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What is PPAP? The 18 elements, 5 levels and a free PPAP checklist
PPAP, the production part approval process, is how a supplier proves to a customer that its production process makes parts that meet every requirement, at the quoted rate, before the first shipment. It comes from the automotive industry’s AIAG manual and is a set of up to 18 documents and samples, summed up on one signed page, the part submission warrant. Pick the level your customer asked for below, mark what you have, and the checker shows what is still missing and gives you a checklist to download. Morsa, the AI operations agent for manufacturers, keeps that list current and chases each owner for you.
Updated October 21, 2026
What is PPAP?
PPAP stands for production part approval process. The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) publishes the PPAP manual, now in its 4th edition, as one of the automotive core tools with APQP, FMEA, MSA and SPC. Its purpose is simple: before a customer buys a part in volume, the supplier shows evidence that it understands every design requirement and that its process, run with production tooling, people and gauges, makes good parts consistently.
A PPAP is not a single form. It is a package. Some documents go to the customer, some stay on file at the supplier, and the customer’s approval of the signed part submission warrant (PSW) is what releases the part for production shipments.
What PPAP means in manufacturing day to day
In a plant, PPAP is the gate between a part that was made once and a part that can be shipped every week. Engineering owns the drawing and design FMEA, manufacturing engineering owns the process flow and process FMEA, quality owns the control plan, gauge studies, dimensional layout and capability studies, and production runs the parts. The quality engineer pulls it together, and most of the time goes to chasing missing pieces from those owners and from sub-suppliers, such as a material cert or a lab report.
PPAP started in automotive, but heavy truck, agriculture, appliance, HVAC and electrical equipment makers ask for it too, often by name in the purchase order.
The 18 PPAP elements
| # | Element | What it is, in plain words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Design records | The released drawing and any specs it calls up, ballooned so every characteristic has a number. |
| 2 | Engineering change documents | Any authorized change not yet on the drawing, such as a deviation or an engineering change notice. |
| 3 | Customer engineering approval | Proof the customer’s engineers approved the part, when their manual requires it (for example a road or lab test sign-off). |
| 4 | Design FMEA | Design failure mode and effects analysis, only if you own the design. |
| 5 | Process flow diagram | Every step from receiving to shipping, including inspection, rework and storage. |
| 6 | Process FMEA | Process failure mode and effects analysis: what can go wrong at each step, how bad it is, and how you catch it. |
| 7 | Control plan | What is checked at each step, how, how often, and what the operator does when a check fails. |
| 8 | Measurement system analysis (MSA) | Gage R&R and other studies showing your gages can tell a good part from a bad one. |
| 9 | Dimensional results | Every dimension on the ballooned drawing measured on sample parts, with the result and pass or fail. |
| 10 | Material and performance test results | Material certs and the tests the drawing or spec calls for, such as hardness, salt spray or pressure. |
| 11 | Initial process studies | Capability (Ppk) on the special characteristics, from a significant production run. |
| 12 | Qualified laboratory documentation | Proof the labs that did the tests are qualified, such as an ISO/IEC 17025 scope. |
| 13 | Appearance approval report (AAR) | Color, grain and texture sign-off, only for parts with appearance requirements. |
| 14 | Sample production parts | Parts from the production run, sent as the customer asks. |
| 15 | Master sample | One signed part kept as the reference, usually at your site. |
| 16 | Checking aids | Fixtures, templates and gauges made for this part, with their calibration. |
| 17 | Customer-specific requirements | Records the customer’s own manual adds, such as a packaging approval or a run at rate. |
| 18 | Part submission warrant (PSW) | The one-page summary, signed by the supplier, that declares the part meets every requirement. |
The 18 elements as the AIAG PPAP manual, 4th edition, lists them. Your customer’s supplier manual can add requirements.
The 5 PPAP submission levels
| Level | What goes to the customer |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Warrant only (plus the appearance report for appearance parts) goes to the customer. |
| Level 2 | Warrant with product samples and limited supporting data. |
| Level 3 | Warrant with product samples and complete supporting data. The default when the customer says nothing. |
| Level 4 | Warrant and whatever else the customer defines. |
| Level 5 | Warrant with samples and complete data, reviewed at your plant. |
Level 3 is the default when the purchase order or the customer’s manual does not say.
Which elements each level submits
S means submit to the customer and keep a copy. R means keep on file and show it on request. * means keep on file and submit if the customer asks. Every element is completed at every level; the level only changes what is sent.
| # | Element | L1 | L2 | L3 | L4 | L5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Design records | R | S | S | * | R |
| 2 | Engineering change documents | R | S | S | * | R |
| 3 | Customer engineering approval | R | R | S | * | R |
| 4 | Design FMEA | R | R | S | * | R |
| 5 | Process flow diagram | R | R | S | * | R |
| 6 | Process FMEA | R | R | S | * | R |
| 7 | Control plan | R | R | S | * | R |
| 8 | Measurement system analysis (MSA) | R | R | S | * | R |
| 9 | Dimensional results | R | S | S | * | R |
| 10 | Material and performance test results | R | S | S | * | R |
| 11 | Initial process studies | R | R | S | * | R |
| 12 | Qualified laboratory documentation | R | S | S | * | R |
| 13 | Appearance approval report (AAR) | S | S | S | * | R |
| 14 | Sample production parts | R | S | S | * | R |
| 15 | Master sample | R | R | R | * | R |
| 16 | Checking aids | R | R | R | * | R |
| 17 | Customer-specific requirements | R | R | S | * | R |
| 18 | Part submission warrant (PSW) | S | S | S | S | R |
Retention and submission requirements as the AIAG PPAP manual, 4th edition, sets them out. Design records of proprietary details are retained, not submitted, at every level.
