Does a Raw Material Supplier Change Require PPAP?

Change of Raw Mat. Supplier = PPAP?

We manufacture sleeve bearings at the facility I work at. We are pursuing a change of material supplier for the raw material we use on the bearing liner. The new supplier meets all of our specifications with flying colors. Are we required to submit a notification of change to each of our customers? Being a bearing company we have hundreds of customers for our product. If we are required to submit a notification of change we could be looking at a huge amount of PPAP paperwork and delays in implementing the change.

Mike Schrenk said:

We manufacture sleeve bearings at the facility I work at. We are pursuing a change of material supplier for the raw material we use on the bearing liner. The new supplier meets all of our specifications with flying colors. Are we required to submit a notification of change to each of our customers? Being a bearing company we have hundreds of customers for our product. If we are required to submit a notification of change we could be looking at a huge amount of PPAP paperwork and delays in implementing the change.

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First of all, welcome to the Cove!

Regardless of whether you are QS or TS, I think the answer would be yes, if your customer requires a re-submission, then that is what you have to do. Some companies might not require it if the raw material is considered a comodity item, and you are just changing vendors. If it is anything more than that, then you probably have to do a full PPAP.

I would like to add my own welcome.


As to the need for PPAP on material change- it is a must to report this, and infact get approval for the change before it is implimented.

This is in fact just good practice, think from your point of view. If your liner is attached some how to another part and the material changes, with out your knowledge, this could affect the manner that you operate, with out your knowing that this was happening.
The main clause of the standard that is in question here is not PPAP but rather the investigation of the affects of change on the whole system.

If the customers want PPAp then this is the price of change.

I have had customers of saftey parts that refuse to even think about material changes cause this could lead to the need for new crash tests etc.

This in my opinion is not a beaurecratic request rather based on good sense.

Supplier or material?

Are we changing the material supplier or the material? I read it as a different "Supplier" is being sought. No?

Mike Schrenk said:

We manufacture sleeve bearings at the facility I work at. We are pursuing a change of material supplier for the raw material we use on the bearing liner. The new supplier meets all of our specifications with flying colors. Are we required to submit a notification of change to each of our customers? Being a bearing company we have hundreds of customers for our product. If we are required to submit a notification of change we could be looking at a huge amount of PPAP paperwork and delays in implementing the change.

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Refer to the PPAP manual Table 1.3.1 (5) (Requirement and Clarification or examples."
This may answer your question.

An answer for "energy" - We are changing supplier only. The material remains unaffected.

Thanks to all of the respondents for your quick replies. The manual is sometimes so vague that it is difficult to make a decision. It sounds, based on the replies, as if we will need to send the notifications out and hold our breathe that no one desires PPAP. :ca:

PPAP and me!

Mike Schrenk said:

An answer for "energy" - We are changing supplier only. The material remains unaffected.

Thanks to all of the respondents for your quick replies. The manual is sometimes so vague that it is difficult to make a decision. It sounds, based on the replies, as if we will need to send the notifications out and hold our breathe that no one desires PPAP. :ca:

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I have no experience with PPAP, but, does that mean that your Customer has the authority to deny you the opportunity to purchase the exact same material from a supplier of your choosing? I mean, we prove that the material is exactly the same and choose to select another distributor due to price, delivery and concessions? It seems odd. I know we had approved Suppliers for aircraft parts, but by following the Customer's requirements for Supplier selection, the list was as long as we wanted it. Just asking.

They only have that authority if they determine it does not meet the specification. I am not fearing that will become a problem. My issue with this PPAP process is that of the time and effort this raw material change is going to consume. You first need to compile the list of customers affected by the change (Not always easy). Determine which of the companies has provided their own quality manual to your company. Read those manuals to determine their requirements. Obtain contact information at each of the companies. Produce and send a notification letter to those companies. Then wait for their response. We have placed a 60 day limit on the response. If they have not replied back with quality requirements then we assume they do not have any in reference to this topic. If they have replied back or do have quality requirements we then begin producing samples. Then we will prepare the PPAP package(parts and paper) and send it to the customer. Then wait for their response. We have not placed a time limit on this process. Therefore, this may go on for quite some time. In a nut shell, the further back in the process the change is affecting the more waiting and paperwork that must take place. Something that could takes weeks may take years depending on how many customers it is affecting. In my case it is affecting hundreds.

Still bewildered

Mike Schrenk said:

They only have that authority if they determine it does not meet the specification.

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Okay, I regularly order a part from you made of 316L Stainless. I find a new supplier of 316L Stainless and through the use of independent lab analysis I verified that is exactly the same. Why do you have to send your Customer anything, unless they dictate who you buy from? I have worked in a company that had to use a particular heat treating company because they were on their approved supplier list. The PO stated this. Anything else, such as material suppliers, we would shop around and get the price, delivery, etc..Of course there a requirement that we test all material at a lab of the customer's choice, but they didn't tell us who to buy from. We just had to have an approved Supplier's list. I feel I'm missing something. Maybe it the understanding of what PPAP really is. Yeah, that's what it is.

energy said:

Okay, I regularly order a part from you made of 316L Stainless. I find a new supplier of 316L Stainless and through the use of independent lab analysis I verified that is exactly the same. Why do you have to send your Customer anything, unless they dictate who you buy from? I have worked in a company that had to use a particular heat treating company because they were on their approved supplier list. The PO stated this. Anything else, such as material suppliers, we would shop around and get the price, delivery, etc..Of course there a requirement that we test all material at a lab of the customer's choice, but they didn't tell us who to buy from. We just had to have an approved Supplier's list. I feel I'm missing something. Maybe it the understanding of what PPAP really is. Yeah, that's what it is.

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Energy, I'll use your response as an example.

From the PPAP manual 3rd ed. "Suppliers are responsible for approval of subcontracted material and services that do not affect customer form, fit, function, durability or performence requirements."

In Energys case he is buying 316L material from vendor A. At some point in time he decides to buy 316L from vendor B. Test results indicate that vendor B is the same as vendor A, thereore there is no affect on form,fit, function, durability or performance requirements.
Conclusion: No customer notification required. You have been given the responsibility to make the decision.