Subscription Service to Raw Material Specifications

[natecsss]

My company just went through a Gap Analysis Audit to see how close we were to transitioning to AS9100 from ISO 9001. Most of the issues and findings we have met and corrected but one of the things we had to add dealt with receiving inspection.

Our auditor asked us to verify raw material certs to make sure the chemical (elements) composition of the material matched the desired spec. I want to know if any of you have experience with a web site or service where we can find ASTM, AMS and other material specs. We don't mind paying but obviously we don't want to break the bank either. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[Golfman25]

I find the industry stuff to be relatively expensive for small users. Your best bet may be to get the spec. from the supplier. Or You could try matweb.com. Good luck.

 

[natecsss]

Thank you for the help. We found MatWeb but weren't sure what kind of source that would be to us and wanted to know if we should reach further. We will also ask the suppliers too.

 

[suffelde]

We go to the particular origin of the spec i.e www.sae.org or www.astm.org on a periodic basis to verify the latest revision of the specification. Purchase it as necessary. We also keep an eye on the specs that are in the review stage so we can make sure we don't miss the latest rev. This keeps costs down by not having to purchase services for which we have no use. In our case, we have about 50 of these specs that we use on a regular basis - about a third of them are AMS specs. Of course, we maintain an external document matrix. Keep in mind that some Purchase Orders might list a spec that is not the latest revision. In that case, verify with the customer the rev of the spec to be used, and then certify to the requirements of that rev.

How many times have we seen - even today - MIL STD 45662A?

 

[natecsss]

Thanks Dave. You answered my next question on where to find specs. If I understand correctly, we should buy the specs as needed and hold onto them, then check the lastest revision each time to make sure we have the right thing.

 

[suffelde]

That's what we do and it works pretty well. You can use verification of the specifications and standards in the contract review process. However, if you have a gazillion specs to follow, it might be better to get the service. Good luck.

 

[dsanabria]

My company just went through a Gap Analysis Audit to see how close we were to transitioning to AS9100 from ISO 9001. Most of the issues and findings we have met and corrected but one of the things we had to add dealt with receiving inspection.

Our auditor asked us to verify raw material certs to make sure the chemical (elements) composition of the material matched the desired spec. I want to know if any of you have experience with a web site or service where we can find ASTM, AMS and other material specs. We don't mind paying but obviously we don't want to break the bank either. Thank you in advance for your help.

Most customer and some supplier will share the information with you - if you have developed a good relationship with them.