Aerospace Supplier Onboarding Checklist

Getting “onboarded” as an aerospace or defense supplier is rarely a single form or a quick vendor setup. It’s a structured qualification process designed to reduce program risk: confirm you can consistently build to drawing and specification, control special processes, protect controlled data (ITAR/DFARS), and deliver parts with complete traceability. Whether you’re supplying CNC-machined hardware, additive manufacturing (AM) components (e.g., powder bed fusion / PBF, DMLS/SLM), PM-HIP consolidated parts, or assemblies, you’ll be asked for documentation that proves repeatability and governance.

This checklist walks through what primes and Tier 1s typically request during aerospace supplier onboarding and why. Use it as a readiness guide before you respond to an RFQ, accept a supplier quality survey, or schedule an on-site audit. The most successful suppliers treat onboarding as an engineering deliverable: they build a “qualification package” that is current, controlled, and easy for procurement and quality teams to review.

Quality docs

Quality documentation is usually the first gating item because it shows how you run the business day-to-day. Expect to provide controlled documents (revisioned, approved, and accessible) plus proof you actually use them on the shop floor.

Core quality manual and procedures typically include:

• Quality manual aligned to AS9100 (or ISO 9001 at minimum for lower-tier work). Your manual should map clauses to your procedures and define scope (e.g., “AM design not included,” “manufacturing and inspection included,” etc.).

• Document and record control procedures, including how you manage controlled drawings/specifications, traveler revisions, and retention periods.

• Nonconformance (NCR) control and MRB process: how you identify, segregate, disposition, and prevent recurrence (rework/repair/scrap/use-as-is with approval).

• Corrective action (CAPA) process, often aligned with 8D or equivalent, including root cause and effectiveness verification.

• Calibration program: list of calibrated equipment, intervals, standards used, out-of-tolerance handling, and traceability to NIST or equivalent.

• Change control: how you handle process changes, machine moves, software updates, parameter set changes (critical for PBF/DMLS), or subcontractor changes. Aerospace customers want to know that “what was qualified” is “what you will run.”

• Training and competency: how you qualify operators, inspectors, programmers, and NDE personnel, and how often you re-validate competence.

Certificates of Conformance (CoC) and certification packs are also a common requirement. Be ready to show a sample CoC that includes:

• Part number, revision, quantity, and purchase order

• Material heat/lot and applicable material specification

• Special process certifications (e.g., heat treat, plating, anodize, welding, HIP) with spec references

• Statement of conformity signed by an authorized quality representative

Material traceability is often audited early. For conventional machining, that means mill test reports (MTRs) and heat numbers. For AM and PM-HIP, traceability must extend to powder lots, powder reuse controls, build ID, and downstream consolidation steps. If you run PBF, you should be able to trace: powder lot → powder handling/sieve logs → machine/build file → build plate ID → post-processing traveler → inspection results.

Internal audit and management review evidence is frequently requested in supplier surveys. Keep minutes and outputs ready, including actions, owners, due dates, and closure evidence.

Practical tip: Create a single onboarding folder with controlled PDFs: latest quality manual, key procedures, calibration scope, sample travelers, sample CoC pack, and your last internal audit and management review summaries. Procurement teams respond well to “one package” rather than scattered attachments.

Certifications

Certifications are not just badges; they set expectations for how you control risk. Customers will check certificate scope, issue date, expiry, and any exclusions.

Common certifications and approvals include:

• AS9100: The baseline for many aerospace manufacturing suppliers. Customers may ask for your certificate and the scope statement. Be prepared to explain how you manage configuration control, risk, and product safety requirements.

• NADCAP (where applicable): If you perform special processes in-house (e.g., heat treat, NDE, welding, coatings), primes frequently require NADCAP accreditation for those process categories. If you don’t have NADCAP, you’ll likely need an approved NADCAP subcontractor and a robust supplier control process.

• NDE personnel qualifications: If you perform penetrant testing (PT), magnetic particle inspection (MT), radiography (RT), ultrasonic testing (UT), or other NDE, expect requests for personnel certifications (often to NAS 410 or equivalent customer requirements), written practice, and equipment calibration records.

• AM-specific controls: There is no single universal “AM certification” that replaces customer qualification, but you should expect scrutiny of your process control approach—especially for PBF/DMLS/SLM. Customers may ask about machine qualification, parameter control, build monitoring, post-processing, and inspection strategy (CMM, CT scanning, metallography).

• HIP / PM-HIP capability: If you offer HIP or PM-HIP densification, be ready to provide furnace qualifications, cycle control strategy, traceability, and how you prevent mix-ups (especially when multiple alloys are processed). If HIP is subcontracted, show how you qualify and monitor the HIP provider.

