Anything that is made for the Aerospace industry, especially when it comes to flight critical electronics or structural parts, has to go through a rigorous quality assurance process to ensure the safety and reliability of the final product–the aircraft. The actual assembly of various aerospace components into a full system includes some sort of comprehensive testing and inspection at each step of the process.
In order to maintain high quality aerospace assembly components, manufacturers like SI Manufacturing adhere to stringent certification standards that are recognized internationally as the best assurance for safety, reliability, and performance of any aircraft.
Soldering to Perfection–IPC J-STD-001
The IPC J-STD-001 is the gold standard for soldering work on just about every type of PCB. This type of quality certification outlines the materials, methods, and verification criteria required for manufacturers of electronic assemblies, and covers three different subsections of PCB soldering requirements, designated as Classes.
Class 3 is the strictest of the IPC classes, and specifically covers soldered electronic assemblies in applications that cannot fail–which are often Aerospace applications, though the standard is used for many other types of assemblies as well. Products belonging to Class 3 are required to provide continually high performance on-demand and are often used in uncommonly harsh environments, and they are also typically either mission critical or flight critical.
The J-STD-001 certification offers guidance for many different parts of electronic assemblies beyond soldering as well: what materials and components to use, the type of equipment used for manufacturing and assembling the products, specifications for surface and through-hole mounting, terminal and wire connection standards, the coatings, encapsulation and adhesives that can be used, and requirements for any cleaning done. It offers a very comprehensive guide that ensures that all soldered interconnections are high quality, and the final assembly adheres to worldwide industry standards.
Rigorous Quality Management–AS9100D
Another critical aspect of ensuring excellence in aerospace equipment and electronic systems is the manufacturer’s quality management system, which lays out all inspections and testing procedures that should be performed. The AS9100D certification is heavily based on the more well-known ISO 9001 standards, but has been adjusted and expanded to include several additional requirements for aviation, space, and defense manufacturing. It lays out the requirements for a quality management system at all levels of the supply chain to ensure consistent quality and compliance with industry standards in all aerospace assembly components.
Looking for an Aerospace electronics contract manufacturer?
SI Manufacturing is an AS9100 and IPC J-STD-001 certified manufacturer of electronics assemblies for Aerospace, Defense, and Industrial applications. If you’re interested in partnering with us, head over to our website to request a quote today!