Quality & Inspection Training for Manufacturers

What’s included

• AS9100 Overview
• ISO 9001:2015 Overview
• ISO 27001:2022 — navigating the standard
• Inspection learning path

Inspection criteria on most drawings are written in GD&T. Read the full guide to GD&T fundamentals — Rule #1, Rule #2, what RMB actually means for a datum reference, and a grounded bonus-tolerance example.

Fabrication drawings also carry a separate symbol system for welded joints. Read the full guide to welding blueprint symbols — AWS A2.4 basics, arrow side vs. other side, and how it differs from GD&T.

Automotive suppliers in South Carolina are increasingly asked for VDA 6.3 process audits alongside IATF 16949 and ISO 9001. Read our guide to VDA 6.3 process audits — how the three standards actually relate.

Before you measure anything, make sure you’re reading the right revision. See our guide to reading a blueprint — the first 5 things to check.

Food manufacturers often confuse GMP with a certification like ISO 9001 or HACCP. Read our guide to GMP vs. ISO 9001 vs. HACCP — how the three actually relate, and what an FDA inspection looks for.

Automotive suppliers also need to know how IATF 16949 relates to ISO 9001. Read our guide to IATF 16949 — the five required core tools, and why it can’t stand on its own.

Aerospace suppliers face a similar layered standard. See our guide to AS9100D certification — what’s genuinely new in the current revision.

Two of those core tools deserve their own deep dive: Statistical Process Control and FMEA — how the 2019 AIAG-VDA handbook changed failure mode scoring.

Aerospace suppliers doing their own special processes often need process-specific accreditation on top of AS9100. Read our guide to Nadcap accreditation — how it differs from AS9100, and why South Carolina’s Boeing supplier base runs into it constantly.

Form 3 is where most first article inspections actually fail. See our guide to AS9102 first article inspection — the three FAIR forms explained.

A GD&T callout is a promise; a CMM is what checks whether the part kept it. Read our guide to CMM and dimensional metrology — probe types and why calibration traceability matters.

PPAP is the final exam; APQP is the semester leading up to it. See our guide to APQP — the five phases and why skipping early ones gets expensive.

A perfectly calibrated gauge can still be useless if it can’t repeat its own results. Read our guide to Measurement System Analysis and Gage R&R — repeatability vs. reproducibility explained.

Aerospace parts can’t be cut open to check for internal defects. See our guide to NDT methods and ASNT certification — the common inspection methods compared.

A calibration certificate is only as trustworthy as the lab that issued it. Read our guide to ISO/IEC 17025 — what calibration lab accreditation actually confirms.

A customer rejecting a shipment wants a document in a specific format, not a phone call. See our guide to 8D problem solving — the eight disciplines and how it differs from A3.

Inspecting every unit in a 10,000-piece shipment is often less reliable than a properly designed sample. Read our guide to AQL sampling plans — how ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 translates lot size into a sample size.

An internal auditor who shows up looking for what’s wrong tends to get told what people think they want to hear. See our guide to ISO 9001 internal auditing — what Clause 9.2 actually requires.

A gage that’s overdue for calibration can pass parts for weeks before anyone notices the drift. Read our guide to gage calibration intervals — setting and managing a calibration program.

A process can be perfectly centered and still fail if its spread is too wide for the tolerance — that’s what Cpk actually measures. See our guide to Cpk vs. Ppk — process capability explained.

Engineering teams are good at optimizing for a spec — the harder problem is making sure the spec came from what the customer actually wanted. Read our guide to Quality Function Deployment — the House of Quality explained.

A part that fails inspection doesn’t sort itself into scrap or use-as-is — someone has to make that call and document why. See our guide to Material Review Board dispositions — managing nonconforming material.

Why this matters

Frequently asked questions

Do we need to be AS9100 certified already to take this course?

No — AS9100 Overview works as an introduction for teams considering certification as well as a refresher for teams already certified.

Is ISO 27001 relevant to a manufacturing plant?

Increasingly yes, especially for suppliers handling customer data or connected shop-floor systems — the course is framed specifically for that context.

What does the Inspection learning path cover?

Quality and inspection fundamentals for the shop floor — see our Learning Paths page for the full structure.