SABRe : Inspection Processes. Supplier Briefing Pack. 2008 Rolls-Royce plc The information in this document is the property of Rolls-Royce plc and may not be copied or communicated to a third party, or used for any purpose other than that for which it is supplied without the express written consent of Rolls-Royce plc. This information is given in good faith based upon the latest information available to Rolls-Royce plc, no warranty or representation is given concerning such information, which must not be taken as establishing any contractual or other commitment binding upon Rolls-Royce plc or any of its subsidiary or associated companies.
Inspection Processes - List of Contents. 2 General Requirements. Visual Inspection. Dimensional Inspection. Non-destructive Testing. Issue and Control of Stamps. Operator Certification. Calibration Control and Measuring Equipment. Inspection Records.
Inspection Processes : General Requirements. 3 Inspection is the step within a business process at which a product is checked to confirm that it meets the specification or design intent. The inputs to the inspection process are a definition of the criteria to be inspected against (e.g. Detail Drawing / Repair Scheme / Technical Specification / Quality Acceptance Standard etc.), allied to a definition of the inspection technique(s) to be used. The type of inspection to be used is an input to the process - as an integral part of the overall inspection requirements. Acceptance criteria should also be specified, with the output being either acceptance or rejection of the specific operation and / or product(s) concerned. A systematic approach shall be employed to ensure inspection results are recorded against the product / feature being inspected ; this is particularly important when inspecting batches of product(s). The inspection location(s) shall be large enough to ensure batch integrity can be preserved and also be free of any potential contaminants (e.g. swarf, waste etc.) Environmental conditions shall be maintained to support accurate measurement, including temperature (where relevant), appropriate illumination to adequately highlight measurement equipment, together with those features being visually / dimensionally inspected or assessed.
Inspection Processes : Visual Inspection. 4 Following a production, processing, assembly or repair operation (as appropriate), visual inspection may be specified to detect changes in visual appearance in order to: Confirm such operations (e.g. surface coatings, assembly, testing etc.) have been completed satisfactorily - in accordance with specification requirements, are physically / operationally functional (where applicable) and free from damage. Detect that an operation has been completed unsatisfactorily (e.g. incorrect heat treatment, brazing, identity markings etc.). Confirm that product(s) are free from contamination by foreign bodies (e.g. swarf, blasting media, tooling etc.) and have similarly incurred no handling damage prior to customer despatch. Ensure that any special customer requirements detailed on the purchase order / technical specifications (e.g. identity markings, labelling, protection / packaging etc.) have been correctly incorporated - refer to SABRe Identity Markings & Serialisation and Protection, Packaging and Labelling Processes for additional detail. Depending on what is being inspected and the potential for any non-conformance that could be present, the supplier(s) technical authority (e.g. Engineering, Quality, Laboratory etc.) may specify additional Visual inspection controls to ensure that accurate discrimination between acceptable and unacceptable conditions can both be successfully and consistently achieved.
Inspection Processes : Visual Inspection (Contd.) 5 General Points: The capability to conduct inspection adequately should be subject to verification and periodically reassessed as an integral part of overall quality planning activities. Inspection personnel should have adequate background knowledge of the product or assembly and associated production processes ; this should also be subject to periodic re-assessment and / or implementation of additional training where necessary. Dependent upon the product configuration / application (e.g. colour coded electrical wiring / harness assemblies) - satisfactory colour perception / vision may also be a requirement (i.e. the inspector requires correct colour acuity and should be tested accordingly.). For additional detail governing aerospace applications, refer to RPS 709 - Visual Inspection.
Inspection Processes : Dimensional Inspection. 6 Dimensional Inspection shall take place at specified stages in the production / assembly or repair process to verify conformance to specified requirements : This shall be achieved by the use of measuring equipment that has a sufficient level of resolution for measuring the dimensional tolerance of the product feature being inspected - special to product equipment should be specified as / where necessary. Measurement devices and the inspection standard to be achieved should be subject to the same units of measurement (e.g. metric / imperial) to avoid the unnecessary application of conversion factors or calculations in the workplace environment. - which if incorrect, could adversely influence the acceptance / rejection criteria. All measuring equipment (inc. personal items) shall be in calibration when available for use, registered within the supplier(s) overall calibration system and controlled accordingly. In the event of damage being incurred during use (e.g. by dropping), previously designated in calibration equipment should be withdrawn from immediate use, subjected to re-calibration and reidentified accordingly within the supplier s gauge and measurement calibration system, prior to any further issue and / or usage. Every effort shall be made to reduce the total variation within the measurement process to a minimum. Where necessary, it is permissible to repeat a measurement several times, calculate an average value and use this average value to sentence the product.
Inspection Processes : Dimensional Inspection. 7 General Points : Unless prior / formal agreement has been received (refer to SABRe - Business Requirements) the use of Sampling Inspection techniques is not permitted on any product(s) destined for shipment to Rolls- Royce.This includes any product or operations which 1 st tier suppliers (I.e. those in receipt of Rolls- Royce purchase orders) may have sourced with relevant sub-tier suppliers. For outline details of Vision Standards, please refer to SABRe - Business Requirements. For additional detail of specific Rolls-Royce inspection requirements on FAIR s and Certified Release Inspector (CRI) Processes - please refer to the relevant SABRe topics and associated Supplier Briefing Packs. Should any doubt exist over inspection criteria on products scheduled for delivery to Rolls-Royce, please consult the relevant controlling technical authority (e.g. Quality, Laboratory etc.) from the Rolls- Royce Business Unit placing the purchase order(s) - prior to any final release / shipment of finished product(s).
