A certificate of conformity, or C of C, is issued by an authorized party (sometimes the manufacturer, sometimes an independent laboratory) and states that the product meets the required standards or specification.
The C of C can either be requested by a buyer to ensure the product being manufactured has been tested and passes the set criteria within a specification and meets both technical and safety requirements, or it would be a mandatory requirement as stated by country regulations and law for certain products.
ProtoSpace provides a standard C of C that includes the following:
• ProtoSpace’s Standard C of C lists the following details for your records:
• Supplier
• Manfuacturer’s Location
• Date of Issuance
• Customer Name
• Purchase Order Number
• ProtoSpace’s Job Number
• Job Description/Revision Level Reference Information, such as
• Job Description
• Revision Level
• Part Descriptions
• Finish
• Material
• Thickness
• Declaration of Quality
• Final Inspector’s Signature
ProtoSpace’s Premium AS9102 would include:
• A complete AS9102 form.
• Verified using calibrated equipment, such as CMM and other tools.
• Printed and signed to AS9102 standards, including accountability records.
• 100% of all parts
• 1st part (FAI) or 1st part per manufacturing lot
ProtoSpace will examine factors such as measurements and dimensions, equipment, design, and materials, and compare these against the customer’s requirements. Times when the inspections will need to be carried out include when:
• the product is being produced for the first time
• elements of a product’s design are changed
• the manufacturer’s location changes
• production of the part resumes after a hiatus of at least two years
• the production process changes
• a customer requests it
If a part fails the FAI, the product will go back to pre-production so that the problems can be addressed. However, if all goes well and the FAI is passed, the mass production run can recommence.
A First Article Inspection (FAI) is a design verification process for verifying that a new or modified production process produces conforming parts that meet the manufacturing specification detailed in technical or engineering drawings.
ProtoSpace’s Standard C of C with a combined FAI lists the following details for your records:
The same as all of the above, but also including:
• A material accountability chart
• A dimensional overall characteristics chart