Browse Topic: Accreditation
Celebrating its 35th year, the National Aerospace Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) continues to advance quality assurance and regulatory compliance for aviation, defense, and space OEMs and suppliers. This article summarizes how Nadcap accreditation works, its benefits for manufacturers, and its role in expanding additive manufacturing through industry-wide consensus. The Nadcap program was first established in 1990 by a small group of aerospace and defense OEMs. Their goal was to create an accreditation initiative that provides a common approach to auditing the manufacturing and production processes used by companies supplying parts, components, structures, and services to major aerospace and defense OEMs. This foundation set the stage for Nadcap's continued focus on quality assurance and regulatory compliance in the industry.
Ever-increasing modeling and simulation capabilities and the desire to use simulations in support of system qualification, regulatory compliance, and other critical decision-making roles, raises the bar on the need for rigorous V&V of all aspects of the models used to create the simulation data. US Department of Defense Directives and Instructions, and emerging regulatory and industry standards on Modeling and Simulation in a Digital Engineering context require rigorous M&S Verification, Validation, and Accreditation (M&S VV&A). These specifications aim to create trusted and credible simulation data that can be used in critical decision-making roles on complex systems. Implementing a well-defined, structured, model-based and standards-based M&S VV&A Process early in the program lifecycle facilitates collaboration and documented buy-in on M&S VV&A for program with customers and/or regulatory agencies. This collaboration increases acceptance throughout the program and product lifecycles. This paper describes how Model-Based Systems Engineering tools and Digital Engineering ecosystems can support the M&S VV&A Process. The model-based construct facilitates creating metrics dashboards, leveraging model-based artifacts for improved communication of M&S VV&A status, quality, maturity, and completeness.
On December 13, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) of their final approval of the MDIC Report on the MedAccred Accreditation and Audit Program for Contract Sterilizers (Final Report). FDA inspections of firms, such as contract sterilizers, are pursuant to Title 21-Food and Drugs, Chapter 9 – Federal Food, Drug, and Devices, Part A-Drugs and Devices, Section 21 USC 360: Registration of producers of drugs or devices, Subsection (h) Inspections.1 The FDA notification is the culmination of a pilot study initiated by the Performance Review Institute (PRI) in 2023 in collaboration with MDIC and the FDA to evaluate PRI’s MedAccred Sterilization Audit and Accreditation Program of contract sterilizers. The agency confirmed that MedAccred is as an acceptable audit approach that may be leveraged for regulatory purposes as well as supplier oversight.
This standard defines the industry-accepted requirements for the ICOP scheme, which provides confidence to ASD customers, that organizations with certification of their QMS, issued by accredited CBs, meet applicable AQMS standard requirements. The requirements in this standard are applicable to all participants in the ICOP scheme. If there is a conflict between the requirements of this standard, and customer or applicable statutory/regulatory requirements, the latter shall take precedence.
This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) establishes the requirements for fluid fittings that combine both beaded hose connections and 37 degree flared connections for use in all types of fluid systems.
This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) establishes the requirements for fluid fittings that combine both beaded hose connections and pipe threaded connections for use in all types of fluid systems.
This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) establishes the requirements for fluid fittings that combine both flanged fitting ends and beaded hose connections for use in all types of fluid systems.
This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) establishes the requirements for fluid fittings that combine both 37 degree flared and pipe threaded connections for use in all types of fluid systems.
Very strong role models who have a marked enthusiasm for their subject are needed at every point along an employee's education and work career. THERE HAS PROBABLY NEVER BEEN SUCH A DEMAND for professionally qualified engineers, and yet both the number and diversity of people entering the profession continue to decline. Worldwide, there are very many and diverse initiatives to improve the situation-some generally encouraging interest in the profession, and others targeting specific audiences. There have been some local successes, but the overall picture remains discouraging. For a long time, there has been a growing awareness of a diminishing of interest in the engineering profession on the part of potential students. The principal hypothesis is that the image of the profession is poor, requiring hard work to qualify but delivering only a modest reward. Other hypotheses include a lack of flair in the management of young engineers that limits their experience rather than creating a vision.
When qualifying prototype samples in terms of vibration response and dynamic characteristics, an accredited laboratory is required to implement monitoring procedures to assure the validity of the test results. According to ISO17025, such monitoring may include inter-laboratory comparison or proficiency testing. This paper presents a mechanical structure which has been designed specifically to be used as a generic reference sample during such a comparative study in which resonant frequencies of a structure need to be quantified. This paper elaborates on the analysis and design issues, which encompass theoretical analysis, both purely mathematical and by FEM (Finite Element Modeling). In addition, to allow statistical analysis of test data resulting from measurements performed by different test laboratories, the uncertainty budget [1] of the reference value of this sample is determined. As a first step towards a European project, a limited group of accredited test laboratories in Belgium have participated in a first Round Robin proficiency analysis. The results and interpretation of this exercise conclude this paper.
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