Aerospace Standards EN 9100, EN 9110, EN 9120

Aerospace organizations must produce and continue to improve safe/reliable products that meet or exceed customer or regulatory authority requirements to assure customer satisfaction.

To assure customer satisfaction, suppliers to aerospace industry must produce, and continually improve, safe, reliable products that meet or exceed customer and regulatory authority requirements. The globalization of the aerospace industry, and the resulting diversity of regional/national requirements and expectations, has complicated this objective. End-product organizations face the challenge of assuring the quality of, and integrating, product purchased from suppliers throughout the world and at all levels within the supply chain. Aerospace suppliers and processors face the challenge of delivering product to multiple customers having varying quality expectations and requirements.

• EN 9100: Quality Management Systems - Requirements for Aviation, Space and Defence Organizations
• EN 9110: Quality Management Systems - Requirements for Aviation Maintenance Organizations
• EN 9120: Quality Management Systems - Requirements for Aviation, Space and Defence Distributors

EN9100 has been endorsed by the major U.S. Aerospace regulators, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In addition, all members of the Americas Aerospace Quality Group (AAQG), Asia-Pacific Aerospace Quality Group (APAQG) and European Aerospace Quality Group (EAQG) have deployed EN 9100 internally and externally.

Major industry OEMs, including Boeing, Airbus, GE Aircraft Engines and United Technologies companies Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and Hamilton/Sunstrand have already mandated registration for all suppliers. Boeing currently requires new suppliers to register.

All quality systems must be designed to meet the specific needs of the users. And although EN 9100 identifies areas to address within the aerospace industry, system designers are encouraged to first establish a robust quality system that's both effective and efficient. This system should be a holistic entity with practices spanning multiple functions and processes within the business. Although the standard outlines industry "what" for a quality management system, the "how to" were deliberately left out and remain the system designers' responsibility. This reflects the EN 9100 writing team's belief that how-to information stifles continuous improvement. The EN 9100 standard provides guidance for managing variation when a "key characteristic" is identified. Keys are features of a material, process or part in which the variation has a significant influence on product fit, performance, service life or manufacturability. EN 9100 requires that an organization establish and document a configuration management process.

Detailed first-article inspections are frequently performed to demonstrate product conformance to engineering requirements. Documenting the actual inspection and test results is an established method of demonstrating initial item acceptance. Another international aerospace standard, called EN 9102 and developed by the IAQG, outlines a methodology for performing and documenting first-article inspections.

“This standard and complimentary standards for Quality Management Systems within the Aerospace Standard EN 9100 series, facilitate the development of mature systems to meet Industry Standards. Application in isolation of the Defence AIRWORTHINESS Regulatory framework would result in substantial implementation, but critical shortfalls in meeting full STATE aircraft Airworthiness requirements”.

TUV Nord is formally accredited by DAkks to provide registration and certification services for EN 9100, 9110 & 9120. An organization seeking formal registration to this scheme must be assessed by an accredited certification body (RCB) such as TUV Nord. We'll use our knowledge, expertise, experience, and industry insight to help you achieve your certification smoothly and cost-effectively.