Palladin Supplier Requirements

At Palladin, we recognize the importance of working in close collaboration with professional suppliers in order to ensure the timely delivery of quality products. We are committed to establishing supplier relationships that provide mutual benefit.

Unless otherwise stated on the purchase order, the following applies to all orders:

1. General Requirements

1.1 Quality Management System
Suppliers are required to develop and maintain a Quality Management System that is appropriate to their business type and organization size. We encourage use of ISO 9001 as a QMS model and registration to this standard.

1.2 Defective Material or Parts
Defective material or parts received by Palladin will be dispositioned in a manner that protects our customer and is most reasonable to the supplier. Palladin MRB will determine what we see as the best plan considering the needs of all concerned. We will notify the supplier of the defective condition and our planned actions giving opportunity for discussion and adjustments to the plan. The need to deliver good product to our customer on-time may sometimes force us to take corrective measures immediately. If this happens Palladin will work out reasonable charges for the actions we were forced to take.

1.3 Material Review Board Authority
Palladin maintains Material Review Board (MRB) authority for all requirements. The supplier’s MRB only has the authority to sort or scrap, or contact Palladin for a deviation. Rework or knowingly supplying product that does not meet all PO, drawing, or specification requirements is not allowed. Any deviation of product from the PO, drawing, or specification requirements must be approved in writing by Palladin.

The limitation includes rework because many of our customers’ disallowing process changes. Since rework would constitute a process change, it is not allowed without the mentioned approval.

1.4 Rejected Material or Parts 
Material or parts that were rejected by Palladin and returned to the supplier for sort or rework must be so identified when reshipped to Palladin. Including the original reject documentation is an easy way to accomplish this.

1.5 Deviations
Deviation requests must identify the product, PO, requirement that is not met, deviant quantity or time period, and plan for future product. Our form QF041 may be used.

1.6 Process Control
Suppliers must develop and use process controls and inspections appropriate to their processes. These should include processing details and inspection methods.

1.7 Process Changes
Palladin must be notified of any planned changes in process or materials as compared from prior runs. When notified of planned changes, Palladin will evaluate the impact & determine if our customer needs to be notified and/or give approval.

1.8 Sub-Suppliers
Palladin suppliers must pass along applicable Palladin requirements to their suppliers.

1.9 Traceability
Traceability to materials and the details of processing is required. This includes tracking and the ability to trace the product from your shipping door back to the source of materials and processing details.

1.10 Calibration
Tools and equipment used to process and approve product must be calibrated with standards traceable to NIST. Calibration must be done by trained, knowledgeable personnel under appropriately controlled conditions.

1.11 Record Retention
Records of the order, process, material, and quality checks must be maintained for a minimum of 10 years.

1.12 Drawing Interpretation and Inspection Techniques
Palladin seeks to use industry standard approaches. Where the need for definition arose but no industry standard has been discovered we have developed a technique related to our understanding of the use of the feature. These are documented on QD008 Drawing Interpretation and Inspection Techniques and will be supplied upon request.

1.13 Customer Special Requirements
Some of our customers have special requirements which need to flow down to our suppliers. When this happens the special requirements will be referenced on the PO.

1.14 FOD (Foreign Object Debris)
The supplier shall assure that any material or parts supplied or processed are free of FOD. Suppliers are expected to take action to minimize chances of the introduction of FOD to the parts or packaging. Employee training in FOD prevention as well as specific handling techniques are some ways to reduce the risk of FOD.

1.15 Counterfeit Material and Parts
Counterfeit is defined as items that are misrepresented as being new or having been manufactured of the correct material or by an approved system or supplier.

Examples of Counterfeit Material include:

• misrepresented source
• unauthorized copy or substitute
• not correct material or construction
• used, refurbished, or reclaimed product not identified as such
• not passed all expected tests and quality checks
• expired product not identified as such
• labeled or marked in a manner likely to mislead

Suppliers are required to have counterfeit mitigation measures in place. Further if a supplier discovers counterfeit material or parts were supplied to Palladin, they are required to notify Palladin.

1.16 Packaging
Packaging must be such that the product will be protected during transit from handling damage and deterioration.

