In this guide 6 sections
PPAP has five submission levels, and the level decides how much evidence reaches the customer, from a bare warrant at Level 1 to a plant review at Level 5. Level 2 adds samples and limited data. Level 3 adds the full data set. Level 4 follows the customer’s own list.
What each of the five levels asks you to send
The customer sets the level, not you. Look for it on the purchase order, the drawing release or the supplier quality manual, and confirm it in writing before tooling is cut. A wrong guess costs weeks.
Level 1 sends only the part submission warrant, plus an appearance report where the part has colour or grain requirements, such as a trim clip or a moulded cover. Level 2 adds samples and limited data. Level 3 sends the warrant, samples and the complete data set, and it is the level many buyers assume when they say nothing.
Level 4 sends the warrant plus whatever else the customer lists in writing, and that list can differ from one buyer or plant to the next. Level 5 keeps the complete data at your plant, where the customer’s engineer reviews the records and the process beside the line itself. Nothing travels. The reviewer comes to you.
- Level 1: warrant only, plus an appearance report if required
- Level 2: warrant, samples and limited data
- Level 3: warrant, samples and the complete data set
- Level 4: warrant plus the items the customer names
- Level 5: warrant, samples and data, reviewed at your plant
The documents that make up a submission
A full package is a stack of separate records, each owned by a different person, and the design record is simply the customer drawing at the released revision. The process flow diagram, the PFMEA and the control plan describe how the part will be made, checked and reacted to when a measurement drifts.
Dimensional results come from a layout inspection of the sample parts, with each characteristic numbered to match the ballooned drawing, and material and performance reports come from the lab. A gauge R&R study proves the gauges can be trusted, and Cpk and Ppk studies show whether the process holds the special characteristics on the drawing.
Then come the sample parts, the master sample, any checking aids and the packaging approval, and every page must carry the same drawing revision. Mismatched revisions send packages back. Check it first. Then check the warrant signature.
- Ballooned drawing and layout inspection results
- Process flow diagram, PFMEA and control plan
- Gauge R&R and capability studies
- Material, performance and appearance reports
- Part submission warrant signed by the supplier
Who signs it off at the customer
Vehicle makers and tier-one buyers have the supplier quality engineer approve the package, though some use a supplier portal and others want email plus a sample box by courier.
Three statuses come back. Full approval lets you ship production quantities, interim approval allows shipment for a limited period or quantity while open items close, and rejection blocks shipments until resubmission.
Expect questions from design, materials and purchasing too, so keep the engineer’s name and the date of each reply beside the part number in the submission log. A verbal nod does not release the part. Get it in writing.
Match the level to the part and start early
Safety parts, new tooling and a changed process draw a heavier level than a catalogue fastener, so ask which level applies when the part number arrives. Early answers save rework.
Work backwards from the due date. Capability studies need parts from a production-rate run on the actual tool, so trial runs and gauge time must be booked weeks ahead. Check that the calibration certificate for every gauge named in the control plan, from the plug gauges to the CMM, is still valid on the submission day.
Resubmission is triggered later as well. A tool repair, a new sub-supplier or a changed process step can all demand a fresh warrant, so log each change against the part number that day.
Keep the whole package in one place
Most first submissions live in a shared folder of spreadsheets, scanned PDFs, phone photos of gauge readouts and the odd email attachment nobody renamed. That works until a drawing changes. Then three people hold three versions. Nobody knows which PFMEA is current.
Software helps by tying every record to a part number and drawing revision, showing which documents are missing for the chosen level and keeping approval status beside them. Tool changes raise a resubmission flag.
Start small this week. List your three newest parts. Write the level each customer requires beside each one, then mark every document you cannot find in under a minute, starting with the gauge R&R study.
PPAP level matrix
A one-page matrix. Rows list the package documents: warrant, ballooned drawing, layout report, PFMEA, control plan, gauge study, capability study, material report, sample part and packaging approval. Columns cover Levels 1 to 5 with each cell marked submit, retain or on request, and final columns hold the owner, due date and drawing revision.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Who decides the PPAP level?
Your customer does, through the purchase order, the supplier quality manual or the part release, and if unclear, ask the supplier quality engineer in writing before sampling.
Is Level 3 the default?
Many customers expect it unless told otherwise. That is a habit, not a rule, so confirm the level in writing for each new part number before anyone books lab time.
Do we resubmit when a tool is repaired?
Often yes. A major repair, a moved tool or a new sub-supplier commonly triggers a submission, and your customer’s manual lists the triggers, so read it and log every change.
What if the package is rejected?
Fix the items in the rejection note, update the records and send a complete resubmission, because production shipments wait until a full or interim approval comes back.