The formal audit was completed in August, and the certificate was officially granted today.
“From day one, we saw this effort not just as an internal quality upgrade, but a contribution to the aerospace and defense supply chain globally. By helping to shape the audit criteria, and then demonstrating compliance through our own processes, we believe we are offering reassurance to our customers that our powders meet the most rigorous standards possible,” said Claude Jean, CEO of Tekna.
Since 2023, Tekna has actively participated in developing the NADCAP audit criteria (AC7143) for metallic powder materials and hosted training sessions for auditors at its Canadian manufacturing facility. The new AC7143 standard is now published and establishes a global benchmark for quality, traceability, and consistency in powder manufacturing.
This milestone highlights Tekna’s strong position within the Aerospace and Defense industry. It is a clear recognition of the company’s advanced technical capabilities and quality standards, and demonstrates Tekna’s ability to deliver high-performance materials to one of the world’s most demanding industrie
Ann-Kari Heier, EVP at Arendals Fossekompani and Tekna board member
NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) is an industry-managed global cooperative program overseen by the Performance Review Institute (PRI). It standardizes audits and accreditation of “critical processes” (such as heat treatment, chemical processes, non destructive testing) to ensure suppliers meet the stringent technical and quality requirements demanded by aerospace and defense OEMs. (p-r-i.org).Rather than each customer performing their own audit, NADCAP’s consensus approach reduces redundancy, aligns supplier practices with a single credible benchmark, and drives continuous improvement across the industry. Until now, NADCAP had not included a specific accreditation for metallic powder manufacturing processes. With the release of Audit Criteria AC7143, the industry now has a dedicated framework for this critical domain.
Teknas Contribution to AC7143 and the Certification Journey
Standards development
From 2023 onward, Tekna was among the leading contributors in industry working groups and task forces that drafted the AC7143 audit criteria. This effort was a collaborative initiative involving key aerospace and defense stakeholders including BAE Systems, GKN Aerospace, Safran, and the Performance Review Institute (PRI), reflecting a shared commitment to advancing global standards for metallic powder manufacturing. These criteria define mandatory practices in areas such as material traceability, process controls, quality assurance, contamination control, documentation, and equipment maintenance.
Auditor training hosted on-site
To ensure consistent interpretation of the new standard, our Canadian facility hosted training sessions for NADCAP and OEM auditors. This allowed direct exposure to real-world metallic powder workflows, improved mutual understanding, and helped validate the audit checklist in practice.
Internal readiness and mock audits
Throughout 2024–2025, our teams ran internal gap analyses, mock audits, and process refinements to ensure full compliance with AC7143 ahead of the formal audit.
Formal audit and certification
The NADCAP onsite audit was conducted in August. The auditor team thoroughly examined powder manufacturing facility, procedural controls, documentation, traceability systems, quality records, and more. With two minor nonconformances solved, we successfully passed the audit, and the NADCAP certificate was issued today.
Importance for Aerospace & Defense Customers
Achieving NADCAP accreditation under AC7143 demonstrates that Teknas metallic powders now adhere to the highest industry standard of quality and traceability. For aerospace and defense customers, this offers several key benefits:
- Reduced audit risk: Customers can rely on an independent, standardized certification rather than conducting custom process audits themselves.
- Supply chain assurance: It signals that the powder manufacturing process is robust, traceable, and controlled from raw materials through final inspection.
- Competitive advantage: As the first NADCAP accredited metallic powder supplier, Tekna is uniquely positioned to serve defense and space OEMs that require the highest level of supplier qualification.
- Continuous improvement: NADCAP’s periodic re audits drive ongoing improvements, keeping our processes aligned with evolving best practices.
About AC7143
The New Audit Criteria The new NADCAP Audit Criteria AC7143 define requirements specifically tailored for metallic powder material manufacturing. These criteria cover:
- Raw material traceability and certification
- Powder production process controls (e.g. atomization, classification, handling)
- Contamination control and cleanliness protocols
- Quality assurance testing and documentation (e.g. particle size, composition, morphology)
- Change control, calibration, preventive maintenance
Audit trail, reporting, and nonconformance management
These criteria have now become the global benchmark for quality in the powder industry.
