Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

Introduction to Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

Production Part Approval Process?(PPAP) is used in the?automotive?supply chain?for establishing confidence in suppliers and their production processes. Actual measurements are taken from the parts produced and are used to complete the various test sheets of PPAP.

Although individual manufacturers have their particular requirements, the?Automotive Industry Action Group?(AIAG) has developed a common PPAP standard as part of the?Advanced Product Quality Planning?(APQP) – and encourages the use of common terminology and standard forms to document project status.

The PPAP process is designed to demonstrate that a supplier has developed their design and production process to meet the client's requirements, minimizing the risk of failure by effective use of?APQP. Therefore, requests for part approval must be supported in official PPAP format and with documented results when needed.

?What is the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

PPAP defines the approval process for new or revised parts, or parts produced from new or significantly revised production methods. The PPAP process consists of 18 elements that may be required for the approval of production-level parts. Not all of the elements are required for every submission. There are five generally accepted PPAP submission levels. The PPAP manual contains detailed information, guidelines, and sample documents useful for completing the process requirements. The resulting PPAP submission provides evidence that the supplier has met or exceeded the customer’s requirements and the process is capable of consistently reproducing quality parts.

?Why Perform Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

The PPAP process verifies that the supplier understands all customer engineering design specifications and requirements and that the process is capable of consistently producing products meeting those requirements during an actual production run at the quoted production rate. PPAP and other quality tools continue to be implemented into more industries; therefore, it is important to gain an understanding of the PPAP requirements to remain competitive as a parts supplier.

The purpose of any Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) is to:

??Ensure that a supplier can meet the manufacturability and quality requirements of the parts supplied to the customer

??Provide evidence that the customer engineering design record and specification requirements are clearly understood and fulfilled by the supplier.

??Demonstrate that the established manufacturing process has the potential to produce the part that consistently meets all requirements during the actual production run at the quoted production rate of the manufacturing process.

?How to Perform Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

The process of completing a PPAP submission is fairly complex. This detailed process is a collection of key elements that must be completed to verify that the production process will produce a quality product. Not all of the elements are always required for a PPAP submission. The particular requirements of the PPAP are usually negotiated during the quoting process.

PPAP Levels of Submission

The PPAP submission requirements are normally divided into five classifications or levels, as follows:

·???????Level 1 – Part Submission Warrant (PSW) only submitted to the customer

·???????Level 2 – PSW with product samples and limited supporting data

·???????Level 3 – PSW with product samples and complete supporting data

·???????Level 4 – PSW and other requirements as defined by the customer

·???????Level 5 – PSW with product samples and complete supporting data available for review at the supplier’s manufacturing location

PPAP approval

PPAP is a series of documents gathered in one specific location called the "PPAP Package". The PPAP package is a series of documents that need a formal certification / sign-off by the supplier and approval / sign-off by the customer. The form that summarizes this package is called PSW (Part Submission Warrant). The signature in the customer certification area of the PSW indicates that the supplier-responsible person (usually the?Quality Engineer?or Quality Manager) has reviewed this package and that the customer-responsible person (usually a Customer Quality Engineer or Customer Quality Manager) has not identified any issues that would prevent its approbation.

Suppliers are required to obtain PPAP approval from the vehicle manufacturers whenever a new or modified component is introduced to production, or the manufacturing process is changed. Obtaining approval requires the supplier to provide sample parts and documentary evidence showing that:

·??????The client's requirements have been understood;

·??????The product supplied meets those requirements;

·??????The process (including sub-suppliers) is capable of producing conforming products;

·??????The production control plan and quality management system will prevent non-conforming products from reaching the client or compromising the safety and reliability of finished vehicles.

PPAP may be required for all components and materials incorporated in the finished product, and may also be required if components are processed by external?sub-contractors. The PPAP will be considered signed when a full PSW is approved by the customer and added to the PPAP folder.

PPAP elements

Below is the list of all 18 elements, and a brief description of them.

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 customer 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 specification, and anything else relevant to the design of the part).

2.????Authorized Engineering Change (note) Documents

A document that shows a detailed description of the change. Usually, this document is called "Engineering Change Notice", but it may be covered by the customer PO or any other engineering authorization.

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. Customers may require other "Engineering Approvals".

4.????DFMEA

A copy of the Design?Failure Mode and Effect Analysis?(DFMEA), reviewed and signed off by supplier and customer. If the customer is design responsible, usually the customer may not share this document with the supplier. However, the list of all critical or high-impact product characteristics should be shared with the supplier, so they can be addressed on the PFMEA and Control Plan.

5.????Process Flow Diagram

A copy of the Process Flow, indicating all steps and sequences in the fabrication process, including incoming components.

6.????PFMEA

A copy of the Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (PFMEA), reviewed and signed off by supplier and customer. The PFMEA follows the Process Flow steps and indicates "what could go wrong" during the fabrication and assembly of each component.

7.????Control Plan

A copy of the Control Plan was reviewed and signed off by the supplier and customer. The Control Plan follows the PFMEA steps and provides more details on how the "potential issues" are checked in the incoming quality, assembly process, or during inspections of finished products.

8.????Measurement System Analysis Studies (MSA)

MSA usually contains the?Gauge R&R?for the critical or high impact characteristics, and a confirmation that gauges used to measure these characteristics are calibrated.

9.????Dimensional Results

A list of every dimension noted on the ballooned drawing. This list shows the product characteristic, specifications, measurement results, and the assessment showing if this dimension is "ok" or "not ok". Usually, a minimum of 6 pieces is reported per product/process combination.

10.?Records of Material / Performance Tests

A summary of every test performed on the part. This summary is usually in the form of DVP&R (Design Verification Plan and Report), which lists each test when it was performed, the specification, results, and the assessment pass / fail. If there is an Engineering Specification, usually it is noted on the print. The quality engineer will look for a customer signature on this document.

11.?Initial Sample Inspection Report

The report for material samples is initially inspected before the prototype?is made.

12.?Initial Process Studies

Usually, this section shows all?Statistical Process Control?charts affecting the most critical characteristics. The intent is to demonstrate that critical processes have stable variability and that are running near the intended nominal value.

13.?Qualified Laboratory Documentation

Copy of all laboratory certifications (e.g., A2LA, TS, NABL) of the laboratories that performed the tests.

14.?Appearance Approval Report

A copy of the AAI (Appearance Approval Inspection) form was signed by the customer. Applicable for components affecting appearance only.

15.?Sample Production Parts

A sample from the same lot of initial production run. The PPAP package usually shows a picture of the sample and where it is kept (customer or supplier).

16.?Master Sample

A sample signed off by customer and supplier usually is used to train operators on subjective inspections such as visual or for?noise.

17.?Checking Aids

When there are special tools for checking parts, this section shows a picture of the tool and calibration records, including the dimensional report of the tool.

18.?Customer-Specific Requirements

Each customer may have specific requirements to be included in the PPAP package. It is a good practice to ask the customer for PPAP expectations before even quoting for a job.?