Production part approval process (PPAP)

The PPAP is discussed here to support the topic of the voice of the process or statistical process control or the process behavior. Its use in the DFSS process may be significant, as can be shown from its application in the automotive industry (see the third edition of the A.I.A.G. publication by the same name). Fundamentally the PPAP system is an automotive system that ensures the quality of the product by focusing on the approval process from the supplier to the customer. (However, it may be applied in other industries with appropriate and applicable modifications.) This approval process is based on:

• Customer requirements.

• Measurement system analysis.

• Statistical process control.

• Potential failure modes and effects analysis.

• Assurance of quality consistency at the time of delivery.

The fundamental purpose of PPAP is to:

• Determine if all customer requirements are really understood by the supplier.

• Determine if the supplier's process can really produce acceptable product during production runs at the quoted production rate.

• Fine-tune original equipment manufacturers (OEM) assembly and subassembly processes.

For the actual and specific requirements the reader is advised to consult the PPAP publication, distributed by the A.I.A.G.