Defense-Readiness-Check
Two days on site. One roadmap. Fixed price.
More and more metalworking companies are receiving enquiries from the defense sector – and find out weeks later that they are not allowed to supply. Not because of their production, but because the rulebook is different: DIN 2303 instead of EN 1090, welding supervision with a deputy, materials to TL specification, and the question of which end user the parts are actually being made for. For contract manufacturers, steel and metal fabricators, machinists and formers with 30 to 300 employees.
Book an initial callMaterials
Ballistic steels (Armox, Ramor, SECURE, Mars, Difender), TL 2350, sourcing, storage, traceability.
Welding technology
Current state against DIN 2303, realistic manufacturer qualification (Q1–Q3), procedure qualifications, heat control.
Personnel
Welding supervision to ISO 14731 with a deputy, welder and NDT qualifications, background checks.
Production
Cutting to TL specification, machining and forming of high-strength steels, capacity, accuracy.
QA system
ISO 9001 / 3834-2, measuring equipment, documentation, first-article process required by system integrators.
Security & law
Classified information protection, reliability vetting, export control (German Foreign Trade and War Weapons Control Acts), contract clauses.
Market access
Suitable end users and Tier-1/Tier-2 customers, supplier qualification, Q3 application with a named order.
- Maturity matrix – traffic-light rating per area
- Prioritised gap list
- Recommendation on the realistic qualification level (Q1, Q2 or Q3)
- Roadmap with steps, cost and time frame through to qualification
- List of bodies to contact (GSI/SLV, WIWeB, end users)
- Fixed price for the two days on site, plus travel expenses; we quote the price in the initial call
- 50% on commissioning, 50% on delivery of the report
- Report within 10 business days of day 2
And afterwards: qualification support
If you carry the DIN 2303 qualification through with us, you book qualification support: 2 days a month, minimum term 6 months. If commissioned within four weeks of the report being delivered, half the check fee is credited.
More on the Technische Partnerschaft (technical partnership)- Documents before day 1: organisation chart, certificates, qualification records, WPQR/WPS overview, machine list, one material certificate
- Interview partners available on day 1 and day 2 – including welders and operators, without supervisors present
- Access to production, storage, inspection area and documentation, plus one internal point of contact
- One real part from current production for process tracking on day 2
The Defense-Readiness-Check is an assessment with a roadmap – not a certification. Certificates under DIN 2303 are issued exclusively by the accredited bodies (GSI/SLV). No sales promise towards end users or system integrators, no legal advice and no ongoing support: you receive a roadmap you can implement yourself.
We hold EN 1090 EXC3 – isn't that enough?
No. EN 1090 covers steel structures as a construction product – structural design, building authority approval, CE marking. For a vehicle component made of armour steel, DIN 2303 applies: four manufacturer qualifications (Q1–Q4), certificates issued only by accredited bodies, welding supervision with a deputy, a facility description per Annex B.
How long does qualification realistically take?
9 to 18 months to the certificate. Starting only once the enquiry from a system integrator is on the table is too late.
We've already welded Hardox – isn't that the same as armour steel?
No. Armour steel is not a standardised material but product names such as Armox, Ramor, SECURE, Mars, Difender – low-alloy, quenched-and-tempered martensitic steels. Generally weldable, but with its own rules: low-hydrogen filler metals, controlled preheating, interpass temperature usually not above 180 to 200°C.
Can we file a Q3 application without an order in place?
Q1 or Q2 is possible without a named requirement. A first Q3 application without a nameable order and end user rarely gets prioritised by the WTD. The check clarifies which level is realistic.
What does the system integrator ask during supplier qualification?
Mainly three things: Who is your welding supervisor, and who is their deputy? Show the traceability from batch to component. Who is responsible for export control and classified information protection at your company?