Before approving a composite materials aerospace manufacturer, check more than the certificate displayed on its website. A useful verification must establish that the certification is current, issued by a recognized certification body, and applicable to the facility and activities involved in your order.

Start with the supplier’s current certificate and its record in the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) Online Aerospace Supplier Information System, known as OASIS. Then compare those records with the actual manufacturing route. An AS9100 certificate can support confidence in a supplier’s quality management system, but it does not by itself approve a specific composite process, part, or production site.

Start with the certificate and the order

Ask the supplier for a complete copy of its current aerospace quality management system certificate, including any pages or appendices listing sites and scope. A cropped image or a logo on a sales presentation does not provide enough information for a purchasing decision.

Compare the certificate with the proposed order and record:

• The certified organization’s legal name and the supplier entity named on the quotation or contract.
• The certificate number, issuing certification body, issue and expiry dates, and stated certification status.
• The standard and revision identified on the certificate, commonly described as AS9100, EN 9100, or JIS Q 9100 depending on the regional publication.
• The addresses of the sites covered, including any relevant site appendix.
• The scope of certification and how it relates to the work being purchased.

Do not assume a name difference is automatically a problem. A trading name, acquisition, or separate legal entity can explain it. Ask for documentation that connects the contracting entity to the certified organization. The same applies when the address on a quotation differs from the address where parts will be manufactured.

Dates are necessary but not sufficient. A certificate may appear to be within its validity period while its status has changed. Independent status verification is therefore part of the check, not an optional replacement for reading the certificate.

Check the supplier’s OASIS record

OASIS is the aerospace industry database used to identify organizations certified under the IAQG aerospace quality management system certification scheme. Search for the supplier using its legal name, certificate details, or location, and compare the result with the document provided by the supplier.

Look for the organization and site associated with your order, the certification body, the standard, the scope, and the current status shown in the record. Pay particular attention to differences in site addresses or scope wording. A record for a parent company or another factory does not automatically establish coverage for the location making your parts.

OASIS access and the information available can depend on your account and authorization. If the relevant record or details are not visible, ask the supplier to provide access where appropriate or help identify the correct organization and site. You can also contact the certification body named on the certificate using contact information obtained independently.

If a record cannot be found, avoid treating that fact alone as proof of a problem: the search may use a different legal name or site designation. Equally, do not approve the supplier solely because it sends another copy of the certificate. Resolve the discrepancy against the certification body’s records and retain the response with the supplier file.

Verify the certification body’s authority

A certificate is only as meaningful as the certification process behind it. Identify the certification body that issued it and confirm that the body is accredited for the relevant aerospace certification scheme. Accreditation is distinct from certification: the certification body audits and certifies the supplier, while an accreditation body assesses the certification body’s competence and oversight.

Use the issuing body’s certificate verification service where available, or contact it directly. Match the certificate number, organization name, status, sites, and scope. Check the accreditation body’s directory for the certification body and its applicable accreditation scope; a generic accreditation logo alone does not establish aerospace scheme coverage.

Be cautious if the supplier provides only an auditor’s name, a training certificate, or a statement that it is “AS9100 compliant.” These are not substitutes for an independently issued certification. An audit report or a scheduled audit may be useful evidence of progress, but neither is the same as a current certificate.

Match the scope to the composite work

Certification scope describes the activities covered by the quality management system. Read it against the purchase order, drawings, specifications, and proposed production route. The question is not merely whether the word “aerospace” appears, but whether the certified organization and site control the activities you intend to buy.

For example, a supplier whose scope covers distribution of composite materials may be suitable for supplying material, but that wording does not establish that it manufactures cured composite structures. Similarly, a certificate covering machining or assembly should not be assumed to cover laminate fabrication without understanding the scope and site arrangements.

Scope descriptions can be broad, so they do not always name every process. Ask the supplier for a route showing which organization and location will perform relevant activities, such as:

• Material receipt, storage, handling, and traceability.
• Layup, resin processing, curing, bonding, or other fabrication steps.
• Machining, trimming, assembly, and repair where applicable.
• Inspection, non-destructive testing, final release, and any outsourced operations.

