A2LA laboratory requirements

[keyplas - 2006]

I have a facility in Mexico asking me the following question " We were told by an unidentified source that we need to do have our part dimensional layouts done in an A2LA accredited lab, we have never had this requirement (the A2LA part) before and need guidence"
Well my first question was this, Are they Prototype parts? Who Is teh customer?
Here are the answers, DCX is the customer, It is a part we have been building for years at another facility in the US but has been transferred to Mexico. Can anyone shed some light on this subject? I have searched A2LA web sites, ISO(MAFIA)17025 Sites and cannot give a definitive answer. I say they have to (always the safe bet) but if there is a loophole that can get them around the additional cost I would like to take that avenue (it's always the bottom line they look at , not the content) Any Ideas?

 

[Sam]

Was the unidentified source a DCX STA? If so, I would try to find there name and have them clarify there position.
There is no QS requirement to have parts dimensionally checked at an A2LA lab.
If this is a customer requirement, was it made evident at the contract negotiations? if so then you would be required to have an A2LA lab do the inspection. If not I would submit a request for contract mod. to recover the additional cost of inspection.

 

[db]

Accredited Labs

Here is the question.

Are the parts being measured by an outside lab? If so, it must be accredited (as per 4.10.7). Note that if the parts can be measured by your lab, this does not apply (see 4.10.6). The QS requirement is that if outside labs are used they be accredited. (What Sam said)

 

[keyplas - 2006]

No they are being done in-house, I basically said that our corporate lab will handle it, so toss it in the mail..and the Unnamed source was an insider who was just running off at the mouth...anyway my assumptions were correct , and thank you for reinforcing my decision.

 

[D.Scott]

By the way - always be suspicious of a requirement that states you must have a specific registrar accreditation. There are many who can accredit a lab to 17025 - A2LA is just one of them.

I agree with the others, you don't need to be accredited per QS - an outside lab would.

Dave

 

[db]

You are right Dave. Sometimes we think of A2LA as the standard (like ISO).

 

[keyplas - 2006]

My only advice to them as far as "traceable" or "accredited" was that whatever equipment was used, was calibrated, and that the calibrations were traceable to NIST and so forth