---
title: "PPAP Levels Explained: All 5 Levels & 18 Elements"
description: "PPAP has five submission levels, and Level 3 is the default. All 18 elements explained, plus how to tell if you need full PPAP or just an FAI."
canonical: https://openspindle.com/blog/ppap-levels-explained
author: "Tom"
datePublished: 2026-08-18T00:00:00.000Z
dateModified: 2026-08-18T00:00:00.000Z
category: "Quality & Compliance"
---

# PPAP Explained: The 5 Submission Levels and What Each One Requires

PPAP is a standardized package of evidence a supplier submits to prove it can make your part repeatably, to print, at production volume. It has five submission levels that differ only in how much of that evidence you actually send to the customer. Level 3 is the default.

## The five PPAP submission levels

All five levels require the same underlying work. They differ in what gets shipped to the customer and what stays on file at the shop. A Level 1 submission does not mean the shop skipped anything; it still has to run the studies, build the control plan and hold the records. It just keeps them on file rather than sending them.

| Level | What you submit to the customer | Typical use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Level 1 | Part Submission Warrant only, plus an Appearance Approval Report for cosmetic parts | Low-risk parts, catalog items, long-standing suppliers |
| Level 2 | PSW plus product samples and limited supporting data | Moderate risk, or a minor change to an approved part |
| Level 3 | PSW plus product samples and complete supporting data | The default. Assume this unless told otherwise |
| Level 4 | PSW plus whatever the customer specifically defines | Customer has its own quality manual that deviates from AIAG |
| Level 5 | PSW, samples and complete data, reviewed on site at the supplier | Safety-critical parts, or a supplier recovering from an escape |

*If the purchase order or quality agreement does not name a level, it is Level 3. Ask in writing before the shop quotes, because the level materially changes the price.*

## The 18 PPAP elements

A full Level 3 submission covers all eighteen. They are easier to hold in your head grouped by what each one is actually proving.

| # | Element | What it proves |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Design Records | The drawing or model of record, at the correct revision |
| 2 | Authorized Engineering Change Documents | Any approved changes since that revision |
| 3 | Customer Engineering Approval | Sign-off, where the customer requires it |
| 4 | Design FMEA | Failure modes in the design. Usually the customer owns this, not the shop |
| 5 | Process Flow Diagram | Every step from raw material to shipping |
| 6 | Process FMEA | Failure modes in the process, with risk priority numbers |
| 7 | Control Plan | The controls at each step that catch those failures |
| 8 | Measurement System Analysis | Gage R&R studies proving the measurement itself is trustworthy |
| 9 | Dimensional Results | Every dimension on the print, measured, on a real part |
| 10 | Material and Performance Test Results | Material certs plus any functional testing the print calls out |
| 11 | Initial Process Studies | Cpk or Ppk on the characteristics flagged as critical |
| 12 | Qualified Laboratory Documentation | Scope and accreditation of whichever lab did the testing |
| 13 | Appearance Approval Report | Cosmetic sign-off, where finish and color matter |
| 14 | Sample Production Parts | The parts themselves |
| 15 | Master Sample | One retained part, signed and dated, kept as the reference |
| 16 | Checking Aids | Any custom gages or fixtures built to check the part |
| 17 | Customer-Specific Requirements | Anything in the customer's own quality manual |
| 18 | Part Submission Warrant | The cover sheet. The supplier's signed claim that all of the above is true |

*Element 18, the PSW, is the only document present at every submission level. It is the legal spine of the package.*

## What Cpk number do you need?

Element 11, initial process studies, is where PPAP submissions most often get rejected. These thresholds apply to characteristics marked critical or significant on the drawing, not to every dimension. That is worth understanding before you release a print, because every characteristic you flag as critical is one somebody has to run a capability study on. Over-flagging is one of the most expensive drawing mistakes we see.

| Ppk / Cpk result | Status |
| --- | --- |
| 1.67 or above | Acceptable. Proceed |
| 1.33 to 1.67 | Conditionally acceptable. Needs customer approval and usually a corrective action plan |
| Below 1.33 | Not acceptable. The process must be improved before approval |

## When is PPAP triggered?

A submission is required, or re-required, on a new part, an engineering change to design or material, tooling that has been transferred, replaced or refurbished, tooling idle for twelve months or more, a change in process or method, a change of manufacturing location, a change of sub-supplier, or correction of a previous quality discrepancy. That location clause catches people. If your supplier moves the job from one building to another, you are back in PPAP.

