Are You in the Aerospace Engine Supply Chain? Then AS13100 and AS9145 Applies to You.

New Standards and Reference Manuals from Manufacturers and Major Suppliers

The flying public expects zero defects from its airplane engines. There are tremendous supply chain quality risks, and the aerospace engine manufacturers (GE, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, and Safran) and their major suppliers have completed new standards and reference manuals to ensure improved quality of parts in the aerospace engine supply chain.

AS13100 was published in March 2021, and has been rolled out by each of the engine manufacturers in their supplier requirements:

• GE has S-1000
• Rolls-Royce has SABRe
• Pratt & Whitney has ASQR-01, and
• Safran has SAFe

The AS13100 document is intended to simplify supplier quality requirements by harmonizing about 60% of these four engine manufacturers’ supplier requirements. This can benefit everyone, especially as there is a common supply base between these engine makers.

What is AS13100 and How Will it Affect my Company?

AS13100 is a standard titled, Aerospace Engine Supplier Quality (AESQ) Quality Management System Requirements for Aero Engine Design and Production Organizations.  It is intended to be flowed down contractually as a customer requirement in PO’s and supplier manuals by the engine makers.

AS9100 certification is already required by engine makers of their suppliers.  The additional AS13100 document is broken into 3 chapters.

1. Chapter A points to AS9100 clause by clause, and adds extra aero engine requirements. (Remember, AS9100 is minimum criterion for an acceptable aerospace quality management system (QMS).  Adding extra QMS expectations for the engine supply chain just makes sense, and includes requirements that were already in most of the engine maker’s supplier manuals that were supplements to AS9100.)
2. Chapter B requires compliance with AS9145, which is Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), but adds some additional requirements above and beyond AS9145 for the engine supply chain. (These concepts have been utilized by the automotive industry for some time, and the engine makers see value in the implementation of these proactive quality tools to focus on defect prevention.)
3. That leads us to Chapter C, which is titled Core Defect Prevention Tools to Support APQP and PPAP. This adds even more requirements for proactive tools for defect prevention.

Core Tools Adapted for the Aerospace Industry

The AESQ has taken the automotive core tools and has adapted them to fit the aerospace industry.  They have even developed their own Reference Manuals which the AS13100 standard points to for guidance, just like the automotive core tools (APQP/Control Plan, FMEA, PPAP, MSA, SPC). 

Below is the list of AESQ Reference Manuals (some of which used to be AS standards with the same numbers, but have been replaced by AS13100 and these reference manuals):

• RM13145 – Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) within Aerospace
• RM13008 – Design Work
• RM13004 – Defect Prevention Quality Tools to Support APQP & PPAP (This gets into process flows, characteristics matrix, FMEA’s and Control Plans)
• RM13003 – Measurement Systems Analysis Methods
• RM13006 – Process Control Methods
• RM13002 – Alternate Inspection Frequency Plans
• RM13102 – First Article Inspection
• RM13000 – 8D Problem Solving Method
• RM13005 – Quality Audit Method
• RM13007 – Sub Tier Management
• RM13009 – AS13100 Compliance Self-Assessment
• RM13010 – Human Factors
• RM13011 – Rework and Production Repair

There is an industry desire to have the first-tier suppliers in compliance by the end of 2022, and all of the aero engine makers have communicated the requirements and timeline to their suppliers.

The AESQ has been doing a lot of advertising and training to bring suppliers up to speed quickly on these new requirements for AS13100 and AS9145.  They are the primary resource for information at aesq.sae-itc.com.  All of the reference manuals above are free from the AESQ website, only the AS13100 and AS9145 standards need to be purchased. 

SimpleQuE’s aerospace quality experts are also here to help, and have already helped some engine parts suppliers to:

• Conduct gap assessments to AS13100 and AS9145 to determine what needs to change from existing systems, processes and documentation,
• Complete the annual self-assessment using the RM13009 checklist,
• Implement APQP and PPAP,
• Train and facilitate proper and effective implementation of Process Flow Diagrams, Design FMEAs (DFMEA), Process FMEAs (PFMEA), Control Plans, Gauge R&R’s (variable and attribute), MSA plans, SPC, etc.
• Conduct enhanced internal audit requirements for QMS audits, production process audits, product audits, special process audits, including customer requirements and regulatory requirements included as appropriate
• Implement enhanced risk management processes with risk registers
• Meet the supply chain risk management processes.

Jim Lee, simpleQuE’s President, is offering free access to his 45-minute presentation:  AS145: Introduction to APQP & the PPAP Deliverables.  The presentation introduces APQP and explains why it’s being imposed by aerospace customers and is formally flowed down the supply chain as a requirement.  In addition to the detailed overview, Jim also provides free AS9145 materials and tools for further understanding of AS9145 and its adoption by the Space, Aviation and Defense Industries.

Contact us if you’re in the aerospace engine supply chain, and find out how we can help you be most effective in implementing and utilizing these tools. Click here for the AS13100 self-assessment checklist.  Additional templates for FMEAs, Control Plans, or Process Flow Diagrams, are free to download here.