SB 742-1
(c) Method used to assure quality characteristics
conformance (gage, visual, etc.).
AMMUNITION QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCEDURES
FOR MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS
(d) Operator quality checks.
(e) Quality assurance audit procedures.
This chapter prescribes responsibilities and procedures to
(f) Specific safety requirements.
ensure that ammunition assembled, maintained, modified,
(15) The ammunition surveillance organization will:
disassembled for demilitarization, or renovated at installations
meets the established quality requirements.
(g) Review the line layout and equipment setup
during the pre-operational check.
(h) Review other procedural steps of the SOP that
The USAMC commodity commanders are responsible for
furnishing the technical requirements for each ammunition affect the quality of the product and safety of the operation.
maintenance program.
As a minimum, the technical
(i) Evaluate the implementation of the SOP.
requirements will include:
(16) The Ammunition Surveillance Organization will
(1) Depot maintenance work requirements (DMWR) or utilize Quality Audit Procedures (reference paragraph 4-9) to:
Letter of Instruction (LOI).
(2) List of required drawings and specifications.
electrical measuring and test equipment, gages, and precision
(3) List of required ammunition peculiar equipment measuring instruments.
(APE).
(k) Review
procedures
for
control
of
nonconforming materiel.
(4) Quality standards.
(l) Verify the Quality Control procedures of the
(5) Lot number/suffix assignment criteria.
ammunition operations element.
(6) Pre-renovation requirements.
(17) Verify the process produces a quality item using
(7) Post-renovation test requirements.
quality audit techniques. Quality audit check sheets must be
completed during each visit made to monitor the maintenance/
(8) Data card requirement.
production operation and are the only approved source for
documenting a quality audit.
(9) Reports requirement.
(18) Determining process capability and maintaining
(10) Valid
restrictions
which
will
apply
post
control can best be accomplished by using statistical quality
renovation.
control techniques, such as X and R-charts, p-charts, np-
The ammunition operations organization is responsible for charts, and c-charts. These are effective management tools
producing a product of acceptable quality. Operations must be and will be used by the ammunition organization wherever
performed according to an SOP that contains the detailed possible.
production techniques, standards, and process control
necessary to produce a quality product. A pre-operational 4-3. MIL STD 1916
check must be performed prior to beginning maintenance
operations. Process control is critical as product quality and MIL STD 1916 establishes movement away from an AQL based
overall cost of the operations are determined by the process inspection strategy to implementation of an effective prevention
based strategy, including a comprehensive quality system and
control techniques employed.
continuous improvement. The objective is to create an
The ammunition surveillance organization is responsible atmosphere where every noncompliance is an opportunity for
for management of the installation ammunition quality corrective action and improvement rather than one where
program. It includes:
acceptable quality levels are the contractually sufficient goals.
(11) Ensuring
an
economical
system
to
control
4-4. Product verification sampling plan.
product quality.
MIL-STD-1916 was approved for use in April 1996 and
(12) Reviewing the work authorization (job order),
will be used as the preferred method for acceptance of product.
SOP, Drawings, SB's, TM's and other required reference
It requires the demonstration and maintenance of an effective
material for use by the operations organization prior to
process-focused Quality System.
Maintenance operation
beginning the maintenance operation. Required procedures to
elements are encouraged to submit their systems as an
review work authorizations are provided in Procedure C, para
alternative to acceptance sampling requirements.
The operational element must have:
(13) Constructing a quality audit check sheet prior to
(1) A Quality System Plan
(2) Prevention based system
(14) In addition to providing other pertinent
information, the SOP is the foundation of the ammunition
(3) Process focused quality system
quality control program. For this reason, it is essential that
(4) Objective evidence that system works
each SOP contain production techniques in detail, standards,
and controls necessary to produce a quality product. As a
Alternative acceptance can be submitted for one or more
function of quality management, the ammunition quality
assurance organization's responsibility is to ensure that each contractually specified sampling inspection requirements or for
a systemic alternate acceptance method. Submission is made
SOP contains as a minimum:
IAW the requirements of MIL STD 1916. If they do not have
(a) The required quality characteristics for each such a system, MIL STD 1916 provides the preferred
acceptance sampling plans. When using MIL STD 1916, the
operation.
following Verification Levels (VL) should be used:
(b) Detailed description of the quality standards.