A process missing from the certificate’s wording is not necessarily outside the quality management system. It is a reason to ask how that activity is controlled and whether it falls within the certified scope. For a critical discrepancy, obtain clarification from the certification body as well as the supplier.

Confirm which sites and subcontractors will touch the part

A composite component may pass through several locations before delivery. One site might store prepreg and perform layup, another might cure or machine the part, and an external provider might perform non-destructive testing. A head-office certificate does not automatically cover all of them.

For multisite certification, review the site list and each site’s applicable activities. Confirm the physical address, not just a company name. If production moves to another plant after approval, reassess the new site before accepting parts from it. A change in ownership, certification body, scope, or subcontractor can also affect the evidence on which approval was based.

Where work is subcontracted, establish who selects and controls the provider and whether your contract or customer requirements restrict outsourcing. Obtain the subcontractor’s relevant certificates or approvals when required. The prime supplier’s AS9100 certificate does not automatically transfer its certification or customer approvals to an outside processor.

Separate AS9100 certification from process and product approval

AS9100 addresses an organization’s quality management system. It does not certify that a particular laminate meets its drawing, that a cure cycle is qualified, or that every part is airworthy. Those outcomes depend on the applicable technical requirements, production controls, inspection results, and approvals for the program.

Composite manufacturing makes this distinction especially important. The quality of a finished part can depend on controlled material storage and shelf life, preparation, layup, cure, tooling, and inspection. Some characteristics cannot be fully established by inspecting the finished item alone. Ask how the supplier demonstrates control of the specified processes and retains the associated records.

Depending on the contract, evidence may include material traceability, batch and cure records, inspection results, personnel qualifications, first article inspection documentation, and approvals for special processes. Nadcap accreditation or an OEM process approval may be required for particular work, but neither should be assumed to follow automatically from AS9100 certification. Check the purchase specification and customer flow-down requirements to determine which approvals apply, to which processes, and at which site.

Likewise, a certificate of conformity supplied with a shipment is a statement about that delivery against specified requirements. It serves a different purpose from an AS9100 certificate and should be reviewed against the order and required supporting records.

Decide what to do when details do not match

Place the supplier’s approval or the affected order on hold while material discrepancies are resolved. The appropriate response depends on what is inconsistent:

• Expired, suspended, or withdrawn certification: Do not treat the certificate as current. Establish the status and follow your organization’s supplier approval rules before placing or releasing work.
• Different legal entity or address: Request evidence linking the entities and confirm that the manufacturing site is covered for the relevant work.
• Scope does not clearly match the order: Request a process route and written clarification. An acceptable scope for material distribution may not be adequate for fabrication.
• Unlisted or changed subcontractor: Review the proposed work allocation and applicable customer approvals before authorizing the change.
• Certificate and database disagree: Contact the issuing certification body and document the status and scope it confirms.

If the supplier cannot provide the required evidence, consider an alternative qualified source or use your organization’s formal exception process where the contract permits it. An exception should identify the missing evidence, assess the risk, define any additional controls, and receive the required approval. It should not describe an uncertified site as certified.

Keep verification useful after onboarding

Record the certificate and OASIS details reviewed, the sites and activities approved for your order, the date of the check, and any clarifications received. Keep the evidence alongside applicable process approvals and contractual requirements so a later reviewer can see what was actually accepted.

Set a review point before certificate expiry and reassess when a supplier reports a significant change, including a new production location or certification status. For higher-risk composite parts, certification monitoring should sit alongside the supplier oversight required by the program, such as performance review, technical assessment, and review of manufacturing changes.

A sound purchasing decision connects three things: a current, independently verifiable certification; a defined site and scope; and evidence that the specified composite work meets the program’s requirements. If any one of those is missing, the certificate alone does not close the gap.