirements of AS 9100 in practice. The assessor will:
- undertake sample audits of the processes and activities defined in the scope of assessment
- document how the system complies with the standard
- report any non-compliances or potential for non-compliance
- produce a surveillance plan and confirm a date for the first surveillance visit
If the assessor identifies any major non-conformance, the organisation cannot be certified until corrective action is taken and verified.
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