Conformance (Conformity)
Section 02: Regulatory Vocabulary
Definition
In the context of production and manufacturing, conformance (or conformity) means that a produced article matches the approved type design in every respect — dimensions, materials, processes, workmanship, and configuration. Conformity inspections verify that test articles and production articles are manufactured in accordance with the approved design data. A conformity statement or certificate attests that an article has been inspected and found to conform to the type design.
Where This Shows Up
Conformance is a production-level concept, distinct from compliance (which is a design-level concept). An article can conform to a design that does not yet have compliance findings. During certification, conformity inspections of test articles are performed before compliance testing to ensure the test article represents the intended design.
Primary Sources
FAA requirement for inspections and tests to show conformity with the type design.
FAA requirement that a Production Certificate holder's quality system must ensure each article conforms to the type design.
Related Terms
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