IATF 16949 certification
This industry standard builds on ISO 9001 and adds process control, defect prevention and supplier management. Tier 1 suppliers are generally certified and ask their own suppliers for at least ISO 9001, sometimes IATF 16949.
Sector
Automotive and mobility subcontracting
Sheet metalwork, machining, bar turning, plastic injection, prototypes: how automotive and mobility requirements work, and how to prepare a request for a quote suited to your volumes.
Automotive is the series-production sector par excellence: high volumes, tight costs, and a demand for consistency that tolerates very little deviation. Carmakers and tier 1 suppliers control quality across the whole chain; tier 2 and 3 workshops supply sheet metal parts, machined parts, bar-turned parts or injection-moulded parts, tooling and inspection gauges.
The sector has codified its method. IATF 16949 structures management systems, APQP organises the development of a part and its process, and PPAP proves its conformity before series production starts. On top of this come the requirements specific to each carmaker.
“Mobility” widens the field: electric vehicles and batteries, vans, two-wheelers, bicycles, heavy goods vehicles, motorsport. Young vehicle makers first need prototypes, pre-series parts and tooling. Documentation expectations depend on the maturity of the project: better to state them up front than to discover them at the first batch.
Sector requirements
Standards, regulations and practices that buyers expect from their subcontractors.
APQP and PPAP
APQP plans product and process development in staged phases. The PPAP, submitted to the customer before series production, brings together up to eighteen elements: drawings, FMEA, control plan, dimensional reports, capability studies, material certificates.
Process capability
On key characteristics, the customer wants proof that the process is stable and centred: Cp and Cpk indices, control charts. The required threshold, often around 1.33, is set by each customer.
Price, rates and logistics
The unit price is committed over long runs and weighs as much as quality. Deliveries are paced just in time, with packaging, labelling (Odette, for example) and data exchange specific to each customer.
Material compliance
Carmakers collect part composition in the IMDS database and impose REACH and the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC, which restricts lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, among others.
Typical parts and sub-assemblies
- Brackets, reinforcements and structural parts in cut, bent or pressed sheet metal
- Bar-turned parts: fittings, bushes, shafts, special screws
- Machined parts for transmission, steering or chassis
- Injection-moulded plastic parts: clips, housings, covers, supports
- Battery and charging components: housings, busbars, cooling plates
- Inspection gauges, line fixtures and production tooling
- Prototypes, test parts and pre-series parts for vehicles in development
- Parts for two-wheelers, bicycles, special-purpose vans and competition vehicles
Skills involved
Each skill has its own detailed page: services, materials, price factors.
Sheet metalwork & cutting
Laser cutting, punching and bending for prototypes and small runs; progressive-die stamping as soon as the volume justifies a tool.
CNC machining
Machining and bar turning of precision parts in regular runs, with statistical process control. Cycle time matters as much as tolerance.
Plastics & moulding
Injection of technical parts, trial moulds and small runs on prototype tooling: the cost of the mould is spread over the quantity produced.
Surface treatment
Zinc plating, zinc-nickel, cataphoretic coating, powder coating: corrosion protection assessed by salt spray testing (ISO 9227) and free of hexavalent chromium.
Prototyping
Validation parts, functional mock-ups and pre-series parts made without waiting for final tooling, by machining, 3D printing or laser cutting.
Inspection & metrology
Dimensional reports, three-dimensional measurement, capability studies and inspection gauges: proof of conformity is part of the deliverable.
Materials
Structural and high-yield-strength steels for sheet metalworkFree-cutting and alloy steels (11SMn30, 42CrMo4)Body and machining aluminium (5754, 6016, 6061, 6082)Copper and brass for busbars, contacts and fittingsStainless steels for fasteners and exhaust partsGlass-fibre-filled polyamides (PA66-GF30), PP, PBT, ABSElastomers and silicones for seals and protective parts
Tips for your quote request
Post a request- State the annual volumes, the rate and the programme lifetime: they decide between laser cutting, stamping or an injection tool.
