PPAP Production Part Approval: Submission Checklist and Levels
What is PPAP?
PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) is the AIAG specification that confirms a supplier correctly understands all customer requirements and can consistently produce conforming parts under mass-production conditions. Parts can only move to full-volume supply after PPAP approval. PPAP typically runs in parallel with APQP and is the core deliverable of its product and process validation phase, and one of the documents verified in IATF 16949 audits.
The 18 Element Checklist
The tool lists all 18 submission elements of AIAG PPAP 4th edition, including design records, engineering change documents, DFMEA/PFMEA, process flow diagrams, control plans, MSA, initial process studies (SPC), appearance approval report (AAR), samples, standard samples, checking aids and customer-specific requirements. Each element states when submission is mandatory so nothing is missed. You can tick items one by one and the tool flags unfinished elements.
How to Choose the Submission Level
PPAP has five levels: level 1 submits only the PSW; level 2 adds limited samples and data; level 3 adds complete samples and data (the default); level 4 is customer-defined; level 5 reviews at the customer site. The tool shows the required element list for the selected level to prevent over- or under-submission. Confirm the level with the customer at project start because a wrong level means redundant documents or missing evidence that delays approval.
Step-by-Step Usage
Select the customer and submission level, check each of the 18 elements, confirm initial process capability (Ppk/Cpk) and MSA results, generate the submission list with PSW highlights, and submit it with the samples. Track the project with this tool during the APQP phase to avoid last-minute document collection, and combine it with the APQP checklist, control plan and FMEA tools for a complete APQP-to-PPAP loop.