# Spring Load Test Records, SPC and PPAP for Customer Audits > Source: https://netray.co/resources/spring-load-test-records-spc-and-ppap-for-customers > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Knowledge Base ## Short answer How spring makers keep load test data, SPC charts and PPAP packages audit-ready: sampling plans, gage records, lot linkage and what customers ask to see. ## Category erp-general ## Content **Intro:** Spring customers, especially automotive, aerospace and medical, expect load and dimensional results tied to each lot, evidence that gages are calibrated, and for some parts a PPAP package with capability data and a control plan. To stay audit-ready, a spring maker needs a sampling plan by part, load testing records linked to the lot and the machine, SPC on key characteristics such as free length and load at length, and calibration records for load testers and gages. This guide lays out what to capture and how to organize it, with notes on where software helps. **Sections:** #### Key Characteristics and Sampling Plans **Body:** The print or customer specification identifies critical characteristics, commonly load at one or two test lengths, spring rate, free length, wire diameter, outside diameter, and squareness. Convert these into a control plan: which characteristics are measured, with what gage, how often, how many pieces, and what happens on a failure. For high-volume parts, measure on the machine at intervals and plot the results; for low-volume jobs, a fixed sample per lot may be enough. Make the plan live next to the part number so operators and inspectors use the same instructions, rather than sitting in a binder only the quality manager reads. #### Load Testing and Gage Records **Body:** Load testers and length gages must be calibrated at a defined interval with traceable standards, and the record should be easy to produce. For measurement systems that matter, customers may expect gage R and R studies as part of PPAP. Each load test result should link to lot, part number, date, operator and instrument, so a later complaint can be traced to the instrument calibration state at the time. Automated load testers that output data directly reduce transcription errors compared with writing values on a traveler and retyping them later. **Bullets:** - Calibration status and due dates for every gage - Result linked to lot, operator and instrument - Out-of-tolerance reaction and containment record #### SPC and Capability for Spring Characteristics **Body:** Statistical process control on a spring line typically charts load at length and free length from coiler output, using subgroup samples over time. Capability indices such as Cpk are requested in automotive PPAP, commonly with a minimum target set by the customer. The practical points are: collect data from a stable run, use enough samples, and keep the raw data so the customer can see it. Watch for wire lot changes, since variation in wire tensile and diameter from one spool to the next shows up as load drift, and adjust coil count or coiling parameters per lot where the process allows. #### PPAP and First Article Packages **Body:** For automotive-type customers, PPAP can include design records, process flow, PFMEA, control plan, measurement system analysis, dimensional results, material and performance test results, capability studies and a part submission warrant. Aerospace customers may instead ask for an AS9102-style first article inspection report. Both packages draw on the same underlying data, so keep it structured instead of rebuilding for each submission. The cost of a PPAP is real, so quote it explicitly as a line item for new parts when the customer requires it. #### Making Audits Easier With Searchable Records **Body:** Auditors ask questions like: show the load results for lot X, the calibration record for the tester used, and the wire cert for that lot. If these live in three systems and a filing cabinet, the answer takes hours. Linking by lot number in the ERP or a quality system fixes most of it. A private AI assistant over your records can retrieve and summarize a lot's full record on request and flag lots missing a test result, but it does not substitute for taking the measurements or for the quality manager's sign-off. **Cta:** Netray can make your lot, test and calibration records searchable in plain English on your own servers, so audit questions get answered from the source records. **Faq:** #### What records do spring customers ask for? **Answer:** Commonly a certificate of conformance, material cert for the wire, dimensional and load test results for the lot, and for automotive or aerospace customers a PPAP or first article package, plus gage calibration evidence. #### What is a good Cpk for spring load? **Answer:** The target is set by the customer, and many automotive customers specify a minimum. Establish it on a stable production run with enough samples and report the actual data. #### How often should spring load testers be calibrated? **Answer:** At the interval set by your quality system, the manufacturer's recommendation and customer requirements, using traceable standards. Record every calibration and keep status visible at the instrument. ## Related Slugs - ppap-and-iatf-16949-requirements-for-metal-stampers - spc-integration-erp-quality - syteline-statistical-process-control-spc - erp-for-spring-and-wire-form-manufacturers ## Search terms spring load test records, spring manufacturer PPAP, SPC for spring manufacturing, spring free length load at length control plan, spring first article inspection, spring quality audit records --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json