What is PPAP?

 PPAP is stand for Production Part Approval Proces . PPAP is standard process in automotive and aerospace industries. It is basically written contact between supplier and customer about a product or process through which product will manufacture. It is output of APQP.

Intresting thing about pronunciation of PPAP is that is not pronounced as P P A P, where as it is pronounce as P-PAP.

 It is one of the core tool of IATF16949. Other core tool of IATF16949 are:

1. APQP: Advance Product Quality Planning
2. FMEA: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
3. SPC : Statistical Process Control
4. MSA : Measurement Systems Analysis

You can read about above topic by clicking on them.

PPAP is very important for supplier and manufacturer, to understand the requirement of customer and also helpful to the customer to know, that, how well product will produce through it's lifetime by manufacturer. PPAP is a risk identification and mitigation process used to provide evident to the customer that there is a reliable and repeatable process

PPAP is also important as it help to validate production process by check the quality parameters before, after and during production process.

As in this high competative market and everything is important like quality and quantity of product, delivery time of product and cost of product is also parameter for any manufacturing industry. So it is important that new product and process should be corrected at very first stage so that there should not be any wastage at both supplier and customer end. For all this PPAP is important document that ensure and improve the quality of product from the initial stage of development.

PPAP was initially created by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and now AIAG govern PPAP through a manual.

There are 18 documents that should be prepared in PPAP which is known as elements and on the basis of submission of these elements to customers PPAP has 5 Phases.

18 Documents / Elements of PPAP:

1. Design of records: 

This document is related to the drawing of product, and if required drawing of sub product is also given by customer to manufacture. All size and tolerance is mentioned.

2. Engineering Change Note:

Any changes made during the process of production is noted and documented. Change can be anything like cutting oil, abrasive, etc. This document is recorded by manufacturer.

3. Customer change approval: 

Customer approval for the product development by the manufacturer. If there is any issue in product quality then customer give feedback or if customer has new requirements in present product that points also covered in this element.

4. Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA):

Prediction for the potential failure in design of process or product is documented so that any potential failure in design can be corrected for next time.

5. Process Flow Diagram (PFD):

Process flow diagram is very important to understand how product will move in manufacturing process, this will also help to predict to identify which station of process is main cause of failure. PFD will also help to know the lead time for the product development.

6. Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA):

Prediction for the potential failure in production process. This is documented to correct potential failure during manufacturing of product.

7. Control Plan:

Control Plan is live document for any process, for different stations of process has different control plan. Control Plan is used to control and ensure quality of product is maintain through out the production cycle. 

Which gauge is used to check the product, who will check and frequency of checking is define in control plan.

8. Measurement System Analysis (MSA):

Measurement system analysis (MSA) is the practice of using statistical tools such as a gage Repeatability and Reproducibility study to determine if a measurement system is capable of precise measurement. It also ensure that all gauges are calibrated which are used during the measurement process of product, so that product reached should within the tolerance range, required by customer.

9. Dimensional Results:

Dimensional Results is a document in which all dimensional parameters of product is noted during manufacturing process. Ballooned model is required to note the result in which part drawing number is noted, standard specifications also mentioned in front of this actual reading is mentioned at atleast 10 reading should mention, so that pass or fail results can be checked.

10. Material Performance and Test results:

Any test or trial run of product is recorded in this document. This indicates the life of product. This document also includes all  certification for materials if customer wants or supplier wants to show.

11. Initial Process Studies:

Initial process studies will be done on all the production processes and will include Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts. These studies demonstrate that the critical processes are stable and reliable.

12. Qualified Laboratory Documentation:

Any gauge or anything which is used to measure or check should be calibrated from qualified Laboratory. Qualified laboratory is the one which is able to do validation testing and certified or accredited with national or international quality council. In India Laboratory should be accredited with NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories).

13. Apperance Approval Report (AAR):

This is final report by customer on apperance or visual of the product and customer should give their approval on product.  Apperance include colour, texture, packing (if required by customer), etc.

14. Sample Product:

Sample product is send to customer for validation and approval, this sample is kept at customer end some time it can be kept at supplier site also and detail of location is written in PPAP.

15. Master Sample:

Master sample is a final sample of the product that is inspected and signed off by the customer and supplier. This sample is used to compare with the continuous product, if there is any discrimination afterwards.

16. Checking Aids:

This document include list of all tools and gauges used to inspect and measure the product. All checking Aids should also have calibration schedule and frequency. If customer demand then supplier have to submit MSA for all measuring instruments.

17. Records of Compliance with Customer-Specific Requirements: 

In this document all specific customer requirements are noted, it may be related to packing of product or bulk production or any specific measuring parameter.

18. Part Submission Warrant(PSW):

This element is summary of entire PPAP. Submission warrant is required for each part number or as per requirement of the customer. Part Submission Warrant may include, why PPAP is submitted, what level of documents submitted to the customer. It also include authorize person signature from supplier.

It is not necessary that all 18 elements to be submitted to customer. 

The PPAP levels indicate which documents need to be submitted to the customer, and which can simply be retained by the manufacturer.

Customer specify the PPAP submission level,  which indicates which documents or elements. 

According to submission level there are Five levels:

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

Level 2 – Part Submission Warrant (PSW) with product samples and limited supporting data

Level 3 – Part Submission Warrant (PSW) with product samples and complete supporting data

Level 4 – Part Submission Warrant (PSW) and other requirements as defined by the customer

Level 5 – Part Submission Warrant
(PSW) with product samples and complete supporting data available for review at the supplier’s manufacturing location

PPAP is very lengthy document. PPAP provides customers sufficient information to validate that all areas of the design and production processes have been reviewed thoroughly to ensure that only high quality products will reach to customer.

Amazon purchase