Key takeaways
  • PPAP is the evidence pack proving a supplier can consistently produce parts meeting requirements at the quoted rate.
  • There are five submission levels; level 3 is the common default and level 1 is a warrant only.
  • The significant production run requirement is what makes PPAP meaningful: parts must come from a real run, not a demonstration.
The requirement people underestimate
The significant production run

PPAP parts must come from production tooling, at production rate, over a defined run, commonly 300 consecutive parts. Submitting parts from a short trial defeats the purpose and is the usual reason a submission is rejected.

The eighteen elements

  • Design records, and any authorised engineering changes.
  • Customer engineering approval where required.
  • Design FMEA and Process FMEA.
  • Process flow diagram.
  • Control plan.
  • Measurement system analysis studies.
  • Dimensional results and material or performance test results.
  • Initial process studies, showing capability.
  • Qualified laboratory documentation.
  • Appearance approval report where appearance is a requirement.
  • Sample production parts and a master sample.
  • Checking aids.
  • Customer-specific requirements.
  • Part Submission Warrant.

The five levels

  • Level 1. Warrant only, plus appearance approval where relevant.
  • Level 2. Warrant with product samples and limited supporting data.
  • Level 3. Warrant with samples and complete supporting data. The usual default.
  • Level 4. Warrant plus whatever the customer specifically defines.
  • Level 5. Warrant with samples and complete data, reviewed at the supplier's site.

Getting approved first time

  • Confirm the level and any customer-specific requirements in writing before you start.
  • Run the significant production run properly. This is the element most often compromised under schedule pressure.
  • Make sure MSA is complete before dimensional results, because a poor gauge invalidates the measurements.
  • Check that the control plan matches the process FMEA and the process flow. Inconsistency between the three is a frequent rejection reason.
  • Have the initial process study show capability against the specified characteristics, not against a convenient subset.

After approval

Approval binds you to the process you submitted. Changing tooling, subcontractor, material source or location requires notification and usually resubmission. Quietly changing a process after PPAP is a serious finding in any audit and, more practically, is how field failures start.

PPAP outside automotive

The framework travels well. Aerospace has its own equivalents, and many general manufacturers adopt a simplified PPAP for new parts because the discipline of proving a process before releasing it applies regardless of sector.