## PPAP vs FAI vs a dimensional report

These three get used interchangeably in conversation and they are very different amounts of work. Automotive production parts need PPAP. Aerospace and defense use AS9102 first article inspection instead. Medical devices use ISO 13485 process validation. Consumer hardware, robotics, drones and industrial equipment almost always need a dimensional report or an FAI, not PPAP.

| What it is | Dimensional report | First Article (AS9102) | Full PPAP (Level 3) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it proves | This part measures correctly | Every drawing requirement is accounted for | The process makes correct parts repeatably |
| Capability studies | No | No | Yes, Cpk or Ppk |
| FMEA and control plan | No | No | Yes |
| Added lead time | 1 to 3 days | 3 to 10 days | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Added cost | Low | Moderate | Substantial, often four figures |

*Asking for full PPAP on a 200-piece bring-up run is a common and costly mistake. You pay weeks of lead time to prove statistical capability on a process you will change before it reaches volume.*

## Finding a shop that can actually do PPAP

Not every capable machine shop can produce a PPAP package. It needs a quality system, calibrated and traceable measurement equipment, someone who knows how to run a Gage R&R, and usually IATF 16949 or ISO 9001 certification. A shop can hold a hard tolerance beautifully and still be unable to document it to AIAG standard. Ask which levels they have submitted and to whom, whether their measurement lab is accredited or subcontracted, who writes their control plans, and what their typical turnaround is for a Level 3 package. A shop that answers quickly and specifically has done it before.

## What PPAP does to your quote

Three things change when PPAP enters a quote, and it is worth budgeting for all three rather than being surprised by them.

First, a one-time documentation charge. Real engineering hours go into the FMEA, the control plan and the measurement system analysis. On a small part this can exceed the cost of the parts themselves.

Second, lead time. Capability studies require running enough parts to be statistically meaningful, then measuring them. That work happens before your parts ship, not alongside.

Third, a higher piece price at low volume, because the control plan mandates in-process inspection that a non-PPAP job would not carry.

None of this is padding. It is the actual cost of the evidence. But it is why a purchase order that says only "PPAP" with no level next to it is worth a phone call before anyone quotes.

| What changes | Typical impact | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Documentation charge | One-time, often four figures | FMEA, control plan and MSA are engineering hours |
| Lead time | Plus 2 to 6 weeks | Capability studies need parts run and measured first |
| Piece price at low volume | Higher | The control plan mandates in-process inspection |
| Piece price at volume | Roughly unchanged | The documentation cost amortizes away |

*Ranges here are typical rather than quoted. Ask any shop for their specific documentation charge before you commit; it varies widely.*

## What to send when you ask for a PPAP quote

Shops quote PPAP badly when they have to guess, and guessing is always expensive for you. Send these five things with the RFQ and the number you get back will be both lower and more reliable.

The submission level, explicitly. If you do not know, say so and ask what your customer is likely to want, rather than leaving it blank.

The drawing with critical and significant characteristics already identified. Every characteristic you flag becomes a capability study, so flagging everything is the single most expensive thing you can do on a drawing.

The annual volume you actually expect. Documentation cost amortizes, so the quantity changes the per-part number substantially.

Any customer-specific quality manual that applies. This is element 17, and it is the one that most often turns a routine submission into a custom one.

Whether you need the parts before the paperwork. Many programs can ship production parts on a deviation while the PPAP package is finished. If that works for you, say so, because it decouples your schedule from the studies.

## Related reading

- [CNC machining tolerance chart](https://openspindle.com/reference/cnc-machining-tolerance-chart.md)
- [GD&T symbols reference](https://openspindle.com/reference/gdt-symbols-reference.md)
- [Surface roughness chart](https://openspindle.com/reference/surface-roughness-chart.md)
- [CNC machining capabilities](https://openspindle.com/capabilities/cnc-machining.md)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is PPAP required outside automotive?

Rarely. PPAP comes from AIAG and is mandated by IATF 16949 for automotive production parts. Aerospace uses AS9102 first article inspection, and medical devices use ISO 13485 process validation. If someone outside automotive asks you for PPAP, ask which elements they actually intend to review.

### What is a PSW?

The Part Submission Warrant is the cover sheet of a PPAP package and the supplier's signed claim that everything in the submission is true. It is the only document present at every submission level.

### How much does PPAP add to a quote?

Three things change: a one-time documentation charge for the FMEA, control plan and measurement system analysis; two to six weeks of added lead time for capability studies; and a higher piece price at low volume because the control plan mandates in-process inspection.

### How long does a PPAP submission take?

Typically two to six weeks on top of manufacturing, and most of that is the initial process studies, which need enough parts run and measured to be statistically meaningful. It is sequential work, not something that happens alongside your parts being made, so build it into the schedule rather than assuming it overlaps.

### Can I get parts before the PPAP package is finished?

Often yes, on a deviation. Many programs ship production parts against a documented concession while the submission is completed. If that works for your situation, say so in the RFQ, because it decouples your delivery date from the capability studies and can save weeks.

### What is the difference between PPAP and APQP?

APQP is the planning framework that runs across the whole product introduction; PPAP is the evidence package produced at the end of it. You cannot really produce a credible PPAP without having done something like APQP first, which is why the two are usually discussed together.