2. Additional Requirements that are Specific to Supplier Type

2.1 Material Suppliers

2.1.1 Material Certification 
A certification for the material supplied is required with each shipment of material. Certifications must contain the supplier name, mill source, country of origin, lot number, quantity, and Palladin purchase order number.

Material certifications must be certifications of analysis that certify that the material meets the specification(s) required on the purchase order and list the actual readings for everything that is called for in the specification listed.
This usually means chemistry and physical requirements and commonly includes:

• Material designation
• Condition
• Specification
• Specification revision level
• Elements
• Tensile, yield, elongation
• Hardness

For example: for a material specified as 416 condition T per ASTM A582 the cert must state that it is 416 condition T per ASTM A582 and the carbon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, silicon, chromium, nickel content and hardness. These are the chemical and physical properties required by the ASTM spec. All must be within the requirements on the current ASTM spec.

Another example: for a material specified as C36000 H02 brass per ASTM B16 the cert must state that it is C36000 H02 brass per ASTM B16 & the copper, lead, iron content, and the tensile, yield, and elongation. All must be within the requirements on the current ASTM spec.

The certification must identify the heat and mill order or other distinguishing details of the lot that track back to the mill.

2.1.2 Bar Material
Bar material is expected to be supplied in 12-foot lengths and be shipped in a box or tube to prevent damage and corrosion.

2.1.3 Coil material
Coil material should be packaged in a way to protect coils from damage and corrosion.

* This is not to limit shipping containers, just individual coils.

2.2 Part Suppliers

2.2.1 Suppliers Responsibility
Suppliers are encouraged to request clarification for any unclear portions of our PO, drawing, or specifications.

2.2.2 First Article Samples and Report.
For the first run of a given part, suppliers are required to submit 5 pieces made consecutively on the regular production equipment which was, or will be used, to make the production lot. A first article inspection report of these 5 pieces is required to address each requirement on the PO, drawing, and specifications. When one or more features are not verifiable from the outside of the part, additional sectioned part(s) must be measured nd supplied. Each sample part is to be numbered corresponding to the inspection report sample number. A numbered drawing is to be used to identify each dimension.  Unless otherwise specified, it is up to the supplier’s discretion if they want to submit the samples and report before production, at the beginning of production, or with the first completed lot of parts. It is also up to the supplier’s discretion if they want to hold production while Palladin evaluates the First Article.

Palladin will inspect sample parts and compare findings with the inspection report.  If there are any discrepancies or concerns, the supplier will be contacted to work together toward a resolution.

The intent of this process is to eliminate errors caused by differing expectations and interpretations, measuring equipment, and methods. To this end, suppliers are encouraged to submit samples as early as practical.

2.2.3 Material Certification 
A certification for the material used to make the parts is required with each shipment of product. Material certifications must meet all of the requirements listed for material suppliers above.

2.2.4 Part Certification
In addition to a material certification a certification of compliance for the part is required. It must state that the parts meet all the requirements of the purchase order and include:

• Purchase Order number
• Quantity
• Part number
• Part revision
• Any required specifications
• Specification revisions

2.3 Process Suppliers
Examples of special processes are plating, painting, soldering, welding, heat treating, passivating, electropolishing, cleaning, anodizing, chemical films.

2.3.1 Process Certification
A certification for the specified process is required with each shipment of product. Process certifications must certify that the process meets the specification(s) required on the PO and the drawing. Where there is a range to the requirement such as thickness, the actual measured finding is required.

Process Certification must also include:

• Purchase Order number
• Quantity
• Part number
• Part revision
• Any required specifications
• Specification revisions

Examples:

• If the drawing requires passivate to ASTM 967 section 7.1.1.3 then the cert must say it was processed in accordance with ASTM 967 section 7.1.1.3.
• If the drawing requires case depth of .005″/.010″ then the cert must certify the actual case depth and it must be between .005″ — .010″.
• If the drawing requires a plating thickness of .0003″/.0005″ then the certification must certify the actual plating thickness, and it must be between .0003″ — .0005.”

2.3.2 Heat Treaters
Hardness tests are generally considered destructive, so tested samples MUST be kept separate from the parts lot. Bagging them and marking them as “Tested Samples” is sufficient.

If the location of the hardness “test mark,” configuration of the part, or later machining will allow the samples to be used, our Inspector will put them back into the lot after our inspection is completed,