PPAP (Production Part Approval Process)
PPAP is the automotive industry's process, defined by AIAG, for a supplier to prove to a customer that its production process consistently makes parts meeting all requirements.
PPAP comes from the automotive supply chain and is described in the AIAG PPAP manual. A full package can include up to 18 elements, among them design records, process flow diagrams, PFMEA, control plan, measurement system analysis, dimensional results, material and performance test results, initial process studies, and the Part Submission Warrant (PSW) that summarizes the submission.
Customers specify a submission level from 1 to 5, which controls how much of that evidence is sent to them versus kept on file. Level 3 is the common default. Outside automotive, some customers ask for PPAP-style packages informally, often meaning a PSW plus a dimensional report.
For small machine shops, the dimensional results, material certs, and inspection data are the parts that come straight from the job. Traveler is being built to keep those records attached to each job, and a lighter PPAP package (PSW plus dimensional results) is on the roadmap.
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