Technical Library
Two acronyms that decide whether an Asian supplier can be qualified for an automotive program, and that are routinely agreed too late - usually after the tool is already cut.
IATF 16949 is the automotive quality management system standard. It sits on top of ISO 9001 and adds the requirements the car industry cares about: APQP, PPAP, FMEA, control plans, measurement systems analysis, traceability, and management of subtier suppliers.
What it is: evidence that a plant runs a quality system capable of supporting an automotive program, audited by an accredited body against a published standard.
What it is not: a guarantee about any individual part. Certification is site specific and scope specific. A group can hold IATF at one plant and not another, and the certificate names the processes it covers. Read the scope, not just the logo.
For a supplier package, ask for the current certificate with the scope statement and the expiry date. We supply those with any quotation - see our certification matrix, which also names the standards our plants do not hold.
| Level | What is submitted |
|---|---|
| 1 | Part Submission Warrant only. Sometimes an appearance report. |
| 2 | PSW with product samples and limited supporting data. |
| 3 | PSW with samples and complete supporting data. The default. |
| 4 | PSW plus whatever else the customer defines. |
| 5 | PSW with samples and complete data, reviewed at the supplier's site. |
If nobody states a level, Level 3 is assumed. Agree it in writing at quotation - a late move from 3 to 5 means an audit trip and weeks of schedule.
A Level 3 submission is a package, not a document. These are the elements a complete one contains.
This is the part of an offshore program that most often slips, and it slips for administrative reasons rather than technical ones. Chasing it is a large part of what we do - it is the difference between a rep and a broker.
How to use these tables. The values here are standard reference figures published to help you specify and compare parts. They are guidance, not a substitute for your own engineering standard, and several of them (torque above all) depend on assumptions about friction, lubrication and joint material that will differ in your application. Where a number matters, confirm it against the governing specification and against the part drawing. We will supply the plant's actual test data with any quotation.