Nadcap accreditation proves to Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, and every other Tier 1 OEM that your additive manufacturing process is validated and under control. The AC7110/14 checklist keeps evolving, and a lot of shops are figuring it out as they go.
You don’t get “Nadcap certified.” You get Nadcap accredited. An accredited assessment company audits you against the AC7110 checklist and confirms you’re compliant. That’s different from ISO certification. Nadcap is aerospace-specific, third-party validated, and held to a much higher bar. It’s more expensive and time-consuming, but it opens doors that ISO alone won’t. If you want to be on a Tier 1 OEM’s approved supplier list for AM processes, Nadcap is often required.
When you’re new to Nadcap, you might get “merit”—conditional approval while you build a track record. You can produce and ship parts, but your supplier status might be limited. Full accreditation requires a successful audit against the full checklist, demonstration of process control over time, zero major nonconformances, and evidence that any minor findings were corrected. Merit typically lasts 12 months. Use that time well.
Nadcap breaks down into five main areas. Process definition and control covers your documented process specification—equipment specs, raw material requirements, process parameters, fixturing, post-processing, and acceptance criteria. If the spec says laser power 200W and someone’s running 210W without a change request, that’s a major nonconformance.
Personnel and training means everyone who touches critical parts needs documented training. Machine operators, quality inspectors, material handlers, process engineers. Nadcap auditors will spot-check training records and ask random operators to explain why they’re running specific parameters. Equipment and facilities covers calibration schedules, preventive maintenance, environmental controls. For metal powder bed fusion, humidity and temperature matter—if your powder absorbs moisture, part quality degrades.
Inspection and testing is where statistical rigor matters. You need documented inspection plans, statistical basis for sampling, documented acceptance criteria tied to specifications, and traceability from inspection data back to the build. Records and documentation means keeping everything—build logs, material certs, inspection records, corrective actions, training records, calibration records. Retain for 5 years minimum. If an auditor picks a serial number, you should be able to pull the complete file in 5 minutes.
Pre-audit planning starts 2–4 weeks before. You’ll define scope with the assessment company—SLM only, or DED, or both? One material or multiple? Each special process gets its own checklist. The audit itself typically runs 3–5 days. Day one is facility tour, document review, and personnel interviews. Days two and three are deep dives into specific processes—tracing parts through the entire workflow. Day four focuses on high-risk areas like process validation and statistical control. Day five is the exit meeting and preliminary findings.
Major nonconformances are showstoppers—you can’t get accredited until they’re resolved. Minor nonconformances have to be closed within 30 days. Once findings are closed, you’re accredited and appear on the Nadcap approved suppliers list. Accreditation is valid for 3 years with surveillance audits every 12 months.
The most common findings: process specification doesn’t match actual practice, material traceability is incomplete, inspection records don’t tie back to the build, no evidence of ongoing statistical control, and personnel training records are missing or out of date. These aren’t exotic problems. They’re documentation discipline. The shops that fail are usually shops that know how to make good parts but didn’t keep the paperwork tight.
Timeline: if you’re starting from scratch, plan on 6–12 months to get audit-ready. That assumes you already have AS9100 or equivalent QMS, documented processes, trained personnel, and at least 3–6 qualification builds. First audit costs $20,000–$35,000 depending on scope. Surveillance audits run $10,000–$15,000 every 12 months. Re-accreditation every 3 years runs $12,000–$20,000.
Nadcap accreditation is the price of admission for defense and Tier 1 aerospace OEM work. We’ve guided AM shops through the entire journey—from process qualification to full accreditation to surveillance audits. Let’s talk about where you are and what the path forward looks like.
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