Inspection Processes : Non-destructive Testing. 8 On Rolls-Royce ( make to print ) products, all NDT operations shall be undertaken in accordance with the governing engineering definition and / or technical (e.g. DGSPS, EDS, RRMP, RPS) specification(s) - as applicable. For additional detail on aerospace requirements - refer to RPS 906: Control of Nondestructive Testing. Where such work is being undertaken in house, 1 st tier suppliers shall hold the requisite / current Rolls-Royce approvals for both the process operations and operating / inspection personnel - as appropriate. Conversely, if such work is being out-sourced on aerospace applications, then the use of Rolls-Royce approved suppliers is mandatory (refer to SABRe - Supplier Approvals & Control of Sub-tier Suppliers for additional detail). Suppliers of design / make products which are manufactured and tested to their engineering definition and who may utilise their own approved supplier network shall be expected to operate in a comparable manner and be able to demonstrate equivalency of control / certification - as appropriate. Note : For additional detail on individual Non-destructive Testing (NDT) requirements, refer to the relevant Rolls-Royce process specifications (e.g. DGSPS, EDS, RRMP, RPS - as applicable) referenced by or within the controlling engineering definition. Should any doubt exist, consult the relevant controlling technical authority (e.g. Quality, Laboratory etc.) from the Rolls-Royce Business Unit placing the purchase order(s).
Inspection Processes : Issue and Control of Stamps. 9 The method used to record the outcome of all formal inspection activities and clear traceability regarding who has made the inspection decision must be consistent and not open to interpretation; for aerospace applications - a hand written signature alone does not satisfy this requirement. Whilst it is recognised that suppliers will control their own issuing system, the following points are mandatory for product(s) being shipped to Rolls-Royce: The supplier must ensure the stamp holder shall only be permitted to use the stamp within the agreed terms of authority and under no circumstances shall they exceed this authority, or permit the stamp to be used by any other person; the stamp holder being responsible for it s safe keeping and monitoring it s continued legibility at all times. The supplier s technical issuing authority shall be responsible for controlling the issue of unique stamps / codes for the area(s) involved within their company, thus avoiding any risk of duplication or misuse. The suppliers technical issuing authority shall also ensure stamp legibility checks are conducted on a regular (e.g. six monthly) basis - with any damaged or illegible stamps being immediately withdrawn from use, quarantined and destroyed / replaced / re-issued in a controlled (i.e. recorded) manner.
Inspection Processes : Operator Certification. 10 Suppliers implementing a system of Operator Certification shall ensure that: Nominated personnel are selected / trained in the operator certification process and also on inspection techniques (including equipment) relative to the particular process or operations in which they will be engaged and successfully assessed against set criteria prior to any approval being awarded. The scope of the operator certification activity shall be formally communicated to all personnel concerned and should clearly state the specific technical scope within which the operator(s) can inspect against and whether any restrictions (e.g. own work only ) shall apply. Operators should note - if something doesn t look or feel like the normal standard - then it may not be, so prior to releasing the product(s), check and see if something (e.g. the drawing / process) has changed, or is non-conformance present and if so - has it been properly documented and authorisation (e.g. via Concession / Waiver or Quality Plan etc.) received. Where utilised, operator certification details shall also feature as an integral element of the suppliers stamp issue process and be registered / controlled accordingly.
Inspection Processes - Calibration Control. 11 Whilst the following points are provided for guidance, it is recommended they are implemented as good practice in order to ensure a robust method of control and verification of measurement equipment: General Control and Verification of Measurement Equipment: A suppliers calibration system should be maintained in accordance with ISO 10012 as referenced within ISO 9001 and AS / EN 9100 (as guidance). It is recommended that Co-ordinate Measuring Machines (CMM s) are verified in accordance with ISO 10360, if an external company (i.e. Service Provider) is used to verify a suppliers CMM - this should be done in accordance with ISO 10360. Thermal and Environmental Control - Requirements for Measurement Rooms: Thermal control within manufacturing and measuring areas varies enormously and these effects must be taken into account when measuring components with tight tolerances. The larger the component the more significant is the effect; component design specifications and all measuring equipment assume measurements are carried out at the standard temperature of 20 degrees Centigrade, as detailed within Rolls-Royce Joint Engineering Specification (JES) 160.
Inspection Processes - Calibration Control (Contd.) 12 Standard Measurement Rooms This is the basic measurement room requirement for suppliers to Rolls-Royce. The Measurement Room can be located on the shop floor and normally there will be at least one Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) available for use. Components requiring measurement will need to soak / acclimatise to the ambient temperature before being measured.
Inspection Processes : Inspection Records. 13 General Requirements : Accurate records shall be maintained and retained to support the implementation and effective management of each stage of the overall manufacturing and / or inspection process - where appropriate. Record retention periods / storage and retrieval arrangements shall be in accordance with any regulatory or Rolls-Royce customer requirements applicable to documentation and data.. as referenced within SABRe - Control of Documents and Records. Records relating to the allocation of stamps, change in duties or status, shall be classified and retained as Category A records. Finally and please remember - blank sheets tell no tales - if a formal record is specified / required for specific operations (it is normally for a good and valid reason!) - so make sure it exists, or cause one to be created - prior to product release from your work station / company into Rolls-Royce.