KEY TAKEAWAYS

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AS9100 is a quality management system standard; NADCAP is a process-specific accreditation — they operate at different levels of your supply chain.

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AS9100 certification is typically required for any manufacturer producing aerospace hardware; NADCAP accreditation is only mandatory for specific special processes like heat treating, NDT, or chemical processing.

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A supplier can be AS9100-certified without holding any NADCAP accreditations — this is common and acceptable for machined parts with no special process requirements.

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NADCAP accreditations are process-specific and must be verified individually — a supplier accredited for welding is not automatically accredited for non-destructive testing.

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When dual compliance is required, AS9100 governs the overall QMS while NADCAP audits validate that specific processes meet customer and prime contractor requirements.

AS9100 is an internationally recognized Quality Management System (QMS) standard developed specifically for the aviation, space, and defense industries. It is published by SAE International and builds directly on ISO 9001, adding approximately 100 aerospace-specific requirements on top of the base standard. Those additions address things like configuration management, risk management, first article inspection (FAI) per AS9102, and product/process change control — disciplines that are essential in aerospace but optional under generic ISO 9001.

When a manufacturer holds AS9100 certification, it means a third-party registrar has audited their entire quality management system — from contract review and design control through production, inspection, nonconformance handling, and corrective action. Certification covers the organization, not individual processes. The audit evaluates whether the company has a documented, controlled, and continuously improving system for managing quality across everything they produce.

AS9100 is currently on Revision D (AS9100D), released in 2016. Suppliers in the aerospace supply chain — particularly those on the Aerospace Supplier Database (OASIS) — are expected to maintain current revision certification. Customers including Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and their Tier 1 suppliers routinely require AS9100D as a baseline qualification for any new supplier.

IMPORTANT: ISO 9001 certification alone does not satisfy AS9100 requirements. The two standards share a structure, but AS9100 contains aerospace-specific clauses that ISO 9001 does not address. Always verify which standard a customer flow-down actually requires.

NADCAP — the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program — is managed by the Performance Review Institute (PRI) on behalf of major aerospace prime contractors. Unlike AS9100, NADCAP does not audit a company’s overall QMS. It audits specific manufacturing processes at a granular, technical level to verify that the process itself is being executed correctly, repeatedly, and in compliance with applicable specifications.

The program emerged because prime contractors realized that auditing special processes individually — each running their own supplier audits — was inefficient and inconsistent. By centralizing accreditation through NADCAP, a supplier who earns accreditation for a given process is recognized by all NADCAP-subscribing primes simultaneously. This reduces audit burden on both the supplier and the customer while raising the baseline technical bar.

NADCAP accreditations are available across a wide range of process categories, including:

• Chemical Processing (anodizing, plating, chemical milling)
• Heat Treating
• Non-Destructive Testing (NDT/NDE)
• Welding
• Coatings (thermal spray, paint systems)
• Composites
• Fluid Distribution Systems
• Electronics

Each category is audited separately against its own technical checklist. Accreditation in one category does not imply accreditation in any other.

The simplest way to distinguish the two: AS9100 is a systems audit; NADCAP is a process audit. AS9100 asks, ‘Does this organization have the management infrastructure to consistently produce conforming aerospace hardware?’ NADCAP asks, ‘Is this specific process — say, cadmium plating to AMS 2400 — being executed correctly on the shop floor right now?’

This distinction matters enormously when you are qualifying a supplier. A machine shop with AS9100 certification has demonstrated control over how they manage orders, inspect parts, handle nonconformances, and train personnel. But if that same machine shop also performs in-house chemical conversion coating and your drawing calls out a NADCAP-required process, you need to verify their NADCAP Chemical Processing accreditation independently. AS9100 does not validate that.

The reverse is also true. A specialty finishing house might hold NADCAP accreditation for anodizing and heat treating without holding AS9100 certification — particularly if they are not a direct aerospace supplier but a sub-tier processor. In practice, most aerospace-focused suppliers are expected to hold both, but the requirements depend on what is called out in the customer’s flow-down documentation, the purchase order, and the applicable drawing notes.

RULE OF THUMB: If your drawing or purchase order references a specification like AMS 2759 (heat treating) or AMS 2470 (anodizing) and your customer is a NADCAP-subscribing prime, assume NADCAP accreditation is required for that process — regardless of whether the PO explicitly calls it out.

For most machined aerospace components — CNC-turned or milled parts delivered in the as-machined or dimensionally inspected condition — AS9100D certification is the primary qualification requirement. NADCAP may not be required at all if no special processes are involved. ‘Special processes’ in aerospace are broadly defined as processes whose output cannot be fully verified by subsequent inspection — meaning you cannot simply measure the result to confirm the process was done correctly. Chemical treatments, heat treating, and NDT all fall into this category.

NADCAP becomes mandatory when the part or assembly involves one or more of those special processes AND the prime contractor (or their flow-down requirements) mandates NADCAP. Virtually every major prime — Boeing D6-51991, Airbus AIPI 01-01-001, GE Aviation S-1000, Pratt and Whitney CPW 50 — includes NADCAP requirements for applicable special processes. If you are selling into any of these supply chains, you should assume NADCAP accreditation will be required for applicable processes.

When both standards apply, they operate in parallel. AS9100 governs the organization’s overall quality system. NADCAP audits validate specific process execution. A supplier that holds both is demonstrating that they manage quality at a systems level AND that their critical processes meet the technical depth required by prime contractors. For complex assemblies or safety-critical flight hardware, dual compliance is effectively the minimum acceptable credential.

AS9100 certification is maintained through an annual surveillance audit and a full re-certification audit every three years, conducted by an accredited third-party registrar (such as DNV, Bureau Veritas, NQA, or similar). Surveillance audits typically focus on a subset of the QMS, including corrective actions, internal audit findings, and customer feedback. Re-certification audits are comprehensive. The registrar issues a certificate tied to the specific revision of the standard and the scope of certification.

NADCAP audits operate on a different cadence. New suppliers typically receive an initial audit before accreditation is granted. Once accredited, audit frequency depends on performance — suppliers with strong audit histories may achieve Merit status, extending their audit interval to 18 or 24 months. Suppliers with findings are audited more frequently. NADCAP audits are conducted by PRI-qualified auditors using commodity-specific checklists (called audit criteria documents) that are updated regularly to reflect current specifications and industry practice.

What NADCAP auditors actually examine goes deep into process chemistry, equipment calibration records, operator qualification records, batch records, test coupon results, and procedure compliance. For a heat treating operation, for example, an auditor will verify furnace surveys against AMS 2750 (pyrometry), review load thermocouple placement, check that heat codes are traceable, and confirm that operators are qualified to the correct revision of the process specification. This level of technical scrutiny is well beyond the scope of an AS9100 audit.

When you are qualifying a supplier for aerospace work, the first question is not ‘Are they certified?’ — it is ‘Are they certified for the right things?’ A supplier who presents an AS9100 certificate is telling you their QMS is audited and controlled. That is necessary but not always sufficient. You need to map the processes on your drawing to the supplier’s certifications and accreditations, then verify each one.

Key steps in supplier qualification for aerospace parts:

• Confirm AS9100D certification scope covers the relevant manufacturing processes
• Identify all special processes called out on the drawing or in referenced specifications
• Verify NADCAP accreditation for each applicable special process via the PRI Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) database
• Check that the supplier’s NADCAP accreditation covers the specific commodity and specifications you require — not just the category
• Confirm ITAR registration if export-controlled data or materials are involved

This is where working with a managed sourcing partner simplifies the process. Nimble’s certified partner network maintains up-to-date AS9100, ISO 9001, and ITAR credentials across its manufacturing partners, and qualification verification is part of the sourcing process — not something you have to chase down independently. For complex parts involving machining plus surface finishing, the right sub-tier partner is matched to the specific process requirements on your drawing.

WARNING: Verifying a supplier’s AS9100 certificate is not the same as verifying their NADCAP accreditations. Always cross-reference the PRI eAuditNet / QML database directly for NADCAP status. Certificate documents can be out of date; the database reflects current accreditation status.

The most persistent misconception is that AS9100 supersedes or includes NADCAP. It does not. AS9100 requires that special processes be controlled — it does not specify how, and it does not validate technical process execution at the level NADCAP does. An AS9100 audit will check whether a supplier has a procedure for managing their approved processor list and whether they flow down requirements to sub-tier suppliers. It will not verify furnace calibration records or plating bath chemistry. Those are NADCAP domains.

A second misconception is that NADCAP accreditation is only relevant for large prime contractors or Tier 1 suppliers. In reality, NADCAP requirements flow down through the supply chain. If a Tier 1 supplier has a flow-down clause requiring NADCAP for special processes, that requirement lands on every sub-tier supplier performing those processes — regardless of their size or tier position. Small job shops doing anodizing or welding for aerospace work often need NADCAP accreditation even if they have never interacted with a prime directly.

Finally, some buyers assume that any ISO-certified supplier can be quickly upgraded to AS9100. The reality is that achieving AS9100 certification typically requires 6 to 18 months of system development and implementation, depending on the organization’s starting point. The aerospace-specific clauses around configuration management, risk, and FAI requirements represent substantive operational changes — not just paperwork additions. Treat certification status as a hard qualification gate, not a soft preference.

Before you release a purchase order for aerospace hardware, run through this qualification checklist. It applies whether you are sourcing directly or working through a managed partner network:

• AS9100D Certificate: Current, not expired, and scope covers the relevant manufacturing processes (e.g., CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, injection molding)
• NADCAP Accreditations: Verified via PRI eAuditNet for each special process on the drawing — chemical processing, heat treating, NDT, welding, coatings as applicable
• ITAR Registration: Confirmed if any ITAR-controlled data, materials, or hardware is involved
• FAI Capability: Supplier can support AS9102 First Article Inspection if required by the drawing or PO
• CMM Inspection: Dimensional inspection capability and calibrated equipment with current certifications
• Nonconformance Process: Supplier has a documented corrective action process and can issue 8D or equivalent reports if required
• Flow-Down Acknowledgment: Supplier has reviewed and accepted all quality flow-down clauses on the PO

Nimble’s quoting and DFM review process flags process requirements early — before you are three weeks into lead time and discovering a NADCAP gap. Quotes are returned within 24 hours and include CMM inspection as a standard deliverable, so dimensional traceability is built in from the start.

KEY INSIGHT: The cost of a qualification gap discovered after parts are manufactured is orders of magnitude higher than the cost of verifying credentials before placing the PO. Build supplier qualification into your RFQ process, not your receiving inspection.

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