Why SCADA Is Crucial for Aerospace Audit Readiness Under AMS2750 & Nadcap

If your facility performs heat treating in the aerospace industry, chances are you’re already familiar with AMS2750 and Nadcap. Both are designed to ensure aerospace components are heat treated consistently, safely and in compliance with exacting specifications.

Audit readiness for Nadcap is a core requirement for maintaining contracts and credibility in the aerospace sector. But compliance involves more than just following procedures; it requires extensive documentation, real-time monitoring, and traceable control over every aspect of your process.

That’s where modern SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems become indispensable. SCADA gives you the tools to collect, log and review data automatically, minimizing the chance of human error and ensuring your process stays within spec—every time. For aerospace suppliers aiming to meet AMS2750 and pass Nadcap audits with confidence, a robust SCADA system is essential, and we’ll cover why in this article.

The Top 10 Findings in 2021 from the Nadcap/PRI Heat Treat Commodity

While the pandemic may have changed our day-to-day operations last year, it didn't change the fact that Nadcap accreditation in heat treat and other commodities had to be maintained. Nadcap accreditation is crucial to quality systems and operations. While the aerospace industry ebbs and flows, as does the U.S. economy, the commitment to Nadcap accreditation does not.

Suppliers must remain committed to maintaining the most robust quality systems to ensure AS9100, and Nadcap requirements are accounted for and maintained throughout the heat treat process.

When preparing for your next audit, it's beneficial to understand what others may have missed or mistakenly didn't account for. In this article, I examine the top 10 findings from the Nadcap/PRI heat treat commodity from 2021. I will discuss each section in detail and talk about how to avoid becoming a part of the 2022 statistic.

COVID-19’s Effect on PRI/Nadcap

While the aerospace industry pushes through the pandemic, it is important that the highest levels of quality are maintained throughout all Nadcap-accredited processes.

Abstract

AMS2750F and Nadcap requirements (both checklists and the pyrometry reference guide) amount to 70% of all Nadcap Heat Treat Audit findings. This trend has been consistent for over a decade now. This can be attributed to a lack of comprehension of the specification, internal execution and inadequate internal auditing systems at the supplier level as well as the prime level. Conrad Kacsik is committed to improving the comprehension of AMS2750F within the industry. We believe that this is the first step in creating a successful Pyrometry Compliance System for our customers. 

Instrumentation Changes to AMS2750F

There are two main changes within AMS2750F regarding instrumentation: 1) readability and 2) digital furnace instruments.