AS9100 is the international standard defining aviation, space, and defense industry requirements. It uses a quality management system that ensures performance, customer satisfaction, and quality are all at the forefront of what a business does. It is built on top of ISO 9001 standards, adding items that specifically relate to aerospace and defense. That translates to safety and reliability for clients who choose to work with AS9100 certified companies.
When it comes to design, development, or manufacturing for aerospace and military applications, AS9100 certified companies are the gold standard, for good reason. It means every process and service is performed to a high degree of quality, and that the quality is repeated every single time, with safety and reliability.
It is a voluntary certification, so not every company involved in aerospace and military will possess it. It’s up to you to decide if you want to work with a business that is certified, understanding that AS9100 certification requires training and auditing on a regular basis.
AS9100 Details
AS9100’s standards determine the processes needed to appropriately meet customer requirements, including outsourced processes. It also sets out how these processes relate to one another.
As a result, AS9100 ensures companies are using the appropriate processes in areas like:
- Avoiding Counterfeit Parts: Detecting and avoiding counterfeit parts is vital to the quality of products used in aerospace and defense.
- First Article Inspection: Any time a product is created or revised for the first time, it needs to be verified to ensure it meets all requirements. AS9100 certified companies follow a strict process to do this, ensuring products, documentation, and tooling meet a customer’s specifications.
- Foreign Object Detection: Foreign object detection ensures there are no articles or substances that could damage equipment used in aerospace or defense, nor any debris that could injure personnel, delay production, or create a safety violation. AS9100 certified companies have processes for prevention, detection, and removal of foreign objects.
- Project Management: AS9100 requires organizations to plan and manage their projects to avoid needless risk while meeting resource and schedule specifications.
- Auditing: AS9100 certified companies undergo various audits, including quality management system audits and management system audits, to ensure compliance.
The standards of AS9100 ensure that AS9100-certified companies use their resources wisely with improved performance and productivity. Every process and item is controlled and verified. Operating costs are reduced, as is waste and the need for customer audits, and customer satisfaction increases. As a client, by working with an AS9100 certified company, all of these benefits will come back to you.
Meeting Industry Requirements
Many companies working within defense and aerospace require that their contractors and suppliers are AS9100 certified companies. That is because AS9100 certified companies have proven they are able to meet customer expectations, including quality and on-time delivery. Major aerospace OEMs like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon require certification, for example.
AS9100 is certified by all major aerospace regulators. That means the Federal Aviation Administration, US Department of Defense, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). When you work with an AS9100 certified company like ours, you can rest assured that we have earned that certification through consistent best practices.
We are proud to be an AS9100 certified company. To learn more about us and how our certification will improve your experience, get in touch with New Age Metal Fabricating at 973-227-9107 or info@namf.com, or connect with New Age Precision Manufacturing at 631.471.4000 or info@napm.com. You can also send us a message using our online contact form.
