PPAP & APQP bij HOTOP

Practical Quality Planning and Production Approval in Silicone Hose Manufacturing

Invoering

In automotive and new energy applications, silicone hoses are not treated as standard catalog products.
Bij HOTOP, APQP and PPAP are applied as practical tools to ensure each hose design, proces, and production batch meets customer requirements before mass production begins.

Our approach focuses on risk prevention, process stability, and consistent delivery, rather than documentation for its own sake.

PPAP & APQP

How APQP Is Applied at HOTOP

Bij HOTOP, APQP starts at the project quotation and design stage, not after an order is placed.

Key APQP practices include:

»Review of customer drawings, specifications, and application conditions

»Identification of critical characteristics (temperatuur, druk, media, routing)

»Early risk analysis for material selection, versterking, and hose structure

»Cross-functional involvement from engineering, quality, and production teams

This ensures potential risks are identified and controlled before tooling and production preparation.

Process Planning and Risk Control

During process development, HOTOP applies APQP principles to ensure stable manufacturing:

»Defined production flow and key control points

»Process FMEA focusing on hose forming, reinforcement placement, and vulcanization

»Control plans covering dimensional stability, hechting, and pressure performance

»Validation of curing parameters and reinforcement bonding

These steps help prevent common silicone hose issues such as delaminatie, dimensional variation, and inconsistent pressure resistance.

How PPAP Is Used in Production Approval

For automotive and OEM projects, HOTOP supports PPAP submission upon customer request.

PPAP at HOTOP typically includes:

»Approved design and drawing records

»Dimensional inspection results

»Material and performance test reports

»Process capability and consistency evidence

»Part Submission Warrant (PSW)

PPAP approval confirms that the actual production process can repeatedly manufacture silicone hoses that meet customer requirements.

PPAP in Daily Production Control

Beyond initial approval, PPAP data is used as a baseline for ongoing production:

»First article inspection reference

»Process change evaluation

»Batch traceability and quality audits

»Continuous improvement activities

This ensures consistency between approved samples and mass-produced hoses.

Applications Supported by APQP & PPAP

HOTOP applies APQP and PPAP practices to silicone hose projects such as:

»Turbocharger and charge air hoses

»EV battery and motor cooling hoses

»Hydrogen fuel cell air and cooling hoses

»Custom OEM silicone hose assemblies

These applications require high process stability and long service life, making structured quality planning essential.

Conclusie

Bij HOTOP, APQP and PPAP are not treated as paperwork requirements.
They are practical quality management tools used to control risk, stabilize production, and ensure silicone hose performance from prototype to mass production.

This approach supports reliable delivery for automotive, EV, and hydrogen fuel cell applications.