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18
Supplier’s Perspective on the PPAP
Overview
The essence of a production part approval process (PPAP) is to make sure that
the supplier knows and monitors its process to the point where the product
going to the customer is awless. The PPAP is product specic and never facility
specic. Specically, any PPAP focuses on six primary areas. They are
1. If a process owner exists
2. If a process is dened
3. If a process is documented
4. If linkages of a process are established
5. If a process is monitored, analyzed, and improved
6. If records are maintained
These 6 areas are embellished into 18 specic requirements. These are not
new but repositioned requirements of the advanced product quality plan-
ning (APQP) process (AIAG, 2008). This means that if the supplier has done
diligence work on time for all APQP requirements when they were due
(milestone), then the PPAP process is not difcult or time consuming. The 18
elements of the full PPAP are
1. Design records: A printed copy of the drawing needs to be provided.
If the customer is responsible for designing, this is a copy of the cus-
tomer drawing that is sent together with the purchase order (PO). If
the supplier is responsible for designing, this is a released drawing in
the supplier’s release system. Every feature must be ballooned or road
mapped to correspond with the inspection results (including print
notes, standard tolerance notes and specications, and anything else
relevant to the design of the part). Prints (if applicable) must be in the
geometric and dimensioning tolerance (G&DT) format.
2. Engineering change documents: A document that shows the
detailed description of the change. Usually this document is called
engineering change notice, but it may be covered by the customer
278 Quality Assurance
PO or any other engineering authorization. If the customer initiates
a change during the PPAP process, it is called an alert and is good
for 60 days. If during these 60 days nothing happens, it reverts back
to the original status. If the change is complete, then the appropriate
documentation is updated and made part of the nal PPAP. If it is
work in process, it may be closed and a new one issued or the cur-
rent one may be extended. (Obviously, the days may depend on the
customer.)
3. Engineering approval: This approval is usually the engineering trial
with production parts performed at the customer plant. A temporary
deviation usually is required to send parts to the customer before
PPAP. The customer may require other engineering approvals.
4. Design FMEA: A copy of the design failure mode and effect analy-
sis (DFMEA) is reviewed and signed off by the supplier and the
customer. If the customer is responsible for the design, the cus-
tomer may not share this document with the supplier. However,
the list of all special (critical and signicant) or high-impact prod-
uct characteristics should be shared with the supplier, so they can
be addressed on the PFMEA and control plan. If the supplier is
responsible for the design, then the FMEA must be shared with
the customer. If the part is condential, the customer may review
it in the supplier’s facility, but the customer cannot remove the
document from the facility. It cannot be faxed, e-mailed, copied,
or in any other way transferred unless properly authorized by the
supplier.
5. Process ow diagrams: A copy of the process ow, indicating all
steps and sequence in the manufacturing process, including incom-
ing components, must be available for review.
6. Process FMEA: A copy of the process failure mode and effect analy-
sis (PFMEA) is reviewed and signed off by supplier and customer.
The PFMEA follows the process ow steps, and indicates what could
go wrong during the manufacturing and assembly of each compo-
nent. All special characteristics must be accounted for and linked to
the control plan.
7. Control plan: A copy of the control plan is reviewed and signed
off by the supplier and the customer. The control plan follows the
PFMEA steps, and provides more details on how potential issues
are checked in the incoming quality, assembly process, or during
inspections of nished products.
8. Measurement system analysis (MSA) studies: MSA usually contains
the gauge repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) for the special or
high-impact characteristics and a conrmation that gauges used to
measure these characteristics are appropriate and calibrated.
279Supplier’s Perspective on the PPAP
9. Dimensional results: A list of every dimension noted on the bal-
looned drawing. This list shows the product characteristic, specica-
tion, the measurement results, and the assessment showing if this
dimension is “OK” or “not OK.” Usually a minimum of six pieces is
reported per product/process combination.
10. Records of material/performance test results: A summary of every
test performed on the part. This summary is usually on a form of
the design verication plan and report (DVP&R), which lists each
individual test, when it was performed, the specication, results,
and the assessment pass/fail. If there is an engineering specication
(ES), usually it is noted on the print. The DVP&R shall be reviewed
and signed off by both the customer and the supplier engineering
groups. The quality engineer will look for a customer signature on
this document. In addition, this section lists all material certica-
tions (steel, plastics, plating, etc.) as specied on the print. The mate-
rial certication shall show compliance to the specic call on the
print.
11. Initial process studies: Usually this section shows all statistical pro-
cess control (SPC) charts affecting the most critical characteristics.
The intent is to demonstrate that critical processes have stable vari-
ability and that they are running near the intended nominal value.
Sometimes in this element, an initial sample inspection report will
be attached to identify the material samples that were initially
inspected before the prototype stage.
