AS9145

AS9145 is an aviation, space, and defense industry standard that defines how Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) are applied to aerospace products and supply chains. It is published by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) and is intended to provide a structured, phased approach to planning, validating, and controlling product realization activities.

What AS9145 covers

AS9145 commonly includes:

• A phased APQP model for aerospace programs, covering concept, design and development, process development, product and process validation, and ongoing production.
• Requirements for control plans, process flow diagrams, and PFMEAs that link risks, controls, and verification activities.
• Guidance on identifying and managing key characteristics and significant process characteristics.
• PPAP-style submission and approval expectations for production parts and assemblies, including evidence such as capability studies, inspection records, and material certifications.
• Supplier involvement, cross-functional planning, and use of common quality tools across the extended supply chain.

In operations, AS9145 typically appears as program-level quality planning templates, gated reviews, and specified deliverables that suppliers must provide before and during production. It interacts with manufacturing execution systems (MES), quality systems, and document control through artifacts such as control plans, process FMEAs, and validation records.

What AS9145 is not

• It is not a general quality management system standard like AS9100 or ISO 9001, although it is usually aligned with them.
• It is not a replacement for specific quality tools such as SPC, MSA, or 8D. Instead, it structures where and how those tools are applied within a program.
• It is not limited to any single product type. It applies to components, assemblies, and systems across aviation, space, and defense.

AS9145 in manufacturing and supply chains

Within industrial and regulated manufacturing environments, AS9145 is often used to:

• Define a common APQP framework for OEMs and suppliers on aerospace programs.
• Coordinate design, process engineering, quality, and supply chain activities through formal APQP phases and reviews.
• Drive documentation and evidence requirements that are traceable in QMS, PLM, and MES, such as control plans linked to routings and inspection plans.
• Standardize PPAP-style part approval packages for aerospace products, especially for new product introduction or significant changes.

Common confusion

• AS9145 vs. AS9100: AS9100 defines requirements for an aerospace quality management system. AS9145 focuses specifically on structured product & process quality planning and part approval within that system.
• AS9145 vs. AS9102: AS9102 covers First Article Inspection (FAI), which verifies the first production article. AS9145 covers broader APQP and PPAP activities across the entire product realization lifecycle, which may include FAI as one element.
• AS9145 vs. automotive APQP/PPAP: AS9145 adapts APQP and PPAP concepts from automotive practice but tailors terminology, expectations, and deliverables to aviation, space, and defense requirements.

Derived-from context: relationship to SPC and APQP

In the context of existing quality tools, AS9145 does not replace APQP or statistical process control (SPC). Instead, it formalizes how APQP phases are structured and where tools such as SPC, process capability studies, and measurement system analysis are expected to be applied, particularly around key characteristics and supplier planning for aerospace programs.