COP Facts: COP is an area that is specialised and there are very few people or companies that have such direct experience and knowledge of both the implementation of COP and direct auditing of COP Quality systems.
What is COP?
Conformity of Production (COP) is the ability to produce a Vehicle or Component that is exactly the same as the 1st, 2nd or 20th etc that has been tested and has met the relevant Type Approval requirements.
COP is a key part of the Automotive Vehicle Type Approval process; in simple terms it is the requirement to have the correct Quality processes and procedures in place to ensure that a company is able to Manufacture a Vehicle or Type Approved Component to the required specification.
Why is COP needed?
Most of the vehicle type approval legislation all require manufacturers to hold Conformity of Production clearance with the approval authority that issue their type approval certification. This clearance is needed before granting of the initial approval and must be updated at regular intervals for the approval to remain valid over the products life.
A vehicle Type Approval defines the approved specification range of the vehicle. The manufacturer is then responsible for ensuring all the vehicles manufactured, sold and registered in the applicable market conform to this specification.
Conformity of Production (CoP) is a means of evidencing the ability to produce a series of products that exactly match the specification, performance and marking requirements outlined in the Type Approval documentation. Whether you are a manufacturer, or the agent applying for approvals on behalf of a manufacturer, and whatever your product is, suitable CoP arrangements must be made.
There are two key elements of COP:
- Quality Management System – A system of processes and procedures which control the production of vehicles from design through to sales. One method of demonstrating this is holding ISO9001/IATF16949 accreditation as an organisation, however this is not mandatory.
- Control Plans – A document that demonstrates how ongoing compliance will be ensured for each Type Approval subject, for example inspections or tests which are undertaken during production.
About Conformity Of Production Performance (COP)
THE KING ROSE is your reliable partner in the automotive sector for the assessment of production facilities and manufacturing processes. Our experts assess and approve the conformity of your production facilities via our global network of laboratories worldwide. We work closely with OEMs, tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers, authorities, engineering companies, and other service providers. Our accredited state-of-the-art network of global testing facilities meets all standards, all recognized automotive standards and covers a comprehensive range of international regulations and OEM-specific requirements.