Standards
AS9145 APQP and PPAP Consultancy
AS9145 sets out the requirements for Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) in the aviation, space and defence industries. Its purpose is simple: to make sure that new products and processes are planned properly, risks are identified and controlled early, and production can consistently deliver parts that meet requirements before full-rate delivery begins.
Major aerospace primes and engine manufacturers increasingly flow AS9145 down to their supply chains, often through their own supplier requirements. For suppliers, it has become a significant part of winning and keeping new work.
Where AS9145 comes from
APQP and PPAP have their roots in the automotive industry, where they have been used for decades to launch new products at volume with predictable quality. AS9145 adapts those proven methods for aerospace, where production volumes are typically lower but the consequences of failure are much higher.
Hillscom has a background in Tier 1 automotive manufacturing, where APQP, PPAP, FMEA and control plans are part of everyday life, alongside senior quality experience in aerospace and defence. That combination means understanding both where the methods came from and how aerospace customers expect them to be applied.
The five APQP phases
Planning. Understanding customer requirements, special characteristics and programme risks, and setting up a cross-functional team to deliver.
Product design and development. For organisations with design responsibility, design risk analysis (design FMEA), design verification and identification of key characteristics.
Process design and development. Process flow diagrams, process FMEA, control plans and planning for measurement system analysis, so the manufacturing process is designed to control the risks that matter.
Product and process validation. Production run validation, measurement system analysis, process capability studies, first article inspection and the assembly of the PPAP submission for customer approval.
Ongoing production, use and post-delivery service. Monitoring process performance, managing changes and feeding lessons learned back into future programmes.
PPAP elements
A PPAP submission brings together the evidence that the production process is ready. Typical elements include design records, the process flow diagram, process FMEA, control plan, measurement system analysis results, process capability studies, first article inspection report and customer-specific requirements. The exact package depends on what the customer requires.
How Hillscom supports AS9145
Building APQP capability. Establishing the procedures, templates, gate reviews and training needed to apply APQP consistently across new product introductions, integrated with your existing AS9100 quality management system.
Programme support. Hands-on help with a specific new product introduction, including facilitating FMEA workshops, developing control plans and preparing PPAP submissions for customer approval.
Customer requirements. Interpreting how individual customers apply AS9145 through their own supplier requirements, which can differ significantly in detail and expectation.
Right-sizing for aerospace volumes. Automotive APQP was designed for high volumes. Hillscom helps apply it proportionately to low-volume, high-mix aerospace production so the effort matches the risk.
Launching right first time
The payoff from good APQP is fewer surprises: fewer escapes at launch, fewer late design changes and fewer difficult conversations with customers. Done well, it becomes the way new work is introduced rather than a compliance exercise bolted on at the end.
Get in touch to discuss AS9145, APQP or PPAP support.
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