AS9100 Compliant: what it actually requires of a vendor
AS9100 is ISO 9001, plus the parts that matter for flight-critical work
ISO 9001:2015 sets the baseline: a documented, audited quality management system. AS9100 keeps all of that and adds the requirements aerospace programs actually need:
| Requirement area | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Configuration management | The part revision on the floor matches the part revision on the drawing, every time, with a documented trail proving it. |
| First article inspection (FAI) | The first part off a new or changed process gets a full dimensional and characteristic inspection against the drawing before production continues. |
| Risk management | Risks to product conformity get identified and addressed, not discovered after the parts ship. |
| Counterfeit parts prevention | Material and component sourcing has to be traceable back to a legitimate source, not just an invoice. |
| Traceability | Every part can be traced back through its material lot, its process history, and the people who touched it. |
Where the portal model runs into trouble
None of the requirements above are optional, and none of them are things an algorithm can verify on its own. A quick-turn manufacturing portal can display a certification badge. What it cannot do is tell you which of its network shops actually holds that certification for the specific process your part needs, whether that shop’s configuration management practices would survive a customer audit, or who is accountable when a first article inspection flags a problem. Those are vendor-level questions, and an algorithmic matching system was not built to answer them.
That gap is exactly where an engineer-reviewed, human-coordinated process earns its keep. Every drawing gets reviewed before it goes to a vetted supplier, the same way engineer review before a part gets cut catches issues a portal’s automated check never would, and the supplier selected for an AS9100 job is one we already know holds the certification for that specific process, not one pulled from a list because it had open capacity.
What to ask before you release an AS9100 job
- Does the vendor hold AS9100 for the specific process your part requires, not just somewhere in their broader network
- Who performs first article inspection, and what documentation comes back with it
- How is material traceability maintained from raw stock through finished part
- What happens if a nonconformance is found mid-run, and who makes that call
- Is there a single accountable point of contact, or does the answer change depending on who picks up the phone
These are not gotcha questions. They are the same questions a program manager should be asking any supplier before a flight-critical part goes into production, and the answers should be immediate, not something that requires an email chain to track down.
What PE owns directly, and what runs through the vetted network
Precision Expedited is AS9100 Compliant and ITAR Registered. Machining and tolerance capability, including CNC machining for aerospace-grade parts, runs through our vetted vendor network, matched to the shop that already holds the right certification for the process. What PE owns directly: engineer review of every drawing before it reaches a supplier, vendor coordination and program management from RFQ through delivery, and pre-shipment inspection back in San Clemente before anything ships to you. One contact owns the job start to finish. Nothing about that changes based on how complex the requirement is.
“Everything was dead on spec. Keep sending us beautiful, perfect parts early, and we’ll keep sending you our business.” That’s from Adam N., a senior mechanical engineer who works with us on programs where AS9100 requirements are not negotiable.
If your next release has AS9100 requirements attached to it, send us the drawings. We will tell you exactly which questions from the list above matter for your specific job, and who on our vetted network is qualified to answer them.
