What is NADCAP? The aerospace special-process accreditation explained
NADCAP does not certify a shop's quality system, it accredits specific special processes (heat treating, NDT, welding, coatings, chemical processing) for aerospace and defence. When your part needs it, and how it differs from AS9100.
NADCAP (the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) is a special-process accreditation run by the Performance Review Institute. It does not certify a shop's overall quality system, that is what AS9100 does. NADCAP accredits individual special processes, the operations whose quality you cannot fully confirm by inspecting the finished part: heat treating, non-destructive testing, welding, chemical processing and coatings. If your aerospace or defence part goes through one of those steps, the prime almost always requires it be done at a NADCAP-accredited source.
Why "special processes" need their own accreditation
A machined dimension you can measure. A heat-treat cycle or a passivation bath you cannot, not without destroying the part. These are "special processes": the quality is built into the process, not verifiable afterward on the part itself. So instead of inspecting the output, NADCAP audits the process, the equipment, the controls and the operators, and accredits the shop to run it.
| Special-process family | Typical operations |
|---|---|
| Heat treating | Aging, annealing, solution treat, stress relief |
| Non-destructive testing (NDT) | Penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic, radiographic |
| Welding and brazing | Fusion welding, electron-beam, brazing of flight hardware |
| Chemical processing | Anodizing, passivation, chem film, plating, etch |
| Coatings | Thermal spray, dry-film lube, paint systems |
| Materials testing | Mechanical and chemical test labs |
Each family has its own audit criteria in the AC-series, and processors also meet a baseline quality-system criteria (AC7004) underneath the process-specific audits.
NADCAP vs AS9100 vs ISO 9001
They answer different questions. ISO 9001 and AS9100 ask "does this shop run a controlled quality system?" NADCAP asks "is this shop qualified to run this specific special process to the spec?" A shop can hold AS9100 and still have to send heat treat or NDT to a NADCAP-accredited processor.
| What it covers | Scope | |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | General quality-management system | The whole shop |
| AS9100 | Aerospace QMS (ISO 9001 plus traceability, risk, configuration) | The whole shop |
| NADCAP | A specific special process to its spec | One process line |
See AS9100 vs ISO 9001 for the quality-system side of this.
When your part needs a NADCAP source
When a prime's flow-down calls out a special process to a specification (heat treat to AMS 2770, penetrant inspection to a class and sensitivity, a coating to a process spec), the processor doing that step generally has to be NADCAP-accredited to the relevant criteria. This is routine on anything that flies or feeds a flight program, and common on defence hardware. For commercial and industrial work it is almost never required.
How it works
The Performance Review Institute administers NADCAP on behalf of a council of subscriber primes (Boeing, Airbus, the engine makers and others). Industry task groups write the audit criteria, PRI auditors run the audits, and the primes accept the result in common rather than each auditing every processor themselves. That shared audit is the whole point: one rigorous accreditation the entire supply chain trusts.
Sourcing NADCAP work in Canada
Many Canadian aerospace shops hold NADCAP for the special processes they run in house and route the rest to accredited processors. We treat NADCAP as a hard capability and confirm it before routing. Browse NADCAP-accredited shops, the aerospace and defence pockets, or send your part.
What to send for a quote
Your part, the special processes it needs and the specs behind them, and the prime flow-down if you have it. Request a quote and we route only to shops accredited for the process your part actually requires.
FAQ
Is NADCAP a quality certification?
Not in the AS9100 sense. AS9100 certifies a shop's quality-management system; NADCAP accredits a specific special process (heat treat, NDT, welding, coatings, chemical processing) to its spec. Most aerospace work needs both.
What does NADCAP stand for?
The National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program. It is now written as a proper name, Nadcap, and administered by the Performance Review Institute.
What is the difference between NADCAP and AS9100?
Scope. AS9100 covers the whole shop's quality system; NADCAP covers one special-process line. A shop can be AS9100 certified and still need a NADCAP-accredited source for heat treat or NDT.
Who runs NADCAP?
The Performance Review Institute (PRI), an affiliate of SAE International, on behalf of the subscriber primes whose task groups write the audit criteria.
Do I need NADCAP for a commercial part?
Almost never. It applies when a prime's aerospace or defence flow-down calls out a special process to a specification. Commercial and industrial parts do not carry that requirement.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Related reading: AS9100 vs ISO 9001 and defence procurement in Canada.
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