Posted Date: 02/3/2011
The FAA’s acceptance of a standard part as an that the part has been designed and produced in accordance with an independent established set of specifications and criteria.
These specifications stipulate the design, manufacturing and uniform identification requirements. The specifications must be readily available to any persons or organizations who want to manufacture these parts. Also standard parts may include those that solely meet uniform performance criteria if the Administrator (FAA) finds complete compliance with industry-wide and government performance specifications. These specifications must include performance, test and acceptance criteria, and uniform identification requirements. The Administrator deemed discreet electrical and electronic components that conform to their applicable performance criteria as standard parts. See Volume 62 Federal Register 9923, March 5, 1997.
Mentioning standard parts usually brings to mind the thought of merely “nuts or bolts” when, in fact, other types of parts as well as materials used to produce aviation parts may fall under the category of “standard part.”
“Standard part” is not defined in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Section 21.303(b) provides four exceptions to the requirement to hold a Parts Manufacturer Approval to produce replacement and modification aircraft parts. Section 21.303(b)(4) provides the exception for standard parts — bolts and nuts — which are parts that conform to established industry or U.S. specifications.
So, what 14 CFR 21.303(b) is saying is that there are 5 different ways to produce parts for use on aircraft:
1.Parts produced under a type or production certificate.
2.Parts produced pursuant to a Parts Manufacturer Approval
3.Parts produced by an owner or operator for maintaining or altering his own product.
4.Parts produced under an FAA Technical Standard Order.
5.Standard parts (such as bolts and nuts) conforming to established industry or U.S. specifications.
Here’s some additional guidance from the FAA regarding “STANDARD PARTS” taken from the FAA’s Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUP) Program pageThe FAA has published a non-regulatory definition of “standard part” as well as interpretative information regarding what …
Read full article on the given date in the news section via American Fastener Journal.