Replacement parts/PMA

If "spares manufacturing" is part of a conversation people directly focus on "PMA". Not knowing there is an alternative possible, providing higher quality, made us think to provide some background information.

 

Regulations for replacement/modification parts in the FAA area (PMA) differ from the European EASA (EPA) regulation. InteriorsDIRECT acts according to the EPA process and provides a spares/customization solution with an assured design and production standard compared to PMA parts:

 


    European Parts Approval (EPA)                                                                          Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA)                                                                                             
Authority/Regulation                EASA Part 21   FAA FAR 21
Context   EPA = approval for part by 21J/21G organization   PMA = approval for manufacturer (organization) by FAA
Design approval   21J (Design Organization Approval, DOA) needed for changes and "approved data"   no design approval needed, only acceptance by "identically" or "test and computation"
Production approval   21G (Production Organization Approval, POA) needed to release EASA Form 1   "fabrication inspection system" needed, equals EASA Part 21F "production without POA" or quality system without quality assurance/quality management
Parts marking   EPA marking   PMA marking
Market response   not penetrated to the overall market, no clear and common knowledge how to use and apply   scepticism towards PMA parts due to design and production requirements and experience
         
Conclusion

 

- improvements in parts design possible

 

- high mandatory and certified quality standards in design and production

 

 

 

 

 

 

- fully legal process for modification parts with EASA Form 1

 

- improvements in parts design not by PMA approval

 

- design and production organization not mandatory to be certified

 

- "design approval method does not sufficiently assure that products with PMA parts installed fully comply with airworthiness requirements"

 

- practical for mass reproduction and "copy" parts approach

 
 
 
 
 

Source: European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) documentation