Nadcap.
Accreditation for special processes like heat treat, NDT, plating, and welding, when the PO or drawing calls for it.
Moving into A&D
The path to AS9100 certification.
For manufacturers moving into aerospace and defense: what it takes to become an approved supplier, in the order it happens, and the gates AS9100 does not cover.
Why it matters
Your customers require it
Primes and Tier 1s usually require AS9100 from their manufacturing suppliers. On government contracts it applies only when the contract calls for it. A certificate gets you considered. It does not get you approved on its own.
!
Gate 0
Gate 0: no named customer, no start
The certificate keeps costing money in surveillance audits, and it only pays off through the purchase orders it unlocks. Treat it as a license to bid, not a revenue engine. Name one to three target customers before you spend.
Phases
The roadmap
| Phase | ||
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Decide and target. Name your target customers, pull their supplier quality manuals and | LEAD Tight |
| 1 | Gap and plan. Gap analysis against AS9100D and your customers’ manuals, scope, budget, a named internal owner, and registrar quotes. | LEAD Tight |
| 2 | Build. Build the aerospace processes on top of your quality system, such as operational risk, configuration management, first article, counterfeit parts, and FOD, and book the registrar early. | LAND Right |
| 3 | Run and evidence. Run real jobs on the system and build the records: travelers, first articles, nonconformance reports, corrective action, | LAND Right |
| 4 | A full internal audit and management review, and close your own findings before the registrar arrives. | LAND Right |
| 5 | Certify. Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, then close findings on the registrar’s clock. Your certificate is listed in IAQG OASIS. | LAND Right |
| 6 | Sustain. Ongoing surveillance audits and recertification keep the certificate current. | Ongoing |
Other gates
Gates AS9100 does not cover
ITAR registration.
Required to manufacture defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List, even if you never export.
DFARS 7012.
Protecting controlled unclassified information to NIST SP
CMMC.
CMMC Phase 1 is in effect: DoD contracts can require a Level 1 or Level 2
LEAD Tight · LAND Right
How Patrick runs it
LEAD Tight covers deciding, targeting, and the gap plan, ending in a
Phase 0
Start with Phase 0
A free call to check whether AS9100 is the right move for your shop now. We cover your target customers, which other gates apply, and your likely track.