• Cyber and controlled information handling: Many defense programs require you to demonstrate controls for handling ITAR technical data and DFARS-driven cybersecurity requirements. Even when not explicitly stated, primes often include supplier security questionnaires that cover access controls, encryption, and incident response.

What procurement will verify: certificate authenticity, scope coverage for your facility address, and that your processes (e.g., 5-axis CNC machining, PBF, post-processing) fall within the audited scope. Misalignment here can stall onboarding late in the process.

Insurance and legal

Legal and risk-transfer requirements protect both parties, especially when hardware flows down to flight or mission-critical applications. Expect requests from procurement and legal, not just supplier quality.

Typical items:

• Certificates of insurance: General liability, product liability, workers’ compensation, and sometimes umbrella coverage. Limits vary by customer and program.

• NDA and data rights terms: Handling of proprietary models, drawings, build files, and controlled technical data. For AM, the “manufacturing recipe” (parameter sets, scan strategy, build orientation rationale) can become sensitive—clarify what is customer-furnished vs supplier-developed.

• ITAR compliance statement: If you handle ITAR-controlled data or parts, customers may request registration status (if applicable), written compliance policy, export control training evidence, and access control practices (who can view, machine, and ship).

• DFARS flowdowns: Defense contracts often include DFARS clauses that flow down to suppliers. Be prepared to acknowledge flowdowns covering cybersecurity, counterfeit parts prevention, specialty metals, and domestic sourcing requirements as applicable to your product.

• Counterfeit parts prevention: If you buy raw material, fasteners, electronics, or any items with counterfeit risk, expect a policy and approved supplier list controls. Even pure machining suppliers get asked because counterfeit risk can enter through purchased material and hardware.

Practical tip: Create a short “compliance one-pager” for onboarding: ITAR/DFARS handling overview, access controls, visitor policy, and how you segregate controlled work. This speeds up supplier security reviews and reduces back-and-forth.

Process capability

This is where onboarding becomes technical. Customers want evidence you can hit tolerances, maintain stability, and control the variables that matter—especially for regulated builds.

Start with a clear process map. Provide a step-by-step flow that matches how you actually build parts, including inspection points and traceability. Examples:

CNC machining flow (typical): receive material with MTR → incoming inspection/ID → cut/rough machining → stress relief (if required) → finish machining (including 5-axis operations) → deburr/clean → special process (anodize, passivation, plating) → final inspection (CMM + manual) → pack/ship with CoC.

AM + HIP + machining flow (typical): powder receipt with certificates → powder lot segregation + sieve/reuse logs → machine setup + build file control → PBF/DMLS build → depowder and initial inspection → stress relief → support removal → HIP (in-house or subcontract) → rough machining → heat treat (if applicable) → finish machining → surface finishing → NDE (as required) → CT scanning or CMM verification → final inspection → certification pack.

Key evidence customers ask for:

• Equipment list with make/model, working envelope, control versions, and inspection equipment. For machining: 5-axis capability details and tool management approach. For AM: machine models, build volume, inert gas control, oxygen monitoring, and software used.

• Process control plans / travelers showing critical-to-quality characteristics, inspection points, and sign-offs.

• Measurement capability: CMM capacity and accuracy, gage R&R where relevant, surface roughness measurement, thread gaging, and any special metrology (e.g., CT scanning for internal channels in AM parts).

• Special process control: If you run heat treat, welding, or NDE, show procedures, qualifications, and how you ensure the right spec revision is used. If outsourced, show purchase order flowdowns and how you review subcontractor certs.

• Statistical capability where required: Some customers request Cp/Cpk or process capability studies on key dimensions. Even if not requested, having baseline capability data for your “repeat jobs” helps.

AM and PM-HIP specifics that often trigger deeper review:

• Parameter set control: how you prevent unauthorized changes to scan strategy, layer thickness, laser power, hatch spacing, and other critical parameters. Strong suppliers maintain controlled parameter baselines tied to material, machine, and build setup.

• Powder management: how you track powder reuse cycles, blend ratios, contamination controls, and humidity/handling conditions. Customers will look for documented acceptance criteria and periodic powder characterization.

• Densification strategy: if you use HIP, explain when and why (porosity closure, fatigue performance) and how you verify results (density, CT scan, metallography, mechanical testing where required).

• Post-processing control: support removal methods, heat treatment profiles, and any surface finishing that affects fatigue-critical surfaces.

Practical tip: When responding to onboarding questionnaires, avoid vague claims like “capable of tight tolerances.” Instead, state measurable capabilities: “±0.0005 in on features <2 in with controlled temperature inspection,” “CMM inspection with documented measurement uncertainty,” or “CT scanning available for internal feature verification.”

First articles

First Article Inspection (FAI) is a major onboarding milestone because it demonstrates that your process, documentation, and inspection system can produce a fully compliant part. Most aerospace customers expect an AS9102-style FAI (or their equivalent format) for new part numbers, revision changes, or significant process changes.

