AS 9100 CERTIFICATION
THE STANDARD FOR AEROSPACE
AS 9000 was
first published in August 1997 and was written with input from a number
of large aerospace prime contractors including Lockheed Martin,Northrop
Grumman and GE Aircraft Engines and was written against the
clauses of ISO 9001:1994.
In late 1999, the first revision of AS 9100 was
published by The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) with input from the American Aerospace Quality Group (AAQG) and support
from the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) and the Society of
British Aerospace Companies (SBAC).
The current version of AS 9100 aligns
the standard with ISO 9001:2008 and has extra requirements regarding
Regulatory Compliance and the following aerospace-sector specific
requirements:
-
Configuration management
- Design phase, design verification, validation and testing processes
- Reliability, maintainability and safety
-
Approval and review of subcontractor performance
- Verification of purchased product
- Product identification throughout the product’s life cycle
- Product documentation
-
Control of production process changes
- Control of production equipment,tools and numerical control machine programmes
- Control of work performed outside the supplier’s facilities
- Special processes
-
Inspection and testing procedures
- Methods, resources and recording
- Corrective action
-
Expansion of the internal audit requirements in ISO 9001:2008
-
First article inspection
- Servicing, including collecting and analysing data, delivery, investigation and reporting and control of technical documentation
- Review of disposition of non conforming product
As
a result, ISO 9001:2008 is totally encompassed within AS 9100 with
these additional requirements applied specifically addressing aviation
safety concerns.
It is also the only standard which considers the role
of the Regulatory Authorities and so many of the “add-ins” are directly
traceable to FAA Regulations FAR Part 21 (
Certification Procedures for Products and Parts), Part 39 (Airworthiness Directives) and Part 45 (Identification and Registration Marking).
However it must be remembered that AS 9100 remains complementary to
contractual and applicable law and regulations. Any business
implementing an AS 9100 compliant quality system must ensure the
additional requirements of their customers, regulatory agencies (FAA,
JAA etc) and local, state and national laws are referenced within the
systems documentation.
There is now a family of the AS 9100 Standards applicable to different areas of the aerospace industry which includes the following
AS 9101 - Quality System Assessment (the checklist corresponding to AS9100 rev B)
AS 9102 - Aerospace First Article Inspection Requirements
AS 9104 - Standard for overall control of Aerospace Scheme
AS 9110 - Requirements for Maintenance Organisations
AS 9120 - Requirements for Stockists and Distributors
THE BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING AS9100
Implementing
AS 9100 will motivate staff by defining their key roles and
responsibilities. Cost savings can be made through improved efficiency
and productivity as product or service deficiencies will be highlighted.
From this, improvements can be developed, resulting in less waste,
inappropriate or rejected work and fewer complaints. Customers will
notice that orders are met consistently, on time and to the correct
specification. This can open up the market place to increased
opportunities. An additional benefit due to the standardised processes
and procedures is the reduction in multiple expectations due to the
consistency in verification.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT AS 9100
-
Identify the requirements of AS 9100 and how they apply to the business involved.
-
Establish quality objectives and how they fit in to the operation of the business.
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Produce a documented quality policy indicating how these requirements are satisfied.
-
Communicate them throughout the organisation.
- Evaluate the quality policy, its stated objectives and then prioritise requirements to ensure they are met.
- Identify the boundaries of the management system and produce documented procedures as required.
- Ensure these procedures are suitable and adhered to.
-
Once developed, undertake internal audits to ensure the system carries on working.
WHY SEEK CERTIFICATION TO AS 9100
-
Registration to AS 9100 by an accredited registrar shows commitment to
quality and customers and a willingness to work towards improving
efficiency.
-
It demonstrates the existence of an effective quality management system
that satisfies the rigours of an independent, external audit and
addresses the additional safety, reliability and quality concerns
specific to the aerospace industry.
- An AS 9100 certificate enhances company image in the eyes of customers, employees and shareholders alike.
- It gives a competitive edge to an organisation’s marketing.
