Nadcap exists so a heat-treating shop doesn't have to pass a dozen slightly different customer audits for the same process. What Nadcap actually accredits, how it differs from AS9100, and why South Carolina's Boeing supplier ecosystem runs into it constantly.
Nadcap isn’t an aerospace prime’s private audit — it’s the
opposite. It exists specifically so a heat-treating shop doesn’t have
to pass a dozen slightly different customer audits for the same
process, all checking essentially the same thing.
Nadcap is an industry-managed accreditation program, administered by
the Performance Review Institute (PRI), founded in 1990 specifically to
replace duplicate OEM-specific audits of the same special processes
with a single shared audit that multiple aerospace and defense primes
can rely on. Rather than Boeing auditing a heat-treat supplier one way
and another OEM auditing the same supplier a different way, Nadcap
accreditation lets qualified suppliers demonstrate compliance once
against a shared standard.
Nadcap accreditation is organized into task groups covering specific
special processes — heat treating, nondestructive testing (NDT),
welding, chemical processing, composites, elastomer seals, and additive
manufacturing among them. A supplier accredits to the specific task
group(s) relevant to what they actually do; heat treating accreditation
doesn’t imply anything about a shop’s welding capability, and vice
versa.
| AS9100 | Nadcap | |
|---|---|---|
| What it certifies | The overall quality management system | Specific special processes (heat treat, NDT, welding, etc.) |
| Scope | Applies to the whole certified site | Applies only to the specific accredited process |
| Governing body | SAE International / IAQG | Performance Review Institute (PRI) |
Boeing’s 787 final assembly operation in North Charleston, along
with the broader aerospace supplier base it supports, means special
processes performed in South Carolina — heat treating a landing gear
component, welding a bracket, running NDT on a structural part — often
need Nadcap accreditation specifically, not just a general AS9100
certification. A shop that’s AS9100 certified but not Nadcap-accredited
for its actual special process can still be disqualified from
performing that specific work for an aerospace customer.
Nadcap audits are conducted by PRI-qualified auditors against
detailed, process-specific checklists developed by industry task
groups made up of the subscribing OEMs and suppliers themselves — not
written unilaterally by PRI. That industry-written detail is exactly
why the checklists are so specific and technical; a shop preparing for
a Nadcap audit is preparing against the same level of scrutiny its
actual aerospace customers would apply, not a generic quality checklist.
Nadcap accreditation itself isn’t a standalone course in SCMEP’s
current catalog — it’s a process-specific accreditation earned directly
through PRI, built on the same quality management foundation covered in
our AS9100 Overview. As a
NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership affiliate
serving South Carolina manufacturers since 1989, our focus is
making sure that underlying quality system is solid before a shop
pursues process-specific accreditation.
If your shop is pursuing Nadcap accreditation for a special process,
you can browse the Quality and
Inspection training catalog or email the training team.
Nondestructive testing is one of the special processes most commonly requiring Nadcap accreditation. See our related guide on NDT methods and ASNT certification for the common inspection methods and certification levels.
Nadcap is an industry-managed accreditation program, administered by the Performance Review Institute (PRI), that lets suppliers demonstrate compliance for specific aerospace special processes through a single shared audit instead of separate audits for each OEM customer.
AS9100 certifies a site’s overall quality management system. Nadcap accredits specific special processes, like heat treating, welding, or nondestructive testing, performed at that site. A supplier typically needs both, depending on what work it performs.
Nadcap is organized into task groups covering processes including heat treating, nondestructive testing, welding, chemical processing, composites, elastomer seals, and additive manufacturing. A supplier accredits only to the specific task groups relevant to its actual work.
Industry task groups made up of the subscribing OEMs and suppliers themselves write the process-specific checklists, not PRI unilaterally — which is why the checklists reflect the same level of technical scrutiny aerospace customers actually apply.
