Quality Document Pack for Aluminum Casting RFQs: Certificates, PPAP Elements, Inspection, and Traceability

# Quality Document Pack for Aluminum Casting RFQs: Certificates, PPAP Elements, Inspection, and Traceability

Most supplier comparisons fail because the RFQ does not define the quality package. One quote assumes basic inspection; another assumes PPAP-style documentation and traceability. The lowest number often wins for the wrong reason.

This checklist is a practical "document pack" you can use when qualifying aluminum casting suppliers for OEM or industrial programs.

Helpful Bohua routes:

• •Certifications and verification pointers
• •Supplier evaluation checklist
• •PPAP Level 3 buyer guide
• •CMM inspection requirement guide
• •Request quote + drawing upload

1) Certification evidence (what to request, not what to assume)

Ask for:

• •the certificate PDF (not just a logo)
• •validity dates and the issuing body
• •scope wording (does it cover casting, machining, and the actual plant location?)
• •any relevant site identifiers (as applicable to the certificate type)

If your program is not automotive, a certificate can still matter, but it is not a substitute for control plans and records.

2) Quality planning documents (supplier-owned, quote-impacting)

If you need automotive-style readiness or a controlled launch, request:

• •process flow diagram (what steps exist and where inspection happens)
• •PFMEA and control plan for the part family
• •special characteristic marking logic (CTQ/critical features) and how they are verified
• •gage list and calibration plan for key measuring tools

If you are not sure, at least request a control plan outline and a proposed inspection plan for first articles.

3) Inspection and measurement evidence

Define the minimum acceptable evidence for first samples:

• •dimensional layout report (ballooned drawing matched to measurements)
• •CMM report for critical geometries (if applicable)
• •surface roughness records for sealing faces (if applicable)
• •hardness and heat treatment verification when required

If you expect MSA or GRR studies, state that in the RFQ. Suppliers do not design measurement systems for MSA after the launch is already in trouble.

4) Material and performance test records

Request:

• •alloy chemistry verification approach (spectrometer, CoA, CoC)
• •mechanical property targets if required (and test standards)
• •corrosion or salt-spray testing if the program requires it

If the part is pressure-tight, connect material and inspection requirements to the functional risk (leak performance, fatigue, corrosion).

5) Traceability fields: decide what must be carried on every shipment

State what identifiers you need to trace:

• •heat/lot and melt batch
• •tooling revision or cavity identification
• •production date/shift (if relevant)
• •inspection record reference
• •nonconformance disposition rules (what happens when something fails)

Even a simple lot-level traceability requirement can prevent expensive disputes later.

6) A simple RFQ quality-pack template buyers can copy

Paste this into your RFQ email or portal:

• •Certification evidence required: yes/no (attach PDFs)
• •First sample evidence required: dimensional layout, CMM (if needed), material record
• •Launch quality package: PPAP level (if any), control plan, PFMEA, MSA/GRR (if any)
• •Ongoing inspection: sampling plan, CTQ verification, record retention expectation
• •Traceability fields required on shipping labels and records

Start a structured RFQ (so quality assumptions are visible)

If you want your quality requirements to be treated as part of the quote (not an afterthought), start a structured RFQ that prompts the supplier to answer in writing:

• •Start a quality-doc focused RFQ
• •Or use the formal RFQ hub