Druck achieves prestigious 2-year accreditation for welding processes

Druck is delighted to share that we have achieved our 2 year accreditation from NADCAP

NADCAP, which stands for the National Aerospace and Defence Contractors Accreditation Program, is a globally recognised accreditation program for the Aerospace and Defence industries. It is managed by the Performance Review Institute (PRI) and focuses on ensuring the quality of "Special Processes" used within manufacturing.

Druck successfully completed a rigorous 4-day audit, where the auditor reviewed our welding processes, including Electron Beam (EB), Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), and Laser welding. The audit covered everything from operator training and weld qualifications, to our Quality Management System. Achieving NADCAP accreditation was made possible thanks to the dedicated efforts of a cross functional team, led by Daniel Marsh one of Drucks Lead Manufacturing Engineers.

We began our NADCAP journey back in 2017 when one of our key customers instructed that we needed to be NADCAP accredited for welding before any of our sensors could be fitted to its aircraft engines.

The Druck team, lead by Roy Dowell, started to review the NADCAP requirements and set to work, it was a challenging period, however Roy and the team, managed to get the process into good shape and applied to PRI to audit us in 2020. The team received a few minor findings, however, were able to close them out and secure NADCAP accreditation for the first time.

The accreditation lasts a year, but once successful for three consecutive audits, NADCAP extends the accreditation to 18 months. If successful again, you receive a 24-month accreditation. Druck has been able to sustain the highest standards with Roy became a voting member for the Aerospace suppliers for NADCAP, also earing him the moniker “Captain NADCAP”.

Over time, the team created a Special Processes, with Daniel now taking the lead for the welding team (Cory, JB, Lukasz, Luke, Martin and Andy). The Druck team have continued to maintain and improve the welding process over the last several audits, and they have now been secured the highest merit that NADCAP can award after three consecutive successful audits, a 2-year accreditation, which is a credit to the team and Drucks exception quality

This achievement is not solely due to the Welding Process Specialists; it is the result of the collective efforts of the entire Druck team. From the supporting functions of Quality, Planning, Supplier Quality Engineering (SQE), Technology, Project Management, and Product Management, to the Welding Team themselves, everyone played a crucial role.

We are especially proud of the Welding Team, when they were interviewed by the auditor, who asked everything you could possibly think of about our welding processes. “Their professionalism and pride in their work shone through,” quoted the auditor.

We couldn’t agree more – they are a fantastic team, with a great work ethic that delivers exceptional results.