The aerospace industry operates in a global market and relies on a complex supply chain. The requirements for quality management are second to none. Manufacturers, suppliers, and service organisations succeeding in this highly competitive market are those who regard quality management as a key business driver.
A global quality standard
AS/EN9100 is the aerospace industry’s quality system standard for quality assurance in design, development, production, installation, and servicing. Aligning many of the existing Aerospace Quality System requirements, AS/EN9100 is the first global aerospace standard that meets the requirements of aerospace companies worldwide. AS/EN9100 is a supplement to the international Quality Management System standard ISO 9001, as it addresses additional expectations of the aerospace industry.
The standard was released in 1999 by standards organisations around the world:
- The Society of Automotive Engineers released AS9100 in the United States
- The European Association of Aerospace Industries released EN9100 in Europe
- The Japan Aerospace Quality Group released JISQ9100 in Asia
Quality system with industry specific requirements
AS/EN9100 is the result of a cooperative effort in the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). The standard builds on ISO 9001:2000, as AS/EN9100 is directly aligned with the format and clauses of the ISO 9001:2000 standard.
In addition, the new standard harmonises the requirements of former individual standards like the American AS9000, the European EN9000-1, prEN9100, and SJAC9100. AS/EN9100 clarifies the specific aerospace requirements, and is a compliment to national laws and regulations. It addresses both "design" and "non-design" responsible companies. Its 28 pages (50% more than AS9000) contain many new requirements, and numerous points of emphasis, clarification and interpretation specific to the Aerospace industry. AS/EN9100 addresses both civil and military aviation and aerospace needs.
Similar standards are specifically developed for aerospace suppliers involved in repair and overhaul, namely AS/EN 9110, and for aerospace distributors AS9120.
Companies such as Boeing and United Technologies (UTC) have issued guidelines and mandates to their suppliers regarding AS9100 certification, transition of current certificates to the new standard, and their positions on use of third party certification bodies/registrars. Accredited certification by a third party certification body/registrar is mandated by UTC and encouraged by Boeing.
Where do I go from here?
For third party certification, you need to implement an effective quality system complying with the requirements. The first step is to get on the road to certification.
