PPAP

PPAP is an acronym for Production Part Approval Process.

The Production Part Approval Process is used in the automotive supply chain to establish
confidence in component suppliers and their production processes, by demonstrating
that:-

"....all customer engineering design record and specification requirements are properly
understood by the supplier and that the process has the potential to produce product
consistently meeting these requirements during an actual production run at the quoted
production rate." Version 4 March 1st 2006

PPAP Approval
The result of the PPAP process is a series of documents gathered in one specific location
(a binder or electronically) called the "PPAP Package". The PPAP package is a series of
documents which need a formal approval by the supplier and customer. The form that
summarizes this package is called PSW (Part Submission Warrant). The approval of the
PSW indicates that the supplier responsible person (usually the Quality Engineer) has
reviewed this package and that the customer has not identified any issues that would
prevent its approval.

The documentation on the PPAP package is closely related to the Advanced Product
Quality Planning process (APQP) used during the design and development of new
vehicles and component systems to reduce the risk of unexpected failure due to errors in
design and manufacture. The PPAP manual is published by the Automotive Industrial
Action Group (AIAG), [www.aiag.org] and specifies generic requirements for obtaining
PPAP approvals. Additional customer specific requirements may be imposed by
particular clients (vehicle manufacturers) and incorporated in the purchasing contracts.
Details of 'customer specific' requirements may be found on the AIAG website
http://www.aiag.org or supplier portals provided by the vehicle manufacturers.

Suppliers are required to obtain PPAP approval from the vehicle manufacturers whenever
a new or modified component is introduced to production, or the manufacturing process
is changed. Obtaining approval requires the supplier to provide sample parts and
documentary evidence showing that:

1) The clients requirements have been understood

2) The product supplied meets those requirements
3) The process (including sub suppliers) is capable of producing conforming product
4) The production control plan and quality management system will prevent non-
conforming product reaching the client or compromising the safety and reliability of
finished vehicles
Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) may be required for all components and
materials incorporated in the finished product, and may also be required if components
are processed by external sub-contractors.

PPAP Elements
Below is the list of all 18 elements, and a brief description of them.

1. Design Records A copy of the drawing. If the customer is design responsible this is a
copy of customer drawing that is sent together with the Purchase Order (PO). If supplier
is design responsible this is a released drawing in supplier's release system.

2. Authorized Engineering Change Documents A document that shows the detailed

description of the change. Usually this document is called "Engineering Change Notice",
but it may be covered by the customer PO or any other engineering authorization.

3. Engineering Approval This approval is usually the Engineering trial with production
parts performed at the customer plant. A "temporary deviation" usually is required to
send parts to customer before PPAP. Customer may require other "Engineering
Approvals".

4. DFMEA A copy of the Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (DFMEA), reviewd
and signed-off by supplier and customer. If customer is design responsible, usually
customer may not share this document with the supplier. However, the list of all critical
or high impact product characteristics should be shared with the supplier, so they can be
addressed on the PFMEA and Control Plan.

5. Process Flow Diagram A copy of the Process Flow, indicating all steps and sequence
in the fabrication process, including incoming components.

6. PFMEA A copy of the Process Failure Mode and Effect Analyis (PFMEA), reviewed
and signed-off by supplier and customer. The PFMEA follows the Process Flow steps,
and indicate "what could go wrong" during the fabrication and assembly of each
component.

7. Control Plan A copy of the Control Plan, reviewed and signed-off by supplier and
customer. The Control Plan follows the PFMEA steps, and provides more details on how
the "potential issues" are checked in the incoming quality, assembly process or during
inspections of finished products.

8. Measurement System Analysis Studies (MSA)) MSA usually contains the Gage
R&R for the critical or high impact characteristics, and a confirmation that gauges used
to measure these characteristics are calibrated.

9. Dimensional Results A list of every dimension noted on the balloned drawing. This
list shows the product characteristic, specification, the measurement results and the
assessment showing if this dimension is "ok" or "not ok". Usually a minimum of 6 pieces
is reported per product/process combination.

10. Records of Material / Performance Tests A summary of every test performed on

the part. This summary is usually on a form of DVP&R (Design Verification Plan and
Report), which lists each individual test, when it was performed, the specification, results
and the assessment pass/fail. If there is an Engineering Specification, usually it is noted
on the print. The DVP&R shall be reviewed and signed off by both customer and supplier
engineering groups. The quality engineer will look for a customer signature on this
document.

In addition, this section lists all material certifications (steel, plastics, plating, etc), as
specified on the print. The material certification shall show compliance to the specific
call on the print.

11. Initial Process Studies Usually this section shows all Statistical Process Control
charts affecting the most critical characteristics. The intent is to demonstrate that critical
processes have stable variability and that is running near the intended nominal value.

12. Qualified Laboratory Documentation Copy of all laboratory certifications (e.g.

A2LA, TS) of the laboratories that performed the tests reported on section 10.

13. Appearance Approval Report A copy of the AAI (Appearance Approval

Inspection) form signed by the customer. Applicable for components affecting
appearance only.

14. Sample Production Parts A sample from the same lot of initial production run. The
PPAP package usually shows a picture of the sample and where it is kept (customer or
supplier).

15. Master Sample A sample signed off by customer and supplier, that usually is used to
train operators on subjective inspections such as visual or for noise.

16. Checking Aids When there are special tools for checking parts, this section shows a
picture of the tool and calibration records, including dimensional report of the tool.

17. Customer Specific Requirements Each customer may have specific requirements to
be included on the PPAP package. It is a good practice to ask the customer for PPAP
expectations before even quoting for a job. North America auto makers OEM (Original
Equipment Manufacturer) requirements are listed on http://www.iaob.org website.

