Types of PPAP Submission and how to choose between them
PPAP Submission is the production part approval process used in the automotive supply chain, at four levels of evidence. It is used for proving that a production process can make the part repeatedly, before series supply starts. This entry explains what it is, what the numbers on a data sheet mean, and what to put on a drawing.
It is written from the point of view of the buyer and the drawing office: the values that are realistic in production, the ones that cost money, and the way the result is verified. Where an industry sets the requirement, medical is used as the example: validation evidence that matches the drawing exactly.
The main types
PPAP Submission is not one thing. The variants below differ in what they suit, and the choice is usually made on the part rather than on preference.
- Level 1 – suited to automotive series production.
- Level 2 – suited to tier two supply.
- Level 3, the usual requirement – suited to any customer working to IATF 16949.
- Level 4 and 5 where specified – suited to high volume repeat orders.
How to choose
Start from the feature that has to work, then from the quantity. A medical run suits one arrangement, a repeat run suits another, and the wrong choice shows up as cost rather than as failure.
The second question is what has to be measured. Where IATF 16949 with a PPAP submission at the level stated by the customer applies, the inspection requirement usually decides the route before the machine does.
Comparison at a glance
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | a part submission warrant only |
| Level 3 | the warrant with dimensional results and records |
| Level 4 | as level 3 plus additional customer requirements |
| Content | dimensional report, material certificate, control plan, capability study |
| Capability | usually Cpk 1.33 or better on critical characteristics |
| Timing | before the first production shipment |
Applications
PPAP Submission is used for proving that a production process can make the part repeatedly, before series supply starts, and in practice it appears most often in automotive series production, tier two supply, any customer working to IATF 16949, high volume repeat orders.
How it fits into a machining route
PPAP Submission applies to the whole drawing rather than to one operation. It sets how the part is measured as much as how it is made, which is why it belongs on the drawing from the first issue and not in a note added after a query.The route is fixed before the first part is cut, and it is the route rather than the individual setting that holds the result: the documentation effort and the capability study. Where a drawing calls for something the route cannot hold economically, that is raised at quotation rather than after the parts are made.
Standards, documentation and what is issued
The documentation requirement is IATF 16949 with a PPAP submission at the level stated by the customer. Material is supplied against a certificate where the application calls for it, inspection results are recorded with the job, and the records are kept so that a repeat order can be compared with the first instead of being measured from scratch.
A full dimensional report plus a capability study is the verification step. Where a customer format or a standard report is required, it is agreed before the batch starts, because a report written after the event is a report nobody can use.
Frequently asked questions
What tolerance should be specified for PPAP Submission?
as the drawing, with capability on critical characteristics is realistic in production. Tightening it beyond the functional requirement increases cost without improving the part.
Which material is usually used?
any is the usual choice, supplied against IATF 16949 with a PPAP submission at the level stated by the customer.
How is the result verified?
A full dimensional report plus a capability study, with the results recorded so a repeat order can be compared with the first.
What is the most common mistake?
A control plan that describes a different process from the one that runs.
How long does it take and what does it cost?
A realistic cycle is a day of documentation for a level 3, and the cost driver is the documentation effort and the capability study.
Related capability
If you are specifying PPAP Submission on a drawing and want a second opinion on the route, send the model and the quantity. The first response is a manufacturability review with the likely risk points and a quotation, so the decision can be made on facts rather than on a price alone.
Machining, inspection and documentation are handled in one place, which is why the dimensional report and the material certificate arrive with the parts rather than after them.
Related entries
These entries sit next to PPAP Submission in the encyclopedia: EN 10204 Material Certificates, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, Sinker EDM. Reading them together gives a fuller picture of how the process, the material and the measurement affect each other.
