Shown is a sample of a control plan at St. Paul Brass & Aluminum.
“The earlier collaboration begins, the better, because you can’t skip any steps,” Helgeson said. “The more surprises we can eliminate or address early on, the better. It makes things go a lot smoother when we are delivering parts.” Caterpillar uses PPAP for every
part, but not every part goes through the same scrutiny. Bogging down your supplier with stacks of paperwork on a non-safety-critical part can build re- sentment, slow the process and tie up resources. Some metalcasting facilities
and machining houses will charge for PPAP services, while others view it as a necessary customer service. “We don’t charge for the actual pa-
perwork of the PPAP—for the doing of it,” Hartigan said. “Our customers’ point is, they are asking us to prove we are making the parts correct, and they don’t think they have to pay for that. I think that is pretty reasonable and it is our outlook, too.” However, St. Paul Brass & Aluminum will charge for additional services the PPAP may require, as with any other run of cast-
ing, such as additional X-ray testing, nondestructive testing, test bars, etc. “Not every part is going to go
through the same PPAP scrutiny,” Hel- geson said. “Some are more critical than others, and to say they all have the same levels of risk would not be correct.” Suppliers with PPAP experience
have an advantage, but metalcasters new to the process can successfully present a PPAP, as well, with clear expectations and communication from the customer. With one PPAP done, additional docu- mentation becomes easier. “Every part is different and there
will be some customization,” Hartigan said. “But, in terms of laying out how it is molded in our foundry, it will be the same. Once you have done it once, it is easier to go back in and say, ‘OK this is how this part might be different.’” As Helgeson said, emphasis on
quality always grows, and suppliers like Hartigan are preparing for more customers, including smaller OEMs, to require PPAP and other quality control requirements. “If a company wants to play at the
The control plan portion of PPAP documents the methods the casting supplier has in place to ensure the things that could go wrong in the part, don’t.
level of the large OEMs, you need to be able to require PPAP,” Hartigan said. “I think it is good. It’s not just something to say, ‘We have quality now.’ Reviewing the PPAP helps us make sure we are still doing the things we said we were doing a couple of years ago.”
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