B1 Mill Certification Information

[TonytheEE]

Hey there. Long time reader, first time poster.

I'm entering into a PPAP process with a client and they need some kind of certification from our mill showing they are B1 Certified, or that they were on some B1 list of acceptable mills and steel suppliers. Google isn't fun with broad mulit-meaninged terms like B1, Steel, and Mill, so I was wondering if anyone could provide me with a resource, saying what B1 is and how a plant gets certified, and how to find a mill on the certification list. I think the mill we're using is Nucor, and I'm sure they're on any list I need, but it would help this APQP engineer to know what that means.

Appreciate it!

 

[dbooker630]

Your client will have to provide the standardizing organization to which this B1 designation applies. B1 is a very general term, but it is an interesting coincidence that my company's approved mill list is also called B1.

Just stating that the mill is Nucor is probably not enough. Nucor has five mills that I am aware of, and they have different types of casters, either slab, bloom or billet. There may be reduction ratio requirements in your client's material specification that may restrict which mill can be used.

 

[TonytheEE]

Exactly what we did, Booker.

By any chance, do you know anything about this?

http://eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=309805

 

[dbooker630]

Tony,

I'm not in quality either but I always ran GRR's with the actual data gatherers.

 

[deadrange]

Having worked in the auto industry for a while, removed nearly 5 years, I do not know of anything industry standard that is defined as B1. I think it pertains directly to your individual customer specification. I would go back to my customer to see if this is their internal specification that governs approved supplying mills.

It is common in the automotive industry to have these sorts of approved supplier lists.