NADCAP Scanner Provides Fully Digital Production, Automated Certification Management

Steelhead Technologies, a developer in metal finishing job shop software, has taken a leap in modernizing the NADCAP certification management process through the development of its Certification Scanner Line. Steelhead aims to implement a digital transformation of the traditionally manual and error-prone sector through its line. The developments are set to improve data accuracy, industry compliance and the overall quality and safety standards of the aerospace sector, while dramatically reducing costs for metal finishing shops.

The NADCAP industry has grappled with labor-intensive, error-prone paper-based systems that leave room for costly inaccuracies. A 2020 NADCAP survey found that 30% of aerospace suppliers admitted to the limitations of manual data entry and recordkeeping processes. Though seldom spoken aloud, practices such as “pencil whipping” and falsified data have been persistent issues, casting shadows over industry compliance and quality assurance.

Steelhead says it is committed to improving industry standards, which is why it is taking an active role in the digital transformation of NADCAP compliance. The scanner technology is designed to minimize the errors, inefficiencies and vulnerabilities that plague the industry. With a digitized plant management platform, the days of preparing paperwork for pre-audits that are seldom analyzed are gone, the company says. It also minimizes the need to hire multiple people to own the process internally.

Everything is done at the click of a button with a user-friendly scanner gun and integrated system. “Certifications are literally just button clicking now,” says Sam Pugliese, general manager at Anchor Bay Powder Coating. “It [Steelhead] streamlines everything so, so fast.” Anchor Bay Powder Coating was a part of the Steelhead Certification Scanner pilot program and benefited from the system within hours.

According to a 2021 Deloitte study, companies embracing digital technologies in aerospace and defense manufacturing have witnessed a staggering 40% reduction in data-related errors. Steelhead’s NADCAP Scanner not only simplifies data entry but also employs advanced algorithms and machine learning to promote data accuracy. The systems are designed to flag anomalies and deviations from industry standards, improving compliance without human intervention.

With Steelhead’s Certification Scanner Line, NADCAP-accredited businesses can offer faster turnaround times, higher quality, lower costs and greater flexibility in quoting jobs.