Two years ago, MFN reported on the NUCAP (Nadcap Users Compliance and Audit Program) program. NUCAP is part of PRI’s Customer Solutions & Support (CS&S) and is derived from the Nadcap program. Nadcap is the leading worldwide cooperative program of major companies designed to manage a cost-effective consensus approach to special processes & products and provide continual improvement within the aerospace & automotive industries.

“The Nadcap vision is to ‘develop a world-class special processor supply-base for the global aerospace industry using a cost-effective industry managed accreditation process.’ Without successful teamwork built on mutually trusting relationships, the Nadcap program simply would not have the fuel to make its vision a reality.”
- Chetan Date, Honeywell Aerospace 

NUCAP provides Nadcap user members a uniform method for certification of captive special processes in accordance with industry standards and requirements. NUCAP approval indicates Nadcap compliance (and not an accreditation by Nadcap) which may be accepted by Nadcap user members as equivalent to Nadcap accreditation.

The objectives of NUCAP are:

1. To develop an industry standard for special process audit program that assures Nadcap compliance;
2. To provide a mechanism for independent, objective and consistent analysis of process audit data;
3. To evaluate User’s Internal Auditors and audit process to meet NUCAP Requirements per Program Document 3001.

NUCAP is not for all organizations, however. To be eligible:

A NUCAP applicant must be a Nadcap user member.
Nadcap user members are those aerospace or defense contractor prime companies who are Nadcap Subscribers and Production or Design Approval holders (such as TSO, TC or PC holders) from regulatory agency approval.
User members work to their own special process specifications and have internal engineering organizations to provide technical directions and support.
The NUCAP applicant must have a functional quality system equivalent AS/EN/JISQ/9100, with an effective corrective action system and closure and corrective action through User oversight system (internal).

Even though NUCAP is not easy to qualify for or become approved for, there are now 19 NUCAP approved companies including:

Aircelle (SAFRAN Group)
Alenia Aeronautica SpA
Bombardier Inc.
EADS-CASA MTAD
EADS-Deutschland GmbH Defense & Securities
Eurocopter (EADS)
Hispano-Suiza
Honeywell Aerospace
Liebherr-Aerospace Lindberg GmbH
MTU Aero Engines
Messier-Bugatti (SAFRAN Group)
Messier-Dowty (SAFRAN Group)
Rolls-Royce Corp.
Rolls-Royce plc
Snecma Services (SAFRAN Group)
Spirit AeroSystems
Vought Aircraft

Recipients of NUCAP approval recognize the value and significance of approval. On receiving NUCAP approval, Rossella Andreozzi of Alenia Aeronautica SpA explained: “NUCAP Approval is a real huge achievement for our company. Alenia strongly believes in the NUCAP approach as a good opportunity and effective tool for a continuous improvement in our processes. Alenia’s goal is to improve our participation in the Nadcap/NUCAP programs, with the involvement of all our sites and our Suppliers, in order to better standardize our processes, using a cost effective approach assuring, at the same time, a high quality product.”