| | AS 9100ff. |  | Quality management in the aerospace industry
| | | The complexity of quality management systems in the aerospace industries is the result of a multitude of applicable laws, directives, and requirements. |
Within the EU, for example, there are the aeronautical requirements of the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) for approval as:
- Design organization (Part 21 DOA)
- Production organization (Part 21 POA)
- Maintenance organization according to EASA Annex 2 (Part-145), along with EASA Annex 1 (Part-M) and Annex 3 (Part-66)
Prerequisite for an approval is a quality management system based on ISO 9001 and geared to the specific needs of the aerospace industries, such as EN/AS/JISQ 9100.
When IAQG (International Aerospace Quality Group) was founded in the year 1998, it had two objectives: on the one hand, to define and codify the aerospace industry’s demanding requirements for its member organizations; and on the other, to significantly reduce the amount of supplier audits by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). The solution: develop industry-specific standards and authorize independent certification bodies. |
Basics and standards
With the 9100 series, quality management standards have been developed that are based on ISO 9001 and that focus on the specific requirements of the aerospace industry. The series is structured as follows:
- EN /AS / JISQ 9100 (Design, development, production, installation and servicing)
- EN / AS 9110 (Maintenance organizations)
- EN /AS 9120 (Stockists distributors)
Even so the standards bear different names in accordance with the respective IAQG sectors in charge – supplemented by “EN“ (Europe), “AS“ (America) or “JISQ“ (Japan / Asia / Pacific) - their content is identical and accepted as equivalent all over the world.
The 9100 series of standards contains several requirements extending beyond ISO 9001, such as:
- Inclusion of the aviation authorities’ quality management requirements
- Implementation of a configuration management process that is suitable to the product
- First article inspection
- Risk appraisal
- Verification and traceability: consistent documentation throughout a product’s entire chain of supply
- Implementation of a contingency plan for non-conforming products already shipped
OEMs increasingly require their suppliers to have their quality management system certified according to one of the 9100 series of standards.
Please continue on the following page. |
| July 2006
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