Association: Aerospace special processes accreditation

Nadcap and the Performance Review Institute: accreditation, audits and the data behind them

The Performance Review Institute (PRI) is a nonprofit that administers Nadcap, the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program, for aerospace special processes such as heat treating, chemical processing, coatings, welding and nondestructive testing. Primes use Nadcap so that one industry audit replaces many customer audits. Accreditation is separate from AS9100 and is built around process-specific audit checklists.

Who the members are

  • Heat treating

    Furnace processing of steel, titanium and aluminum parts with pyrometry, load records and temperature uniformity surveys that auditors check against the specification.

  • Chemical processing and coatings

    Anodizing, plating, passivation, conversion coating, painting and thermal spray, where bath control, test panels and process records are central.

  • Welding and brazing

    Fusion welding, electron beam welding and brazing of engine and airframe parts, with welder qualification and procedure control.

  • Nondestructive testing

    Penetrant, magnetic particle, radiographic, ultrasonic and eddy current inspection, with personnel qualification and procedure control.

  • Materials testing laboratories and composites

    Laboratories testing mechanical properties and chemistry, and composite part makers working to cure cycle and material control requirements.

The ecosystem

  • Performance Review Institute (PRI) standard body

    Nonprofit based in Warrendale, Pennsylvania that administers Nadcap and is an affiliate of SAE International.

  • Nadcap accreditation program

    Industry-managed accreditation program for aerospace and defense special processes and products, with audits against process-specific criteria.

  • eAuditNet software platform

    PRI's online system for scheduling Nadcap audits, submitting responses and finding accredited suppliers.

  • Nadcap task groups committee

    Groups of supplier and subscriber representatives per commodity that maintain audit criteria and meet periodically.

  • SAE International standard body

    Publishes the AMS and AS standards that many Nadcap audit criteria reference.

  • Subscriber primes and engine makers prime contractor

    Large aerospace companies such as Boeing, Airbus, GE Aerospace and Rolls-Royce participate as Nadcap subscribers and use accreditation in supplier approval.

Requirements customers here expect

Nadcap accreditation for the specific commodity the prime requiresAC7004 aerospace quality system audit criteria where applicableProcess-specific audit checklists for the commodity being auditedPrime-specific process specifications and approvals on top of NadcapCalibration, pyrometry or bath control records as the process demandsPersonnel qualification and training recordsCorrective action responses to audit findings within the allowed time

How Nadcap fits next to AS9100

AS9100 certifies a quality management system. Nadcap accredits a specific special process against detailed technical checklists, and it does so because the result of a special process cannot be fully verified by inspecting the finished part. A shop can hold one without the other, but many primes require both.

Nadcap does not replace prime-specific approvals. A prime may also require its own process specification and approval letter, so check the purchase order and the prime's supplier quality requirements for what is actually needed for your commodity.

Audit readiness is a data problem

Auditors sample jobs and ask for the full record: the specification and revision, the routing, who ran it and when, equipment and calibration status, test results, certificates and any nonconformance. Anything stored in separate systems has to be assembled quickly and consistently.

Shops that do well keep the work order, process parameters, equipment calibration, personnel qualification and certificate of conformance linked, so a sampled lot can be pulled in minutes. In an ERP that means traceable lot records, controlled documents and calibration due dates that block use of an overdue gauge or furnace instrument.

  • Specification and revision tied to each operation
  • Calibration and pyrometry due dates visible at the work center
  • Operator qualification checked before assignment
  • Nonconformances and corrective actions linked to the lot

Try it here, free

Nadcap Audit Checklists for Heat Treat, Welding and Composites

Open full tool

Pre-audit checklists organised by special process: heat treating, welding and composites, plus common items every Nadcap audit checks. Tick items, export your status.

Quoting and scheduling for special process shops

Special process capacity is driven by batch size, bath or furnace loading and the length of the cycle, not by single-part run time. Quotes built on per-piece hours often miss minimum charges, rack or fixture time, test panels and required witness or sample testing.

Scheduling by load rather than by part, with qualification status and equipment availability as constraints, matches the way these shops really run. Few off-the-shelf job shop ERPs model this well out of the box, so expect configuration or add-on reporting to get it right.

Where private AI helps and where it does not

A private model with retrieval over procedures, specifications and past audit findings can help staff find the right requirement, draft corrective action responses for review and trace a lot across systems. It can also answer questions about ERP data in plain language when the underlying records are sound.

It does not fix missing records, and it should not decide whether a process is conforming. Keep the model on your own infrastructure if records include customer controlled data, keep access read-only by default and have a qualified person approve anything submitted to an auditor or customer.

Frequently asked questions

What does Nadcap stand for?

Nadcap stands for the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program. It is administered by the Performance Review Institute and covers special processes and certain products used in aerospace and defense, audited against industry-agreed criteria.

Is Nadcap the same as AS9100?

No. AS9100 is a quality management system standard with certification through accredited certification bodies. Nadcap is an accreditation of specific processes, such as heat treating or NDT, using process-specific checklists. Many aerospace suppliers hold AS9100 and, for special processes, Nadcap as well.

How can I check whether a supplier is Nadcap accredited?

PRI publishes accredited supplier information through eAuditNet, where you can search by company and commodity and see scope and status. Always confirm scope matches the process and specification you need, because accreditation is commodity specific.

Do I need Nadcap to quote aerospace work?

Only when the customer or specification requires it for the process involved. Some primes accept their own approvals for certain processes, and machining usually does not require Nadcap. Read the purchase order and the prime's supplier quality requirements before investing.

Tools and guides for manufacturers in this ecosystem

Free tools

Guides

Manufacturing hubs

TermsNadcap
All manufacturing hubs