Special Process Accreditation (NADCAP)

NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) is an accreditation programme run for SPECIAL PROCESSES in aerospace and defence. A special process is one whose result cannot be fully verified afterwards by inspection: heat treatment, welding, plating, non-destructive testing, chemical processing, and the like. The programme is run by PRI, and the audit criteria are set with the joint participation of OEMs. Audits are extraordinarily detailed: checklists run to hundreds of items, and process parameters are verified one by one.

• Heat-treatment, plating and surface-treatment facilities
• Manufacturers carrying out welding and brazing
• Providers of non-destructive testing (NDT) services
• Chemical-processing and anodising facilities
• Aerospace suppliers carrying out composites, casting, forging and machining
• Aerospace laboratories and electronics assembly facilities

Not legally mandatory; it is a supplier requirement of the major aerospace OEMs (Boeing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, GE, Safran and others). It is practically impossible for a facility providing special-process services to these OEMs to win business without NADCAP accreditation. Accreditation is process-specific: a separate checklist and a separate accreditation are required for each special process.

• Process-specific checklists (the AC series) — separate for each special process
• Heat treatment: furnace temperature uniformity (TUS), system accuracy (SAT), pyrometer calibration — the AMS 2750 requirements
• Welding: procedure and operator qualification, parameter control
• Non-destructive testing: personnel certification (NAS 410), equipment control, procedure approval
• Chemical processing and plating: bath control, analysis frequency, thickness and adhesion verification
• Materials testing laboratory: method verification and competence
• Customer-approved procedures and customer-specific requirements
• Record integrity and prevention of data manipulation
• Closure of audit findings and the accreditation cycle (which can be extended under the merit programme)

1. 1Determining Scope and ProgrammeThe sites and processes to be audited, and the audit duration the scheme requires, are determined.
2. 2Pre-assessmentA gap analysis is optionally carried out; gaps become visible before the main audit.
3. 3On-site AuditRecords review, site observation and worker interviews are carried out against the scheme's checklist.
4. 4Reporting of FindingsFindings are reported according to the scheme's classification. The output of these schemes is an audit report, not a certificate.
5. 5Corrective Action and Follow-upA corrective action plan is submitted for the findings; it is closed with a follow-up audit under the scheme.

The validity period of audit reports is set by the scheme and is mostly between one and two years. The report is used for the period the buying brand accepts.

• Organisation and site details
• Headcount and shift pattern
• Legal permits and licences
• Relevant policies and procedures
• Payroll, time and personnel records
• The list of processes and scope to be accredited
• Customer-approved process procedures and specifications
• Equipment calibration and verification records (e.g. TUS/SAT reports)
• Personnel competence and certificate records
• Process parameter records and production samples (for the job audit)
• Internal audit records (against the NADCAP checklist)

There is no fixed list price; the cost is calculated based on the following variables and provided in writing in the quote.

• The number of sites to be audited and the headcount
• The audit duration the scheme prescribes
• Whether a pre-assessment (gap analysis) is requested
• Whether a follow-up audit is required

Most of these schemes produce audit reports, not documents, and are subject to the scheme owner's (e.g. Sedex, amfori, RBA) own approval system; Accreditation in the classical sense is not found in every scheme. Auditor competence and report validity are determined by the scheme owner's rules.

The scope under which this scheme can be offered varies according to your product and activity; it is confirmed in writing at the quote stage.

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