Automotive Parts. Built to PPAP

Automotive Manufacturing FAQ

Q1: What PPAP level do you submit by default, and how long does it take?

Level 3 by default. That’s the full 18-element package per AIAG PPAP 4th Edition: design records, DFMEA/PFMEA, control plan, MSA study, CMM-measured dimensional results, initial Cpk study, AAR, IMDS submission, signed PSW. If your customer specifies Level 1 or 2 in writing, we match that.
Timeline from program kick-off to signed PSW: 15 to 18 weeks for a new safety-critical CNC part. Weeks 1 to 3 cover planning, contract review, FMEA kick-off. Weeks 4 to 8 are process design, fixture concept, tooling design, DFM feedback. Weeks 9 to 12 are tooling fabrication, first-article machining, initial dimensional verification. Weeks 13 to 15 run Gage R&R, initial Ppk. Weeks 16 to 18 are package assembly, submission, Q&A, PSW signature. The PPAP file gets built alongside first-article production, not assembled after sign-off. We send a draft to your SQE for pre-review at week 14 so the formal submission at week 16 doesn’t stall. Re-submissions after an ECN or parts with an existing approved process run faster.

Q2: Is there a minimum order quantity on automotive prototypes?

No MOQ on CNC-machined prototypes. Single-piece runs get quoted and accepted. Bridge injection tooling runs 50 to 500 pieces and scales to short-run production of 500 to 5,000 per tool. Sheet metal has no minimum on formed and stamped parts.
Unit cost on 1 to 10 pieces reflects setup and programming time. That same cost amortizes fast across a 25 to 50-piece repeat order on the same program and fixtures. Send us your target quantity and we’ll show you the per-piece curve.

Q3: What automotive materials do you stock, and which lightweighting alloys can you run?

Standard stock: aluminum 6061-T6 and 7075-T6, cold-rolled steel 1018 and 1045, stainless 304 and 316, mild steel for sheet metal.
For lightweighting programs, we machine magnesium AZ91D under inert-atmosphere milling conditions to control chip ignition risk, and we run glass-filled PA66 (GF-PA66) in H13 hardened-steel molds rated for the abrasive wear. Both show up regularly on EV seat frames, steering brackets, intake manifolds, and pedal boxes. The mass-reduction math is real: 30 to 70% versus steel depending on alloy.
All material lots arrive with mill test reports and get tagged by heat number through the work order and onto the part or shipping container at final inspection. Full lot-to-heat traceability for IMDS submission and OEM audit requests.

Q4: Can you handle a multi-process part across machining, molding, and sheet metal under one PPAP?

Yes. One PPAP package can cover a multi-process assembly: a milled aluminum mounting face at ±0.05 mm, a molded PC/ABS sensor housing, a stamped sheet metal bracket, all submitted under one PSW with a unified control plan. Each sub-process has its own PFMEA and process flow, consolidated at the package level.
ADAS brackets, EV thermal management enclosures, and body-in-white assemblies all land here. Coordination failures on multi-process parts show up at first assembly trial, not on the drawing. We run DFM reviews across all processes at quote stage to catch clearance stacks, GD&T datum conflicts, and weld distortion affecting machined datum faces before any tooling gets cut.

Q5: Do you sign NDAs, and how is CAD data handled inside the facility?

We sign mutual NDAs before any drawing or model is shared. CAD files and 2D prints go into a controlled document system. Only the specific operation-level drawings needed for each production step get released to the floor. No customer geometry, part photos, or production videos get shared externally or posted on any public platform. That applies to prototype work and production orders equally.
For programs where the assembly function or vehicle application is sensitive, ask for our standard mutual NDA at quote stage. It covers drawing data, process information, and production volumes.

Q6: My EV program compressed to an 18 to 24-month cycle. Can you keep up with prototype-to-production-tooling timelines that tight?

The path: CNC prototype samples ship in 7 business days from approved STEP file. Bridge injection tooling with T1 samples in 3 to 4 weeks. Steel production tooling in 8 to 12 weeks.
If a design change at week 16 requires mold rework, we machine from billet off the prototype line while the production tool is revised. Same dimensions, same material, PPAP-compatible. Validation testing doesn’t stop.
EV programs running on 18-month schedules usually slip at two points: late first-article delivery and an incomplete PPAP at tooling release. Both are decisions, not capacity questions. We quote with both timelines visible so your program manager can plan around actual lead time, not a best-case number.