NADCAP Enhances Quality in Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing

By Jeff Behlendorf | December 17, 2024

By bringing together industry leaders to audit and uphold best practices for manufacturing processes, NADCAP supports safety and performance in a field where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

In the fast-evolving landscape of aerospace and defense manufacturing, maintaining the highest standards of quality and reliability is critical to success. Enter NADCAP, the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program, which stands as a beacon of excellence in process quality control for aerospace engineering, defense and related industries.

By bringing together industry leaders to audit and uphold best practices for various manufacturing processes, NADCAP ensures unparalleled safety and performance in a field where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

For connector suppliers, participating in this program is a commitment to superior quality and another step toward stronger industry trust and technological advancement. Through NADCAP accreditation, Amphenol CIT endeavors to meet and exceed the rigorous demands of the aerospace and defense sectors, underscoring a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and quality.

Amphenol CIT (ACIT) holds multiple NADCAP approvals and is actively pursuing more at our North American manufacturing sites. Most recently, the ACIT Nogales, Mexico, location achieved NADCAP approval under AC 7121 for cable and harness assemblies. This demonstrates Amphenol CIT’s commitment to doing the highest-quality work possible in aerospace cable assembly.

What exactly is NADCAP?

NADCAP is a globally recognized accreditation program for the aerospace and defense industries intended to foster a collaborative approach to special process quality control. Essentially, manufacturers within these industries have come together to establish best practices for certain manufacturing activities and audit each other for those best practices. This creates a pool of trusted suppliers for the industry as a whole and benefits all of the participants in the program by propagating best practices amongst peers.

What makes a process special?

This is the heart of NADCAP. Special processes are manufacturing steps that are difficult or impossible to verify by inspecting the finished product without destroying it. Examples include the production of many raw materials, heat tempering for strength, a wide range of chemical finishing and plating, and even some types of assembly. For an industry that puts extreme performance demands on its products and where the price of failure can be fatalities, having absolute confidence that the products are being made correctly is foundational to success.

NADCAP provides audit criteria and guidelines for every covered process individually to help manufacturers establish and maintain production facilities that continuously deliver specification-compliant parts through these key steps.

How does a manufacturer obtain NADCAP approval?

To obtain any NADCAP approval, manufacturers must demonstrate the required performance within a controlled process environment. It is also important to already have a robust quality system in place with good processes and process adherence.

Any new NADCAP approval starts with obtaining a copy of the NADCAP audit guide and the appropriate handbook for the process you intend to implement under NADCAP approval. These are published and maintained by PRI (Performance Review Institute), and manufacturers who wish to be accredited under the NADCAP system must be subscribers to the PRI EAN. EAN is a web-based audit management system that also maintains the lists of all suppliers currently approved for each NADCAP process.

Most manufacturers will want to use the NADCAP guides to perform a self-assessment to understand if their current processes and controls meet the requirements within the NADCAP guides. This self-assessment will identify gaps that can then be addressed and implemented prior to having a formal audit performed.

As mentioned above, it is essential that the processes being audited can be demonstrated as fully implemented and mature to complete an audit. It is only possible to audit a process if the manufacturer currently uses it to make products and if those products yield the expected quality results. It is also important to demonstrate all aspects of the process and establish a method to extend the process to new products.

Once the process is implemented and stable, self-assessment is complete, gaps have been closed, and all relevant staff are well-trained, it is time to schedule an audit with PRI.

Applicants apply to PRI and submit documentation that demonstrates they are currently satisfying the requirements of a NADCAP process. This documentation may include quality manuals, process specs, and records of past corrective actions. PRI will review the application and supplied documentation and schedule an on-site audit.

An auditor from PRI will visit the facility to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your processes, procedures, and compliance with NADCAP standards. After the audit, the auditor will issue a report outlining any findings and areas for improvement. PRI will review submitted corrective actions and supporting evidence that addresses any areas of improvement identified in the audit. Then, if all findings are satisfactorily addressed, PRI will grant NADCAP accreditation.

How do NADCAP approval and accreditations impact our industry?

Companies take pride in their NADCAP accreditations and undergo routine surveillance audits to ensure they remain in compliance with the NADCAP requirements.

Maintaining NADCAP accreditations is a big deal, because:

It means the planes we fly are safer, more reliable, and more economical to operate.
It allows engineers to work closer to the limits and get more performance out of components.
It saves money and resources on inspection or destructive sampling tests.
It establishes a trusted network within the industry, reduces the resources required to monitor the supply chain, and standardizes expectations.
It provides access to opportunities for which non-NADCAP suppliers will not be considered.

Most importantly, NADCAP-accredited processes produce predictably high-quality parts.

NADCAP accreditation is a testament to the aerospace and defense industries’ dedication to safety, reliability, and excellence. This accreditation fosters trust and collaboration across the global supply chain by ensuring that critical processes are conducted with consistency and robust quality control.

At Amphenol CIT, the commitment to achieving and maintaining NADCAP approvals underscores our dedication to delivering superior-quality aerospace components. It reflects a proactive approach to embracing industry standards that enhance the performance and safety of end products and opens doors to new business opportunities. As the demands on aerospace and defense manufacturing continue to grow, NADCAP accreditation will remain vital in meeting these challenges head-on, ensuring that every part we produce meets the highest industry benchmarks.

Visit Amphenol CIT to learn more about solutions for military and aerospace applications.