What an FAI package typically includes (and what your team should be ready to produce):

• Ballooned drawing with every requirement uniquely numbered.

• AS9102 Forms (or customer forms):Form 1 part number/accountability,Form 2 product accountability (materials, special processes, functional tests),Form 3 characteristic accountability (each balloon with result, method, and reference).

• Material certifications: MTRs, chemistry/mechanical property data as required, and traceability to heat/lot (or powder lot for AM).

• Special process certs: HIP cycle records/certs, heat treat charts/certs, coatings, welding, and NDE reports, each tied to the correct spec revision and lot.

• Inspection records: CMM reports, gage data, surface roughness measurements, torque/testing data if applicable, and any CT scanning output when internal geometry needs verification.

• Configuration evidence: traveler/router, setup sheets, tool lists (as appropriate), machine program revision control, and for AM, build file identification and build parameters (often summarized rather than fully disclosed, depending on customer agreements).

How to execute FAI in a way that procurement trusts:

1) Freeze the definition. Confirm drawing revision, model revision, and applicable specs. Clarify ambiguous notes before you cut metal or start a build.

2) Lock the manufacturing route. Identify each step (AM build, stress relief, HIP, machining, finishing, NDE) and ensure you have approved suppliers for outsourced steps.

3) Control CTQs. Pre-plan measurement methods for tight or complex features. For example, if internal channels are only verifiable by CT scanning, schedule CT capacity before the build completes.

4) Build the pack as you go. Collect certs and inspection data at each step; don’t wait until shipping week. Missing HIP charts or outdated spec revisions are common causes of late FAI rejection.

5) Perform an internal FAI review. Use a checklist: every balloon has a result, every special process has a cert, all documents match the PO and revision, and the CoC statement is correct.

AM-specific FAI pitfalls to avoid:

• Incomplete powder traceability (powder lot not tied to build ID).

• Uncontrolled parameter tweaks between development and “production” builds without formal change approval.

• Verification gaps where internal features are assumed rather than measured (CT scanning is often the difference between “looks fine” and “acceptable evidence”).

Ongoing scorecards

Onboarding doesn’t end when you ship the first compliant order. Most aerospace customers manage suppliers using scorecards and periodic performance reviews. If you understand the metrics ahead of time, you can design your internal KPIs to match and prevent surprises.

Common supplier scorecard categories include:

• On-time delivery (OTD): measured against confirmed promise date, not when the part ships. Build realistic lead times into your planning for AM builds, HIP batch cycles, and outside processing queues.

• Quality performance: defect rate, escapes, returns, and responsiveness. Customers may track NCRs per line item, per lot, or per million opportunities.

• Corrective action responsiveness: time to containment, root cause quality, and effectiveness of corrective action. A fast, disciplined 8D with objective evidence builds confidence.

• Documentation accuracy: completeness and correctness of certification packs, including material certs, special process certs, and inspection reports. Many suppliers lose points on “paper” rather than part quality.

• Cost and commercial performance: quote accuracy, change order management, and support for should-cost discussions. If you use AM to consolidate parts or reduce buy-to-fly, be prepared to explain cost drivers (powder cost, machine time, HIP, machining, inspection).

How to stay in good standing as an advanced manufacturing supplier:

1) Maintain a controlled “process baseline.” For CNC: stable setups, tool life management, and verified post processors. For PBF: controlled parameter sets, machine maintenance logs, and build environment monitoring. For HIP: cycle control and load configuration discipline.

2) Make traceability routine. Ensure every traveler ties material (or powder lot) to part serial/lot, and that subcontract certs are reviewed against requirements before parts return to your floor.

3) Pre-empt escapes with layered inspection. Use in-process checks on CTQs, not just final inspection. For complex AM geometries, combine CMM with CT scanning where internal features matter.

4) Treat late deliveries like nonconformances. Use root cause and corrective action for schedule misses. Customers notice when you can explain why something happened and what you changed to prevent recurrence.

5) Be proactive about change communication. If you need to change a machine, relocate equipment, update software, adjust powder reuse rules, or switch a special process supplier, communicate early and follow customer change-approval requirements.

Operational tip: Build a recurring monthly scorecard review internally (operations + quality + procurement). Compare your metrics to your customer’s likely scoring. This prevents “surprise downgrades” and supports long-term preferred supplier status.

Supplier onboarding is essentially a proof exercise: you’re proving that your quality system, technical process controls, and compliance posture are mature enough for regulated aerospace work. If you assemble these elements into a clear, controlled package—and can explain your AM, HIP/PM-HIP, CNC machining, and inspection workflows step by step—you’ll shorten onboarding cycles and build confidence with both procurement and engineering stakeholders.