U.S. Defense Logistics Agency
Class 3 Threaded Fasteners
QSLD Qualified Distributor

What is the
Qualified Suppliers List?

The equipment that the military uses on a daily basis must be of the highest quality and reliability. Failure in the field of any apparatus could mean the difference between life and death.

For this reason, the U.S. Defence Logistics Agency (DLA) maintains a list of pre-qualified manufacturers and distributors whose quality control and applied process programs meet or exceed their specific criteria.

This list is known as the Qualified Suppliers List (QSL).

There is a QSL for manufacturers (QSLM) and one for distributors (QSLD).

What it takes
to qualify for the QSLD

Quality must be the fundamental driving force throughout daily business operations, regardless of the task or customer. Additionally, systems must be in place to monitor and control the level of quality by all personnel at all times. And these systems and practices must be reviewed and revised on a regular basis.

Gould Fasteners has demonstrated our ability to maintain these 'best in class' business practices. Along with our sophisticated Quality Control Program, we have fulfilled all of the more than 150 criteria set out by the U.S. Military's Defence Logistics Agency (DLA). In doing so we are very proud to have achieved Class 3 Threaded Fasteners QSLD qualification.

View Qualification

How your hardware benefits
from our hard work

One of the fundamental requirements for QSL qualification is that our quality control program must be implemented for each and every customer, regardless of whether the end product is intended for the U.S. Military or not.

This means that all of your products must be put through the full force of our vetted QCP from pre-inspection and testing, to full traceability and lot separation. Your parts are always treated as if they are military grade.

Here are a few of the QSLD requirements that our Quality Program enforces:

Provide to the DLA or DLA's customer the QSL's Manufacturers certificate of conformance, test reports, and material certifications.

8

Maintain in-house full traceability records on all Mil-Spec parts - mill to customer.

1

Retain current up-to-date documentation that includes drawings, specifications and standards.

2

Only supply product sourced from QSL manufacturers or suppliers.

3

Establish a completely independent quality control department (QCD) tasked with reviewing and auditing the quality program.

4

Quality Control must be documented by written policies, procedures, processes and instructions according to the QSL criteria.

5

A documented vendor selection system that ensures only approved vendors are solicited.

6

A System in Place and in-use to ensure that Product is not commingled and lot identity and traceability maintained.

7

Class 3 vs. Class 2
Threaded Fastener QSLD

Generally, the difference between these two classifications comes down to the thread fit and tolerance of the fasteners. Fasteners with a tight thread fit and/or higher toleranced are considered Class 3 fasteners.

Aerospace fasteners, for example, often have a much higher tolerances and are therefore listed as Class 3. While fasteners used primarily in land or marine applications have looser thread fit and are often categorized as Class 2.

Gould Fasteners' Class 3 Threaded Fastener QSLD qualification demonstrates our ability team’s to provide hardware of the highest quality with extremely high tolerances and/or tight thread fit as well as for fasteners with lower specifications.

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