- Distinguish prototype, pre-series and series: a prototyping workshop is not always equipped for series production. A two-stage plan is often more effective.
- Identify the key characteristics (functional dimensions, appearance, corrosion resistance) and leave the general tolerances to ISO 2768 for the rest.
- Specify the documents expected (initial samples, dimensional report, material certificate, capability, PPAP level) and the delivery conditions: packaging, labelling, frequency.
- Mention compliance requirements (IMDS, REACH, no hexavalent chromium, salt spray) to avoid an unsuitable surface treatment.
From prototype to series: the journey of an automotive part
An automotive part passes through well-defined milestones. Prototypes validate form and function: speed and flexibility are the priority, using machining, laser cutting or 3D printing. Pre-series parts come closer to production conditions, with trial tooling. Series production then starts, once the process is validated and the qualification file accepted.
The choice of process depends on volume. A sheet metal part in small quantities is laser cut and bent; as the run grows, a progressive stamping tool eventually becomes worthwhile, depending on geometry, material and tooling price. An injection-moulded part always requires a mould, whose cost is amortised over the quantity: our guide on the price of an injection mould details this calculation, and the one on bar turning or turning helps you choose for round parts.
State the envisaged volumes in your first enquiry, even approximately. The guide from prototype to series describes the stages and pitfalls of this transition.
IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, FMEA: the acronyms to know
These four acronyms come up in almost every automotive enquiry. Here is what they cover and what they change for your request.
- IATF 16949: the quality standard of the automotive industry. Specify whether the workshop’s certification is required or whether ISO 9001 is enough.
- APQP (advanced product quality planning): plan validation milestones before the series launch.
- PPAP (production part approval process): state the submission level and the documents expected.
- FMEA (failure mode and effects analysis): share the known risks, which the workshop incorporates into its control plan.
These standards mainly target series parts. For a prototype or a tool, a workshop does not need a full PPAP file: simply state the level of proof wanted (dimensional report, material certificate), so that all quotes price the same service.
Detailed definitions are in the glossary. For the general tolerances of non-critical dimensions, the ISO 2768 tool gives the values from the standard.
Frequently asked questions
A question not answered here? Visit the help centre or write to us.
Do you need IATF 16949 certification to supply an automotive tier 1?
Not necessarily. Tier 1 suppliers are generally IATF 16949 certified; they ask their own suppliers for at least ISO 9001, sometimes IATF 16949, depending on how critical the parts are and on the contract. For prototypes, tooling or pre-series parts, requirements are often lighter. State them clearly.
What is a PPAP and when is it requested?
The PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) is the file with which the supplier demonstrates to the customer that it controls the part and its process before series production. It is requested for a new part, after a change of drawing or process, and when moving site. Its level of detail varies by customer.
From what quantity is stamping better than laser cutting?
There is no universal threshold. Laser cutting and bending need no tooling and suit prototypes and short runs; stamping requires an expensive tool but lowers the unit price. The break-even point is calculated case by case: ask workshops for both quotes.
Can you have electric vehicle or bicycle prototypes made without all these requirements?
Yes. During design and testing, what matters is speed, part accuracy and confidentiality. Mention the “prototype” nature of the job in your request. If the project moves towards series production, plan a transfer to workshops able to meet your customer’s quality, documentation and rate requirements.
Guides to go further
From prototype to series production: the stages of industrialisation
Mock-up, functional prototype, pre-series, tooling, qualification: how to structure the move from a single unit to repeatable production, and choose the right processes for your volumes.
Laser cutting and sheet metal bending: prices, thicknesses and good practice
Choose the right cutting process, know the usual thicknesses, understand what drives the price of a sheet metal part and design parts that bend without extra cost.
Plastic injection moulds: what drives the cost
Number of cavities, steel or aluminium, slides, hot runners, tool life: what sets the price of a mould, how to amortise it and which alternatives to choose for small runs.
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