The following general requirements shall apply unless otherwise specified in the Purchase Order or non-applicability to the service or products being ordered by Tower Fasteners:
Tower Fasteners must be informed by written notification if there are any significant changes to supplier Business (loss of 3rd party certification, change of ownership, change in facility, change to business name, etc.), product, and/or manufacturing process related to Purchase Order. Change will be reviewed by Tower Fastener and approval may be required.
Change in Approved Processes, Materials or Procedures: Supplier shall not make any change to manufacturing process, material, or procedure that would have an effect on form, fit or function of product without prior written approval from Tower Fastener Representative.
Notification of Facility Change: Suppliers shall notify Tower Fasteners when relocating any production, manufacturing, and/or processing facilities during performance of a Tower Purchase Order without prior notification to Tower. This is necessary to afford Tower an opportunity to examine such facilities for compliance with Quality Assurance requirements, including any necessary approvals.
Notification of Loss of 3rd Party Certification: Supplier Shall notify Tower Fasteners of any changes to status of 3rd party certifications (ex. AS9100, AS9120, ISO9001, NADCAP). This can include change of CB/register, loss of certification, change to standard/s certified too, and/or change to expiration date.
In the event of a conflict in requirements between technical documents, the following order of precedence shall prevail:
Note: Contact the Tower authorized Buyer or Purchasing Representative regarding any questions or concerns. The
Configuration Requirements specified in the Purchase Order will contain applicable drawing, associated revision levels and supplemental drawing data.
Tower may refuse to accept items delivered under the Purchase Order if the Supplier fails to submit required documentation (e.g., test data), certificate of origin or inspection reports, as specified in the Purchase Order. A hard copy of all required documentation shall be sent with each shipment.
Neither surveillance, inspection and/or tests made by Tower or its representatives at either the Supplier’s or Buyer’s facility nor the Supplier’s compliance with all applicable Product Assurance Requirements shall relieve the Supplier of the responsibility to furnish items which conform to the requirements of the Purchase Order.
When supplier performs inspections for any products or service delivered against Tower Fasteners Purchase Order, the inspections will be performed to either 100% Lot inspection or sampling to a statistically valid industry or end customer sample plan. Industry sample plans can include ANSI Z1.4, IFI (ASME B18.18) sampling standard, or equivalent.
When identified on a Tower Fastener Purchase Order, the Supplier shall provide a Certificate of Conformance that certifies all materials and processes (plating, heat treatment, etching, painting, etc.) supplied are in accordance with Tower’s Purchase Order requirements. The Certificate shall indicate, at a minimum, the following as applicable: part number, revision, lot code, serial number (if applicable), Purchase Order number, quantity, and relevant specifications. If the shipment contains multiple processed lots/batches/date codes, then each processed lot/batch/date code must be represented on the Certificate of Conformance, along with their respective quantities. This document shall be signed and dated by the Supplier’s Authorized representative. Certification packages shall be included in the box with their respective parts.
Any Industry standard specifications noted on Tower Fasteners Purchase Order or drawing shall be per the latest revision unless otherwise specified.
The Supplier shall grant Tower, its customers, and/or any regulatory authority’s right of access to the applicable areas of all facilities at any level of the supply chain involved in the Purchase Order and to all applicable records & processes used to manufacture parts for the PO.
When a quality discrepancy exists, Tower Fasteners may request corrective action from the Supplier. Such request shall be responded to in the specified time and shall include the following information:
When a formal Supplier Corrective Action Request (SCAR) is submitted to the Supplier, the Supplier shall use Tower Fastener form as submitted. Supporting documentation is to be part of the SCAR’s response. Alternate corrective action formats may be acceptable if approved by Towers Management.
When identified on Tower Fastener Purchase Order the Supplier will maintain a Quality Management System that meets or exceeds industry standards and ensures adequate product conformance. It is preferable that Suppliers are able to maintain a Quality System that meets or exceeds ISO 9001, AS9100/AS9120, or NADCAP AC7004. The Supplier shall notify Buyer within two working days if any ISO, AS, or NADCAP certifications are revoked or suspended. Notification of certification upgrade is mandatory.
Supplier shall meet all scheduled delivery dates as specified on the Tower Fastener Purchase Order. If Supplier becomes aware of any circumstances that are likely to give rise to a delay in promised delivery date, the Supplier shall immediately notify Buyer, in writing, stating the reason for the delay and the new time for delivery.
Tower Fasteners tracks supplier performance based on quality of product delivered and Ontime delivery. Tower Fasteners reviews performance measurements biannually. If supplier performance is below objective Tower Fasteners may require supplier to take appropriate actions to address either quality or delivery issues.
All items delivered on this order must be adequately preserved, packaged, handled, and contained to prevent deterioration and damage during storage and shipment. The shipping method should ensure safe arrival at destination in accordance with best commercial practices unless special packaging and shipping instructions are specified by Purchase Order, drawing, or specification. The PO will identify and special package requirements. If the shipment contains multiple processed lot/batches/date codes, then each processed lot/batch/date code must be segregated and clearly identified to maintain complete traceability in each shipment.
When identified, suppliers authorized for direct shipment shall provide the recipient, and Tower Fasteners, all documentation as required per Tower Fasteners Supplier Quality Clauses, Terms and Conditions, and/or the Tower Fasteners Purchase Order.
The Supplier shall provide prompt written notification to TOWER Fasteners when nonconforming material or products are discovered by supplier. Supplier will notify Tower Purchasing representative of any instance of discovered nonconformance. The supplier shall not ship identified nonconforming material or product until authorization to ship in the form of a written response from TOWER Fasteners. Upon authorization to ship, the non- conforming product must be labeled as non-conforming by the Supplier before shipment and all documentation related to the nonconforming product shall accompany the product at time of shipment.
