Reflecting its commitment to the strictest quality processes, Fine Tubes, a leading manufacturer of high-performance tubing, has secured Nadcap accreditation for Fluid Distribution Systems. This is in addition to accreditations the company already holds for Heat Treating, Non-Destructive Testing, Fusion Welding and Chemical Processing.

This latest award is a highly significant measure of the Plymouth, UK-based company's capabilities in the manufacture of titanium (Ti-3-2.5) hydraulic system tubing for the aerospace industry. Fine Tubes is one of the very few suppliers qualified to produce the high-pressure titanium tubing used in the hydraulic systems on the Airbus A350 and A380.

Together with its other four Nadcap accreditations, this new achievement qualifies Fine Tubes for the industry-recognised AS5620 industry standard required by Boeing for its suppliers of titanium hydraulic tubing.

Phil Adderley, Director, Quality & Technical for Fine Tubes, commented, "Securing this fifth Nadcap accreditation very definitely puts us at the forefront of the industry and will significantly strengthen our position when bidding for new contracts. Customers will know that they can have every confidence in our ability along with our adherence to quality procedures and the compliance of our products with the most-demanding standards."

Nadcap is an internationally-recognised accreditation system, administered by the Performance Review Institute (PRI), covering all key manufacturing and production processes used within the aerospace industry. To secure its Fluid Distribution Systems accreditation, Fine Tubes was audited by an independent industry expert against a series of stringent checklists.

Fine Tubes' QA Manager, Rob Eatwell, added, "Our PRI auditor was extremely thorough during his two-day visit to our Plymouth site. But, we had prepared ourselves comprehensively. As a result, the audit went very well, and we are now one of the very few companies to hold five Nadcap awards simultaneously."

Together with Superior Tube, Fine Tubes is part of AMETEK Specialty Metal Products. Both companies have supplied the aerospace industry with high-performance tubes for more than 50 years. Their precision products are used in airframes, aircraft engines and aerospace instrumentation, where they are relied upon to withstand the most-critical operating conditions.