NPL helps specialist engineering firm become the first UK company to achieve Nadcap aerospace accreditation in measurement

Aeromet, a leading supplier of assembly ready cast metal parts to the aerospace and defence industries, needed to modify its operating practices in order to achieve the new Nadcap Measurement and Inspection standard. The National Aerospace and Defence Contractors Accreditation Programme (Nadcap) is an industry managed approach to conformity assessment of ‘special processes’.

This world-wide industry led effort standardises quality assurance and supplier accreditation in the aerospace and defence industries. Which means companies already operating in this arena might need to reassess their processes to achieve certification, and those looking to enter the market need to ensure they are Nadcap M&I-ready.

 

 

The Solution

Through the Sharing in Growth Programme, Aeromet called in the measurement experts from the National Physical Laboratory’s Product Verification team – an industry initiative operated by NPL, the UK’s leading specialists in the science and technology of accurate measurement.

The Product Verification team conducted a full Gap Analysis of Aeromet’s operating practices to identify potential gaps in its measurement and inspection processes, and was then able to recommend adjustments and improvements to help reduce the risk of the company receiving Non-Conformance Reports (NCR) in a formal Nadcap audit.

Throughout the process, NPL’s Product Verification team coached Aeromet staff on industry best practice, helped them develop solutions for compliance and, in its final report, detailed potential NCRs and areas to carefully monitor to ensure adherence to the standard moving forward.

The Impact   

“We really appreciate the expertise the NPL team brought to the process,” says Paul Dolphin, Quality Manager at Aeromet. “We gained confidence in knowing exactly where to focus our efforts in order to meet our Nadcap M&I quality improvement objectives, and are extremely proud to be the first UK company to achieve the required standards. It gives us a huge competitive advantage for the future.”

Other companies who have subsequently gained Nadcap accreditation have reported an average 40 per cent drop in audit failures and more than half report increased sales and/or new business opportunities.

If you’re a UK precision or advanced manufacturer, discover the ways in which NPL can help support your business and get closer to perfection by visiting: advance.npl.co.uk