Product or Services Identified as nonconforming will have appropriate Action Taken/Disposition. Supplier will coordinate with Tower Fastener Representative for approval or actions/dispositions. Dispositions can include:
When supplier uses additional sub-tier suppliers for products or service related to a Tower Fastener Purchase order, the supplier will flow down all applicable requirements identified on Tower Fastener PO and this PO Quality Clauses, Terms, and Conditions record to the sub-tier.
If the Tower Fastener PO identifies the need to use approved sources, supplier will ensure that only approved sources are used. This can include the use of specific sub-tiers or NADCAP approved special processing.
The Supplier shall notify TOWER of any parts acquired using 3rd. party distributors/brokers or any other non-OEM/OCM sources when such sources are not certified to an industry or international standard (ISO9001, AS9100, AS9120, AC7004, etc.) . In these cases, the Supplier shall provide full traceability of parts detailing the characteristics, original manufacturer name, original manufacturer part number, serial/lot number, and shelf life (if applicable).
Suppliers shall ensure product delivered to Tower Fasteners are free of Foreign Objects Debris (FOD). The supplier shall employ appropriate housekeeping practices to assure timely removal of residue/debris generated, if any, during the manufacturing operations and/or normal daily tasks. The supplier can reference AS9146 specification for guidance on creating a FOD Prevention program.
When identified on the Tower Fastener PO supplier will perform First Article Inspection. A First Article Report (FAI) utilizing AS9102, or a pre-approved equivalent form is required. The inspection report shall indicate the actual measurement obtained for each characteristic listed on engineering documents (blue print, model, parts list, etc.) or any other document defining the configuration of product supplied to seller by Tower Fastener.
An amended (Delta) FAI report is required when any changes to the configuration of product are made. New FAI or Delta FAI is required when:
For all shelf-life sensitive material, Supplier shall provide certifications for temperature, perishable and age sensitive materials (e.g. epoxies, paints, bonding agents, adhesives, etc.), which reflect date of manufacture, date of test, shelf life, expiration date, and storage temperature as it applies to each lot/batch. Container label(s) must also reflect applicable lot/batch number(s), storage temperature, expiration date, and date of shipment. Product delivered to Buyer shall have a minimum of 75% remaining of shelf life upon receipt. When applicable, Material Safety Data Sheets are to be included with each shipment.
Where applicable, supplier shall provide any SDS (Safety Data Sheets) with product at the time of shipment or have sheets available to Tower Fastener upon request.
When identified on Tower Fastener PO a PPAP submission is required. PPAP will be based on the latest edition of the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) Manual, available through AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group). A Tower Fasteners CO INC. representative from Quality Assurance will identify the appropriate PPAP submission level and additional requirements for the part or component to be sourced. Unless otherwise specified, a Level 3 PPAP shall be submitted.
All PPAP samples must be produced using production tooling and processes at the production line rate. Supplier shall ensure compliance to all requirements listed on Tower Fasteners CO INC. drawings, purchase orders, and engineering specifications. Sample parts shall be submitted to Quality Engineering and/or specified Tower Fasteners CO INC. personnel. Suppliers may be required to perform annual layout/validation and PPAP submission as directed by Tower Fasteners CO INC.
The Supplier shall perform all inspections and tests using verified and/or calibrated equipment. Supplier will maintain a process for the control of verified/calibrated monitoring and measurement equipment.
When calibration of monitoring and measurement equipment are performed, supplier will ensure that all calibrations are traceable to a national or international standard (ex. NIST).
Outside calibration requirements are contained in purchasing documents. Calibration certificates shall show as applicable:
For Supplier-controlled design/engineering, the Supplier shall maintain a specific and unique part number with revision control. Significant change affecting the design or manufacturing process/location made by the supplier must be made aware to Tower Fastener. Significant changes include, but may not be limited to, changes that affect performance, integration, system compatibility, size, function, functional performance, testing requirements, material, material types etc.
For all special processes, the Supplier shall maintain adequate controls to ensure processes are performed in accordance with applicable specifications and will achieve planned results. For each special and/or controlled process performed, the supplier shall furnish certificates of conformance in accordance with applicable specifications and/or engineering drawings. The certificates must reference the vendor performing the process. Certificates for serialized parts and/or assemblies must reference the applicable serial number(s) for traceability.
Supplier shall maintain and make available to TOWER Fasteners all records for, or related to, TOWER’s products. Records must be retained at least ten (10) years following TOWER’s final payment under its prime contract unless otherwise specified.
Unauthorized over/under shipments and early shipments may be returned at Supplier’s expense. Supplier shall be liable for all storage/handling charges incurred as a result of over/under shipments and early shipments.
Supplier will treat as confidential all information, specifications, drawings, blueprints, and other technical data supplied by or on behalf of Buyer. Supplier further agrees to (1) limit use of the data to the performance of the specific Purchase Order, and (2) limit disclosure to those employees necessary for the performance of the Purchase Order, unless prior written consent has been granted by the Buyer or Purchasing Representative to permit other use or disclosure. Supplier shall upon Buyer’s request or upon completion of the Purchase Order promptly return all data supplied by Buyer and destroy all copies.
Supplier will ensure that all persons working on Tower orders are aware of the following:
When suppling raw material or products manufactured with raw material the supplier will review Tower Fasteners PO for any of the following requirements:
