For over 80 years MECACHROME is a leader in the design, engineering, manufacturing and assembling of complex precision-engineered components for aircraft and automotive applications. Headquartered in France, MECACHROME used the AS13003 to develop its own MSA specification and implemented it.

During the AESQ Toulouse Supplier Forum, Mr. Anthony Hartwig, Customer Quality Manager at MECACHROME Aubigny Plant, presented his company's approach and experience with the implementation of the AS13003 into their own specifications.

MECACHROME's AS13003 journey started in early 2016. Before that time, a MSA was done occasionally and only to meet a specific customer's demand. To fulfil the customer's wish, an MSA was performed, but within Mecachrome nobody really saw the benefits and advantages of using this analysis. But with requests for an MSA becoming more frequent and being, for the most part, different from one customer to another, MECACHROME decided to make the MSA approach global and to develop its own AS13003-based MSA procedure. Three years later and after several internal iterations and intensive exchange with customers, MECACHROME's own internal process was born and became a regular part of the "New Product Introduction" process.

During his presentation Mr. Anthony Hartwig explained to his audience: "Before starting the MSA process development, the choice for a measurement device was mainly done according to the historical best practices and individual employee skills. It was basically like this: if a device is calibrated, it can measure everything within its accuracy. The MSA procedure development was only made possible by the open discussions we had with our customers and internal team work. This was not the goal of the Quality Department alone!  It was the goal of a multi-skilled team including production, inspection, process black belts, …etc. The start was difficult with people not understanding why we are going to change methods used for decades. But, with the first measurement issues having been detected and the first "standard" tools proven not to be working (all thanks to the MSA!), a battle was won and minds started to change. The journey is not over but now we have confidence in our measurements and through that enhanced communication and reliance for us and our customers".

With the AS13003, developed by the SAE G-22 Aerospace Engine Supplier Quality (AESQ) Standards Committee with membership representative of the engine OEMs and their supply chain, the AESQ provides a summary of different tools to perform a MSA and ensures a standardized approach to it  throughout the industry. Not only is a MSA helping companies to eliminate influences emerging from different measurement strategies, it makes sure that a measurement system is fit for purpose.  It's also creating trust for them and their customer's in the measurement results.  As Martin Schäffner, MTU Aero Engine's Senior Vice President, Corporate Quality highlighted: "Don't touch your production process before you are sure about your measurement".

(The above picture shows Mr. Anthony Hartwig during his presentation at the AESQ Supplier Forum Toulouse, October 2019).