Williamstown, MA – May 19, 2020—Weather Guard Lightning Tech is proud to announce that it recently achieved both ISO 9001:2015 certification and AS9100D registration. AS9100D supplements ISO 9001, and satisfies conditions to work with the Department of Defense (DoD), the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“The ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D processes are similar, but they have distinct requirements. They’re both rigorous, internationally recognized Quality Management System standards,” explained Allen Hall, Weather Guard Lightning Tech President and CEO.
The latest revisions to the AS9100D registration requirements added extra focus on product safety, including efforts to eliminate human factors that could cause nonconformities. It also merged existing risk-management requirements with elements of the latest ISO 9001 risk-management requirements and post-delivery support.
Focus on Ensuring Quality and Protecting Customers
“I’m glad to see that in recent years these processes have increasingly focused on protecting customers from the risks inherent in counterfeit parts – which is obviously a huge liability in any mobility manufacturing business, especially automotive or aerospace,” Hall said.
“I am especially proud of the way our business practices held up to the necessary review. We have always focused on ensuring the highest quality, and our customers know we’ll be around after the sale, so frankly I was glad to see the extra requirements to show post-delivery support, too,” he said.
Although Weather Guard Lightning Tech lightning protection designs and products have been installed on large regional passenger and business jet aircraft for more than two decades, the company has kept a relatively low profile in that time, as its signature products were sold through distributors – and because the aerospace and energy industries tend to be close-lipped about the design consultants they use in the product development process.
In 2020, Hall and his business partners began the process of branding (and rebranding) some of the company’s designs and started working more directly with their customers, rather than using a distributor-based method.
“Our customers have been very supportive, and I think that some of them are almost as excited about these changes as I am,” Hall said. “I absolutely love being able to help customers more directly, to really help them understand how lightning protection works, to solve their design problems, and to ensure their designs are truly protected.”
“There’s nothing worse than constantly taking your product down for maintenance and repairs. Well, actually there is something worse – having your aircraft communication or radar system destroyed by lightning,” Hall said.
“There are a lot of lightning protection products out there, but unfortunately, they don’t provide the same protection, and I know there are some products being used today that won’t stand up to the harsh aircraft and wind energy environments.”
As a FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER), a career aerospace and electrical engineer, and internationally-recognized expert in lightning protection, electromagnetic interference, and High Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF) transmission, Hall has an unusually broad and deep understanding of his customers’ requirements, and their challenges.
The Importance of ISO9001 and AS9100D for Aerospace Companies
For companies that are seeking FAA or other approvals in the aerospace industry, working with vendors and partners that have both ISO9001 certification and AS9100D registration should provide protection, peace of mind, and may reduce the administrative burden in the approval process.
AS9100D registration provides aero and defense customers with the assurance that production is completed in a sufficiently controlled manner. Companies that take the extra steps to earn these certifications have proven that their businesses focus on quality and exacting performance standards, as well as ongoing support.
Neither the ISO certification nor the AS registration process is perfunctory. Hall said that in spite of his industry experience, he appreciated the expertise and guidance of CORE Business Solutions and Cornerstone Systems.
“Their help with developing and improving our quality management systems and implementing them appropriately to earn the certifications was invaluable,” Hall said.
About WeatherGuard Lightning Protection
WeatherGuard Lightning Tech provides lightning protection diverter systems and offers design engineering services for companies in the aerospace and wind energy industries.
Weather Guard aerospace products protect private and commercial aircraft from lightning strikes, and are currently in use on numerous Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Gulfstream and other jet models, as well as helicopters from most major manufacturers.
Weather Guard’s premier product, StrikeTape, also protects wind turbines across the US, throughout Europe, and in Asia.
About Weather Guard Lightning Tech
Weather Guard is a Massachusetts-based LLC with primary manufacturing facilities in Williamstown, MA. The ISO9001:2015 certification and AS9100D registration were issued by Performance Review Institute (PRI) of Warrendale, PA. PRI is an affiliate of SAE International.
For more information
Weather Guard Lightning Tech https://weatherguardlightning.com/
Weather Guard Aero lightning protection for aerospace products https://weatherguardaero.com/
Weather Guard Wind lightning protection for wind turbines https://weatherguardwind.com/
To schedule an interview or consultation with CEO and lightning technologies expert Allen Hall, contact Weather Guard Lightning Protection online anytime or call 413.217.1139. Calls are answered between 9am-5pm EST.
