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Tekna Superior Supplies Inc., a subsidiary of Tekna Holding ASA (OSE: TEKNA), has change into the primary firm globally to obtain NADCAP (Nationwide Aerospace and Protection Contractors Accreditation Program) certification for metallic powder manufacturing. The accreditation, granted in October following a proper audit in August, establishes a brand new high quality customary for the aerospace and protection provide chain.
The milestone follows Tekna’s participation within the improvement of the newly revealed NADCAP audit standards AC7143, which outlines rigorous necessities for powder manufacturing processes. Since 2023, the corporate has labored alongside {industry} stakeholders comparable to BAE Techniques, GKN Aerospace, Safran, and the Efficiency Overview Institute (PRI) to outline the framework. Tekna additionally hosted auditor coaching at its Sherbrooke, Québec, facility, contributing real-world validation for the factors.
New audit customary targets traceability and course of management
The AC7143 customary introduces formal audit pointers for uncooked materials traceability, contamination management, course of stability, and high quality assurance in metallic powder manufacturing. Whereas NADCAP beforehand coated numerous crucial aerospace processes, together with warmth remedy and non-destructive testing, this marks the primary devoted certification for powder manufacturing.
Claude Jean, Chief Government Officer of Tekna, mentioned the corporate seen its involvement as a contribution to industry-wide reliability. “From day one, we noticed this effort not simply as an inside high quality improve, however a contribution to the aerospace and protection provide chain globally,” Jean mentioned. “By serving to to form the audit standards, after which demonstrating compliance via our personal processes, we imagine we’re providing reassurance to our prospects that our powders meet essentially the most rigorous requirements attainable.”
Tekna accomplished a multi-year preparation course of, together with hole analyses, mock audits, and inside course of refinements. Through the formal NADCAP audit in August, Tekna’s facility was assessed on procedural controls, documentation, and traceability techniques. Two minor nonconformances had been resolved earlier than certification was issued.
Implications for aerospace and protection provide chains
The brand new certification framework is predicted to streamline provider approvals for aerospace and protection authentic gear producers (OEMs) by decreasing the necessity for individualized audits. By reaching NADCAP accreditation underneath AC7143, Tekna now provides its prospects a third-party validation of producing high quality and consistency.
The corporate states that the certification supplies a aggressive benefit for securing contracts with OEMs requiring the very best ranges of provider qualification. It additionally positions Tekna to help {industry} traits towards additive manufacturing and powder-based manufacturing applied sciences.
NADCAP is run by the PRI, a nonprofit that coordinates consensus-driven audits throughout the aerospace and protection sector. Extra data on the brand new AC7143 standards is offered at p-r-i.org.
