Chemical Processing in the Aerospace Industry

Chemical Processing plays an important role in the aerospace industry. Nadcap audit results have shown that planning and process control is the most common non-conformance to the Aerospace Standard, AS7108. This has serious implications for the industry as a whole.

Nadcap plays a key role in moving the surface finishing industry into the 21^st century. This involves leading the industry from a tribal knowledge, high variability based system to a management controlled, data driven, science based, system - promoting ≥right first time≤ high quality, low variability, competetive processing.

Our customers (both prime and supplier) indicate that Nadcap has provided the following improvements in the supplier base.

Ä Formal Planning and Systems

Ä Training at all levels

Ä Procedures

Ä Consistent, baselined processing

Ä Competitiveness

Ä Process Improvement

Role of Nadcap in the Aerospace Industry

Nadcap is an unprecedented co-operative industry effort to improve quality, while reducing costs, for quality assurance throughout the aerospace and defense industries. Nadcap is an industry -managed approach to conformity assessment that brings together technical experts from both industry and government in the Nadcap organisation. Prime contractors, suppliers and representatives from the government work together to establish requirements for accreditation approve suppliers and define operational program criteria. Nadcap represents major prime contractors, suppliers and government agencies in aerospace, defence and related industries throughout the world. Nadcap is administered by PRI, which accredits subcontractors and suppliers to aerospace and defence industry consensus standards.

Beneficiaries of improvements resulting from Nadcap are as diverse as Nadcapπs 1,400 customers. A participating aerospace contractor reports a saving of over $1 million annually while achieving technically superior audits. An accredited Nadcap supplier has tracked a 97% reduction in rework resulting from improvements to his system stemming from Nadcap requirements. Surveys performed on the Nadcap accredited supplier base indicate an average 40% reduction in audits following Nadcap accreditation.

What happens during an audit

During a Chemical Processing audit, a minimum of four (4) job audits are conducted by the Nadcap auditor, who is onsite for an average of 3 days, depending on the scope of the audit.

Nadcap Auditors spend in excess of 80% of their time on the shop floor. The ≥in process≤ job audits are key to evaluating the effectiveness of the suppliers planning and process control systems in ensuring compliance with customer/industry requirements. An ≥in process≤ job audit starts with the auditor reviewing all documentation associated with the particular job under review. This includes comparing the process travelers with the associated Purchase Orders, Drawings, Specifications, etc. The paperwork review evaluates the effectiveness of the planning system in identifying customer requirements and flowing them to the shop papers. The next step is to witness the operator processing the hardware. This determines operator compliance with shop papers, effectiveness of planning, operator training and process control. All in process and final tests and inspections are also witnessed – again to verify effective planning, training and controls.

Auditor insight

Brian Manty has been auditing for the Nadcap Chemical Processing Task Group for approximately 12 months now. Mr. Manty has been active in the aerospace and/or metal finishing industry in excess of 30 years. The majority of Mr. Mantyπs career was with Pratt and Whitney. He also served the industry as a past President of the American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society (AESF).

≥Anyone working in the aerospace industry is aware of how critical it is to correctly process aerospace hardware. The Nadcap program helps the prime aerospace contractors find suppliers and audit supplier capabilities throughout the world. It provides suppliers with much needed information on the requirements for the aerospace industry. Additionally, I like to think it helps everyone flying on planes by assuring quality processes are used to make parts that go into those planes.

≥As a Nadcap auditor, Iπve been lucky enough to travel around the United States auditing special process suppliers, helping the industry while broadening my understanding of the industry on a global scale.≤

Industry Elite

A review of Nadcap auditorsπ credentials reveals professionals with:

• Hands on technical experience in a field directly related to Chemical Processing may be acceptable in lieu of an advanced technical degree;
• Multiple certifications in appropriate areas;
• Over 80% typically have B.S. degrees in Metallurgy/Material Science or other relevant fields;
• Over 30% typically have advanced degrees (M.S. and PhD) in relevant areas;
• Average years of relevant ≥hands-on≤ operator and/or quality experience generally number over 30.

In addition to their technical credentials, auditor candidates are computer literate and registered their interest online at www.eAuditStaff.com. All Nadcap auditors have successfully negotiated an extensive screening process that includes a ≥team interview≤ by special process experts from Nadcap subscribing primes.

Arshad Hafeez, Director of Global Business Operations, commented: ≥PRI is proud to have the most technically expert professionals as Nadcap auditors. Their years of experience and qualifications mean that they are able to provide a unique insight and continuous improvement within the aerospace industry. Our ongoing recruitment and evaluation of existing auditors guarantees Nadcap is the industry leader in special process quality.≤

----------------------------------------------ENDS------------------------------------------------------

EDITORSπ NOTES

PRI and Nadcap

PRI – PRI is the not-for-profit organization that provides staff to facilitate programs and operation decided by PRI Board of Directors.

Nadcap – Nadcap is PRIπs brand name for the industry-managed program for special processes in the aerospace industry. It is the cutting edge cooperative industry experts with its Board of Directors as below:

PRI Board of Directors and Title	Company
Fred (Dick) Pocock Vice President Quality Assurance	Honeywell Engines, Systems & Services
Sandra Postel Vice President Quality	Boeing Commercial Airplane Group
Rob Johnson Group Purchasing Director, Supplier Development	Rolls-Royce plc
Thierry Pistre Vice President Procurement, Quality & Supply Chain	Airbus SAS
Raymond A. Morris Executive Vice President	SAE
John Saliture Director of Supplier Quality & Technical Performance	Northrop Grumman
Robert Briggs General Manager Supply Chain Quality	GE Aircraft Engines
Tesfaye Aklily Vice President Quality	United Technologies Corp
Mariano Alonso Executive VP of Quality & Human Resources	EADS CASA
Kinsuke Hara Director, Quality Assurance	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
Jean-Michel Clin Vice President Quality & Risk Group	Snecma

Unlike traditional third-party programs, Nadcap is an industry-managed program. This process results in a standardised approach to quality assurance and a reduction in redundant auditing throughout the aerospace industry because industry has joined forces to develop a program that:

• Establishes stringent industry consensus standards that satisfy the requirements of all participants
• Replaces routine auditing of suppliers with one approved through a consensus decision-making process of members from the user community
• Conducts more in-depth, technically superior special process audits
• Improves supplier quality throughout industry through stringent requirements
• Reduces costs through improved standardisation
• Utilises technically expert auditors to assure process familiarity
• Provides more frequent audits for major aerospace companies, fewer audits for suppliers

Press Enquiries

For press enquiries, please contact Seema Saleem at the Performance Review Institute:

Telephone: + 44 207 483 9010

Email: seema.saleem@pri-europe.org.uk