What is PPAP and why is it Important ?

PPAP-Production Part Approval Process and its Elements

PPAP is a approval process of new develop part and revised parts as well.PPAP is mostly used in automotive industry,every manufacturer produced parts as per his customer required quality for managing these quality from development to delivery customer verify the supplier process and manufacturing facility customer also verify documents which supplier use during part manufacturing,there are different number of document every supplier used during part manufacturing.There are 18 elements of PPAP which are used to manage part quality.


Elements of PPAP

There is 18 Elements of PPAP

1.Drawing/Documentation.

 Hard and soft copy of customer and supplier drawing and purchase order.

2.Engineering Change Note (ECN)

 If there is any change in part specification PPAP is conduct on based of change,all document is submit by supplier to customer with ECN approval.

3.Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (DFMEA)

 A cross functional team(CFT) examines the failure modes of design.

4.Process Flow Chart (PFC)

 PFC is the document which show product manufacturing process stage from incoming material to customer delivery.

What is Process Flow Chart?

5.Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (PFMEA)

 PFMEA is a PPAP document which review all part manufacturing process to identify the potential process quality risk,this document is depend upon part severity,occurrence and detection when performing a process RPN(Risk Priority Number) is calculate to sort the risk from highest to lowest.PFMEA is update after regular interval of time even the product is under production.

6. Control Plan (CP)

 Control plan is main PPAP document from this we control product special characteristics and inspection method and control the customer part quality requirements.

What is Control Plan? Levels of Control Plan

7.Measurement System Analysis (MSA)

 It include Gauge R&R studies.

8.Inspection Report (IR)

 During pilot lot or initial lot customer pick 5 or 30 pieces as per his requirement and inspect the same as per Control Plan and Part drawing.

9.Material Test Certificate Report

 It is the authorised laboratory report of incoming material and in some case customer or supplier cross check this report by testing the same material from any third party.

10. Statistical Process Control (SPC)

  SPC result show the critical dimension process are stable or any issue, special characteristics is a product characteristics or any process parameter,there is some identification and display on production line where special characteristics is belong.

11.Appearance Approval Report

 This report show the product affecting appearance only,this report show that customer check the final product and the product meet all requirement like,material,colours,design pattern,grain or texture etc.

12.Sample Production Part

A physical production sample from first pilot lot and store in customer or supplier sample library.

13.Checking Aids

 The list of instrument which are used for inspection of part during production like Vernier Caliper,Micrometer,Thickness Gauge,Weight Machine etc.

14. Calibration Report

Report of all quality instrument and machine part like gauge etc,instrument calibration is done as per plan and from authorised laboratory.

15.Customer Engineering Approval

 Customer engineering deptt. give evidence to supplier when he required to develop a new part.

16.Customer Specific Requirement 

 This is a list of specific requirement of customer for new develop part.

17.Master Sample

 The sample sign off by customer and supplier that meet the customer quality requirement and supplier process quality standard.

18. Part Submission Warrant (PSW)

 PSW is a document in which customer and supplier sign off in this there is some important point include like Reason of submission,PPAP level etc.