How do I evaluate an aerospace component manufacturer's website before requesting a quote under AS9100?
You check AS9100 certification with the certificate number and scope, the special process approvals held in-house or through approved partners, and the traceability system that ties each part to its material and process records. Aerospace sourcing begins with documentation, and a manufacturer who publishes it openly is one whose first quote conversation does not start with a checklist.
A supply chain engineer is qualifying a machining source for a part where audit trail and process approval weigh as heavily as the geometry.
Reviewed 4 August 2026
Scope and specifications
- Parts and processes offered
- Machining, fabrication, composites and assembly carry different qualification paths.
- AS9100 certification with scope
- The sector quality standard, with the certificate number and the activities the scope covers.
- Special process approvals held
- Heat treatment, plating, non-destructive testing and welding each require their own approval.
- Materials and alloys worked
- Titanium, nickel alloys, aluminium and stainless steel require different capability.
- Size and tolerance capability
- The dimensional envelope and the precision the shop can hold.
- Traceability and pedigree system
- How each part is tied to its material heat, process records and inspection.
- Prime contractor and tier approvals
- Existing approvals shorten a new qualification substantially.
Documents buyers may need
| Document | What it proves | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| AS9100 certificateAsked at: supplier approval — the first gate | The aerospace quality management standard, with certificate number, body and the site covered | Publish it |
| Special process approvals registerAsked at: before those processes are quoted | Each controlled process held in-house or via an approved partner, by scheme | Publish it |
| Material and process traceability procedureAsked at: onboarding | How each part carries its material heat, process records and inspection evidence | Publish it |
| First Article Inspection reportAsked at: before series release | Full verification of the first part against every drawing characteristic | Per shipment |
| Certificate of conformityAsked at: every shipment | Formal declaration that each shipment meets the drawing and specification | Per shipment |
| Non-destructive testing approvalsAsked at: where required by the drawing | Approval and operator qualification for the methods the shop performs | Name it, share on request |
| Export control and counterfeit prevention statementAsked at: onboarding — before drawings are released | How controlled data is handled and how counterfeit material is excluded | Publish it |
Details for a useful enquiry
- Part drawing, specification and revision
- The basis of any quote and any feasibility judgement.
- Material and special processes required
- Determines whether the shop holds the necessary approvals.
- Annual volume and contract horizon
- Sets the commercial structure and capacity planning.
- Quality and source approval requirements
- Frequently customer-specific and frequently the long pole.
- Export control classification
- Determines what can be shared and with whom.
- First article and delivery dates
- Qualification takes time and must fit the programme.
Questions suppliers ask
Should the AS9100 certificate number be published?
Yes, with the certification body and the scope. Buyers verify certification against the public registrar as a matter of routine, and giving them the number simply removes a step from a check they will perform anyway. Stating the scope matters as much, because approval for distribution does not cover manufacture.
How should special process approvals be presented?
Individually, with the process, the scheme or customer that approved it, and whether the process is held in-house or through an approved partner. A buyer needs to confirm each one, and a single combined quality certificate cannot substitute. Listing them plainly converts the gate from a discovery exercise into a confirmation.
Why describe the traceability system publicly?
Because aerospace parts without a complete material and process pedigree are not acceptable, however correct the geometry, and the failure is discovered at incoming inspection rather than at quote. A manufacturer who describes the system in advance answers the most consequential question before it is asked, and signals a documentation discipline that brochure-only competitors cannot match.
Check which documents and standards your buyer needs; requirements vary by market, customer and contract.
Plact Research. Plact's editorial desk for buyer-evidence research. Industry standards, documents and buyer questions are researched and drafted with Plact's AI tools, then reviewed by Praveen Kavuri before publication. Every claim cites the standard, regulation or public source it rests on.
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