/ RESOURCES
How to Qualify an Aerospace CNC Supplier
Certification is the minimum threshold. Qualification is the verification that the supplier actually operates to the standard their certificate claims.
/ CERTIFICATION VS. QUALIFICATION
What Certification Tells You — and What It Doesn't
AS9100D certification tells you that an accredited third-party registrar has audited the supplier's quality management system and found it to conform to the standard's requirements. This is necessary — it is the first gate. It is not sufficient.
What certification does not tell you: whether the supplier has the specific equipment, process capability, and material expertise required for your specific part. A machine shop can be AS9100D certified with a quality management system that covers screw-machine production of low-complexity hardware. The same shop is AS9100D certified when asked to machine a 5-axis titanium structural bracket to ±0.0005″ tolerances — and the certification status hasn't changed even though the capability hasn't been demonstrated.
Qualification closes that gap. The qualification process is how you verify that the supplier's capability matches your program's requirements — not just that they have a certificate on the wall.
/ DOCUMENTATION TO REQUEST
What to Ask For Before Qualifying
Certification Documents
- AS9100D certificate: registrar name, certificate number, scope statement, expiration date
- Any Nadcap certifications held or approved subcontractors for special processes
Quality System Evidence
- Sample Certificate of Conformance (customer data redacted)
- Sample FAI package or dimensional inspection report (customer data redacted)
- Sample material certification (demonstrating heat lot traceability format)
The request for sample documentation is not bureaucratic — it tells you whether the supplier's quality records look like what you expect your receiving inspection to receive. A CoC that is missing the drawing revision reference or the AS9100D certification reference is a preview of what will arrive with your first shipment.
Equipment and Capability Evidence
- Machine list with axis count and work envelope relevant to your part geometry
- Inspection equipment: CMM make/model and measurement capability
- Material certifications from prior work in the relevant material (titanium, Inconel, etc.)
/ SUPPLIER AUDIT
What to Verify During an Audit
If your qualification process includes a supplier audit (on-site or virtual), these are the areas that reveal whether the supplier's quality management system is real or documentary:
Material Control
Ask to see how incoming material is received and controlled. Verified AS9100D suppliers have a documented receiving inspection process for material — the certification is verified against the purchase order specification before the material is released to production. A shop where incoming material is stacked on shelves without a receiving log and certification review is not operating a real traceability system, regardless of their certification status.
Production Traveler
Ask to see a production traveler for a current job. The traveler documents setup approval, in-process inspection checkpoints, and material lot traceability. If a traveler doesn't exist, the AS9100D quality system exists on paper but not in production.
Nonconformance Records
Ask to see a sample nonconformance record (NCR), with customer data redacted. Qualified suppliers have NCRs — not because they produce nonconforming parts, but because they document and disposition them when they occur. A supplier who claims to have zero nonconformances is either not tracking them or not being honest with you.
DFM Practice
Ask the supplier to describe how they handle a drawing with a feature they consider a manufacturability risk. A qualified supplier will describe a specific, documented process — engineering review, customer notification with a specific callout, and authorization before proceeding. A supplier without a real DFM practice will describe a general conversation that results in "we'll figure it out."
/ RED FLAGS
What to Walk Away From
- Certification scope mismatch: The certificate scope statement doesn't cover your part category or material. Ask explicitly what the certified scope includes.
- No sample documentation: A supplier who cannot produce a redacted sample CoC or inspection report in response to a qualification request does not have a mature documentation system.
- Vague DFM answers: "We'll figure it out during quoting" is not a DFM process. Qualified suppliers have a specific engineering review that is documented in the quoting response.
- No NCR records: The absence of nonconformance documentation indicates either no quality events (implausible at any volume) or no tracking.
- Quote turnaround faster than DFM review is possible: A meaningful DFM review of a complex aerospace part takes hours, not minutes. A 15-minute quote response on a complex titanium structural part has not included a real drawing review.
Qualify Velocity CNC for Your Program
We're upfront about our certification status — sample quality records and engineering team availability for supplier qualification audits, on request.
/ QUOTE RESPONSE — 24HR AFTER SUBMISSION