When a PPAP is required
A new part, or a part number new to this supplier.
An engineering change to the design record, specification or material.
New, transferred, replaced or refurbished tooling, or tooling that has been inactive for more than a year.
A change in sub-supplier or material source, or in how the part is processed.
Production moved to another plant or line.
Correction of a discrepancy found on a previously approved part.
The customer usually has to be told about a change before it happens. When in doubt, ask the customer’s supplier quality engineer whether a new PPAP is needed; shipping a changed part without approval is one of the fastest ways to lose a customer.
The numbers reviewers check first
Initial process studies (element 11): a Ppk above 1.67 meets the acceptance criteria; 1.33 to 1.67 may be acceptable with the customer’s review; below 1.33 does not. The checker above applies these bands to the number you type.
Measurement system analysis (element 8): a gage R&R under 10% is generally acceptable; 10% to 30% may be acceptable depending on the use and the customer; over 30% is not.
Dimensional results (element 9): every characteristic on the ballooned drawing, measured on parts from the production run, at the drawing revision on the warrant.
PPAP vs APQP vs FAI
| PPAP | APQP | FAI (AS9102) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Evidence package to approve a production part | The planning process that produces that evidence | Inspection record of the first production part |
| Industry | Automotive, then truck, appliance, industrial | Automotive | Aerospace and defense |
| Output | Signed part submission warrant plus up to 18 elements | Plans, FMEAs, control plan, then the PPAP | AS9102 forms 1 to 3 (part, materials and processes, characteristics) |
| When | End of launch, and after every significant change | From concept to launch | First production run, and after changes |
PPAP is the output of APQP phase 4 (product and process validation).
How to prepare a PPAP, step by step
Confirm the level, the due date and the customer’s own manual requirements with their supplier quality engineer.
Freeze the design record: the drawing revision on the warrant must match every result in the package.
Build the process flow, process FMEA and control plan together; they must name the same steps and characteristics.
Run the gauge studies before you measure anything you plan to submit.
Run a significant production run with production tooling, people and gauges, then do the dimensional layout, material and performance tests and capability studies from those parts.
Collect sub-supplier evidence early: material certs, plating and heat treat certs, and lab scopes.
Sign the warrant last, once every element is complete, and keep the whole package on file for the life of the part plus one year unless your customer says otherwise.
Common reasons a PPAP is rejected
Results at one drawing revision, warrant at another.
The control plan and the process FMEA do not match: a step or a special characteristic missing from one of them.
Capability below 1.33 with no reaction plan.
A gage R&R over 30%, or the study done on a different gauge from the one in the control plan.
Missing sub-supplier certs, or a lab without a qualified scope.
The warrant signed before the package was complete.
How Morsa runs PPAP instead of a spreadsheet
Most suppliers track a PPAP in a spreadsheet and a shared folder, and the quality engineer spends the week asking engineering, production and sub-suppliers for the missing pieces. Morsa works that list for you: it reads the PPAP request, shows what is still missing for the new part, asks each owner and sub-supplier for their piece in their own email or chat, files what comes back, and tells the quality engineer the day the package is ready to review and sign. The same agent drafts 8D reports when a complaint arrives and builds cert packets when a customer asks. At JRG Automotive, Morsa caught 5 of 8 production-stopping shortages early, worth $2M.
PPAP questions
What does PPAP stand for?
Production part approval process. It is defined in the AIAG PPAP manual, 4th edition.
How many PPAP elements are there?
18. Not every element applies to every part: a design FMEA only applies if you own the design, and the appearance approval report only applies to parts with appearance requirements.
What is the default PPAP level?
Level 3: the warrant with product samples and complete supporting data. It applies when the customer does not name a level.
What is a PSW?
The part submission warrant: one page that names the part, the reason for submission and the level, and declares that the samples and the documents meet every requirement. The supplier signs it, and the customer’s approval of it releases the part.
Is PPAP only for automotive?
No. It comes from automotive, but many industrial, truck, appliance and electrical customers use it. Aerospace uses first article inspection to AS9102 for the same purpose.
Does the checker send my data anywhere?
No. The checker, the preview and the downloads run in your browser, and your checklist is saved only in this browser.
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WHERE MORSA FITS
A PPAP is 18 documents owned by six people. Someone has to chase them.
Morsa keeps every PPAP in one place, sees which element is still missing, asks the owner for it by email, Teams, WhatsApp or whatever you already run on, and tells you the day the package is ready to sign. Your quality team approves; Morsa does the chasing.