18. Part Submission Warrant (PSW) This is the form that summarizes the whole PPAP
package. This form shows the reason for submission (design change, annual revalidation,
etc) and the level of documents submitted to the customer. There is a section that asks for
"results meeting all drawing and specification requirements: yes/no" refers to the whole
package. If there is any deviations the supplier should note on the warrant or inform that
PPAP cannot be submitted.
ANOVA Gage R&R
ANOVA Gauge R&R (or ANOVA Gauge Repeatability & Reproducibility) is a
Measurement Systems Analysis technique which uses Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to
assess a measurement system.

Purpose
ANOVA Gauge R&R measures the amount of variability induced in measurements that
comes from the measurement system itself and compares it to the total variability
observed to determine the viability of the measurement system. There are four
components affecting a measurement system:

 Measurement devices (machine), the gauge itself and all mounting blocks,
supports, fixtures, load cells etc. The machine ease of use, sloppiness among
mating parts, "zero" blocks are examples of sources of variation in the
measurement system;
 Operators (people), the ability and/or discipline of a person to follow the written
or verbal instructions.
 Measurement instructions (method), how to setup your devices, how to mount
your parts, how to record the data, etc.
 Specification, the measurement is reported against a specification or a reference
value. The range of the specification does not affect the measurement, but is an
important factor affecting the viability of the measurement system.
 Parts (what is being measured), some parts are easier to measure than others. A
measurement system may be good for measuring block length but not for
measuring rubber pieces.

There are two important aspects on a Gauge R&R:

 Repeatability, the ability of the device to provide consistent results. It is a

measure of the variabilty induced by the system if the same operator measured the
same part using the same device repeatedly.
 Reproducibility, the variability induced by the operators. It is the variation
induced when different operators measure the same part using the same device.

It is important to understand the difference between Accuracy and precision in order to

understand the purpose of Gauge R&R. Gauge R&R only address how precise a
measurement system is.

Anova Gauge R&R is an important tool within the Six Sigma methodology, and is also a
requirement for PPAP documentation.
Common Misconceptions about GRR
 Need only one GRR per family of gauges. It is usual to say "There is an
acceptable GRR for this caliper". This statement is false, as a GRR is for the
measurement system, which includes the part, specification, operator and method.
As an example, measuring a steel block with a caliper may be achieved with a
good precision, but the same caliper may not be suitable to measure soft rubber
parts that may deform while it is being measured.
 The GRR will not pass using parts, so it has to be done with standard weights
and blocks. The GRR done on this way will assess the precision while measuring
standard weights. The device might not be suitable to measure that specific type
of parts. If the part "changes" while being measured, this has to be counted as a
measurement system error.
 Need to report on PPAP documentation GRR results for everything that is
measured. This is not necessarily a requirement. The Quality Engineer usually
makes an educated assessment. If the characteristic is critical to safety, a valid
GRR is required. Instead, if there is enough understanding that some particular
part is easy to measure with acceptable precision, a formal GRR is not required.
Custumers may ask for additional GRRs during PPAP reviews. Knowing that a
GRR is not good and still uses the measurement system does not make sense. This
is like using bent calipers to get measurements, you get a number but it does not
mean anything.
 Performing a GRR is very expensive. In order to perform a GRR usually a
number of parts (sometimes between 5 to 10) is required to be measured by 2 to 3
operators 2 to 3 times. So the measurement costs are the ones associated with
those additional measurements. For simple devices this may not be very costly,
and the results is a known measurement error that can be used to assess all
measurements subsequent to that.
 GRRs must be within 10% to pass. There are AIAG guidelines for GRR errors
relative to the specification, and what to report on a PPAP process. The final call
is between the supplier and customer, and it is a function of the critically of the
characteristic and the assessed measurement error. GRR is a tool that helps
making this assessment, but it does not gives you the answer.
A Measurement System Analysis,
abbreviated MSA, is a specially designed experiment that seeks to identify the
components of variation in the measurement.

Just as processes that produce a product may vary, the process of obtaining measurements
and data may have variation and produce defects. A Measurement Systems Analysis
evaluates the entire process of obtaining measurements to ensure the integrity of data
used for analysis (usually quality analysis) and to understand the implications of
measurement error for decisions made about a product or process.

MSA analyzes the collection of equipment, operations, procedures, software and

personnel that affects the assignment of a number to a measurement characteristic. A
Measurement Systems Analysis considers the following: selecting the correct
measurement and approach, assessing the measuring device, assessing procedures &
operators, assessing any measurement interactions, and calculating the measurement
uncertainty of individual measurement devices and/or measurement systems.

Common tools and techniques of Measurement Systems Analysis are: Attribute Gage
Study, Gage R&R, ANOVA Gage R&R, and Destructive Testing Analysis. The tool
selected is usually determined by characteristics of the measurement system itself.

The Measurement Systems Analysis process is defined in a number of published

documents including the AIAG's MSA (Measurement Systems Analysis) Manual, which
is part of a series of inter-related documents the AIAG controls and publishes. These
manuals include:

 The FMEA and Control Plan Manual

 The SPC (Statistical process control) Manual
 The MSA (Measurement Systems Analysis) Manual
 The Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) Manual

The AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group) is a non-profit association of automotive

companies founded in 1982.

What is measurement system

Measurement variation

Components of MSA:

 Bias
 Stability
 Linear
 Repeatability and Reproducibility
  Attribute study
 Practical examples for calculating Bias, Stability, Linearity, Repeatability and

reproducibility, Attribute study Measurement uncertainty

Accuracy is the degree of veracity while precision is the degree of reproducibility. The
analogy used here to explain the difference between accuracy and precision is the target
comparison.

High accuracy, but low precision

High precision, but low accuracy