12. Qualied laboratory documentation: A copy of all laboratory certi-
cations (e.g., A2LA, TS) of the laboratories that performed the tests
reported in Element 10. All laboratory tests must have traceability
to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or be
approved by the customer.
13. Appearance approval report: A copy of the appearance approval
inspection (AAI) form signed by the customer. This is applicable for
components affecting appearance only.
14. Sample production parts: A sample from the same lot of initial pro-
duction run. The PPAP package usually shows a picture of the sam-
ple and where it is kept (customer or supplier).
15. Master sample: A sample signed off by customer and supplier, this
is usually used to train operators on subjective inspections such as
visual or for noise attributes.
16. Checking aids: When there are special tools for checking parts, this
section shows a picture of the tool and calibration records, including
dimensional report of the tool.
17. Customer-specic requirements: Each customer may have spe-
cic requirements to be included on the PPAP package. It is a good
280 Quality Assurance
practice to ask the customer for PPAP expectations before even
quoting for a job. For example, North American automakers origi-
nal equipment manufacturer (OEM) requirements are listed on the
International Automotive Task Force (IATF) website.
18. Production part approval process submission warrant (PSW): This
form summarizes the whole PPAP package. This form shows the
reason for submission (design change, annual revalidation, etc.)
and the level of documents submitted to the customer. There is a
section that asks for “results meeting all drawing and specica-
tion requirements: yes/no,” which refers to the whole package. If
there is any deviation, the supplier should note on the warrant
or inform that PPAP cannot be submitted. A successful launch is
where the ramp-up curve is met without missing parts or short-
ages and without the requirement to retrot any component for
quality, capacity, or engineering reasons. Here we must make a
very strong point: Even though a PSW may be completed and
approved, the customer must approve the shipping for production
purposes. That approval comes after functional testing at the cus-
tomer’s production facility. If the functional testing passes, then
production is commenced; if not, then the parts of the PPAP that
fail must be redone.
The notion of the PSW is critical and many suppliers do not understand
the ramications. Therefore, let us look at the PSW in detail. We start with
the scope of the PSW, which is to redene both the interpretation and execu-
tion of the PSW and PPAP. Due to compromised interpretations because of
timing pressures as well as parts that either do not meet specication or do
not meet the required volume, launches and Job1 have often been disrupted
and delayed. This is a very serious problem and every OEM is very con-
cerned about it.
Therefore, to understand the importance of the PSW, we must understand
and internalize what is and what is not a PSW. A PSW run is conducted at
the intended point of production using the production machinery, tools,
and facilities with the intended people at the intended production rate that
is capable of meeting the customer’s daily production rate (as specied
on the request for quotation) and results in components that are correct
to drawing and meet all customer’s specications. Typically, the volume
produced will be sufcient to supply the customer with one full day’s
production.
On the other hand, the following list will indicate what is not a complete
PSW. This list is not an exhaustive one, but it gives a direction that should
be followed.
• Parts produced at the facility supplier and not at the production
source
281Supplier’s Perspective on the PPAP
• Parts made from one impression tool but production intent is from
four impression tools
• Parts produced meet the ramp-up volume but not the full laid down
volume
• Parts are produced off one line but in production, three lines are
required (e.g., wiring looms)
To avoid issues of the PSW, we recommend
• PSW runs should be conducted from a run of a minimum of one
day’s production (a day’s production is identied from the request
for quotation), run at the intended production rate. Any exceptions
require an alert signed by the customer’s engineering, purchasing,
and manufacturing departments.
• Any part not meeting the required production rate (specied on
the request for quotation) is not PSW and requires an alert signed
by the customer’s engineering, purchasing, and manufacturing
departments.
• Any part that does not meet any of the quality or specication crite-
ria is not PSW and requires an alert signed by the customer’s engi-
neering, purchasing, and manufacturing departments.
• Any part not meeting the statement for what is a good PSW is not
a PSW and requires an alert signed by the customer’s engineering,
purchasing, and manufacturing departments.
• At a program review, whenever PSW data is shown it should always
state % PSW and separately % PSW (interim) with approved alert.
In some cases, the supplier may be issued a conditional PSW if and only if
everything is acceptable except the results of some testing that have been
conducted but for some reason are not reported yet. Obviously, when the
results are available, the nal determination will be made.
In addition, some customers demand that part of the PSW must include
the evaluation of capacity volume. If that is the case, the volume produced
for the PSW run should be identied on the PSW form. In all cases, the PSW
is always a legal document.
PPAP Submission Levels and Approvals
The evaluation of the PPAP takes the form of levels (AIAG 2009). This
means that there are different criteria for reporting the PPAP. However,
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