It’s extremely important for manufacturing and forging facilities to have the appropriate quality systems and certifications to prove to their customers that they consistently adhere to industry quality standards and best practices. To receive certifications, companies need to provide paperwork, be interviewed and pass various inspections and audits.
But which certifications should forging companies or manufacturing facilities have, and how exactly do they obtain them?
Which Certifications to Look for
It can be difficult to determine which certifications you should look for from a company. Certifications can vary depending on the industry in which your forged part will be used and it’s important to know which organizations and certifications deal with each industry.
Certifications and Organizations
The following certifications and organizations are among the most valid and respected around the world. If a forging or manufacturing company has one or more of these certifications, it is an indication that the company has the appropriate quality and management systems in place.
ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is an International Standard that provides requirements for an organization’s quality management system (QMS). It is part of a family of standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The objective of ISO 9001 is to provide a set of requirements that, if effectively implemented, will give you confidence that your supplier can consistently provide products and services that meet your needs and expectations and comply with applicable regulations. It covers a wide range of topics, including your supplier’s top-management commitment to quality, its customer focus, the adequacy of its resources, employee competence, process management, quality planning and many other quality initiatives.
PED – Pressure Equipment Directive
This standard is in addition to ISO 9001 and is required for suppliers to be able to sell pressure-related equipment in the European Union (EU). PED sets out the standards for the design and fabrication of pressure equipment and is typically required for oilfield pressure equipment.
AS9100
Based on and working in conjunction with the ISO 9001 standardization, AS9100 was established by the International Aerospace Quality Group. This QMS, utilized by aviation, space and defense organizations, provides quality compliance requirements in order to maintain AS9100 certification. It adds over 100 requirements to the ISO 9001 standard that specifically apply to the aerospace industry. This certification is used by companies that design, develop, and/or produce aviation, space or defense products.
Nadcap
The National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) is the leading worldwide cooperative program designed to manage a cost-effective consensus approach to special processes and products and provide continual improvement within the aerospace and defense industries. This global cooperative accreditation program was created for the engineering, aerospace, defense and other related industries. The goal of Nadcap is to create a standardized approach to quality assurance and reduce redundant auditing.
DNV GL
Det Norske Veritas Germanischer Lloyd (DNV GL), a global quality assurance and risk management company, enables organizations to advance and improve the safety and sustainability of their business. DNV GL provides certification, supply chain and data management services to various industries, including the maritime, oil & gas, and power and renewables industries.
Lloyd’s Register
The Lloyd’s Register (LR) Certification for Manufacturing is given out by the classification society Lloyd’s Register Group Limited. Dating back to 1760, the organization’s goal is to enhance the safety of property, life and the environment. To achieve their goal, they assist clients to ensure the overall quality of their critical infrastructure’s construction and operation. This includes validation, certification, and accreditation for manufacturing, engineering and technology industries.
ABS
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) is a classification society. This organization develops and verifies standards for the design, construction and overall operational maintenance of marine-related facilities and vessels. These standards, called the ABS Rules, are the basis for assessing new vessels’ design and construction, as well as the integrity of existing marine structures and vessels.
How to Get Certified
To get certified by an actual certification company, an organization needs to go through a series of document reviews, facility visits and audits. This process can take several weeks or even up to a year in some cases. Auditors will examine a company’s processes, procedures and overall operations to determine their conformance to the standard requirements. Depending on the certification, the following may be evaluated:
- Management system documentation
- Administrative, design and production processes
- Management reviews
- Personnel training records
- Training, competence and experience of personnel
- Internal audit processes
- Technical capabilities and operations
- Regulatory compliance
Companies seeking certification should familiarize themselves with the accredited certification bodies’ standards before applying for any type of certification.
Canton Drop Forge is committed to providing quality products for all of our customers. In addition to being ISO 9001 and AS9100 certified by SRI (Steel Related Industries), we hold ABS, DNV GL and Lloyd’s manufacturing certificates and are accredited by Nadcap for the special processes of NDT and heat treating which includes our lab. Have a question or need more information? Feel free to reach out to our customer service team today.