Standard STD 105-0007: Special Characteristics
Standard STD 105-0007: Special Characteristics
Volvo Group
The English language version is the original and the reference in case of dispute.
Special characteristics
Definition and application
Orientation
This issue differs from issue 2 in that section 1 has been updated with a clarification regarding former
practices of STD 105-0001.
The standard also includes a definition of “special characteristic” and contains minimum requirements on
manufacturing processes and quality assurance of suppliers and products.
This standard can be supplemented with other standards or instructions that describe in a more detailed
way how characteristics marked with a special-characteristics class ([CC] (Critical Characteristics) or [SC]
(Significant Characteristics)) shall be treated within a specific Volvo Group company.
Contents
1 Scope and field of application ......................................................................................................... 2
2 Classes of “special characteristic” ................................................................................................. 2
3 Basic principles ................................................................................................................................. 2
4 Special characteristics – Classification and requirements .......................................................... 3
5 Symbols and indication .................................................................................................................... 4
6 Responsibilities ................................................................................................................................. 5
7 Principal process logic for definition of Special Characteristics ................................................ 6
8 Reference to other relevant standards and documents................................................................ 7
9 Reference to this standard ............................................................................................................... 7
10 Example .............................................................................................................................................. 8
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
• Identification and application of special characteristics in order to control product risks related to
characteristics. These characteristics require variation control to ensure optimal form, fit, function,
performance or service life.
• Definition of manufacturing-process control requirements to manage process variation.
The use of a special-characteristics class shall not apply to embedded software development.
If the symbols from STD 105-0001 ([1], [2] or [3]) are still present in a drawing or other Volvo Group
document, these indications are valid and the characteristics shall fulfil the requirements stipulated in
STD 105-0001 and other Volvo Group documents. Symbols from STD 105-0007 and STD 105-0001 shall
not be used together in the same document.
Within the Volvo Group, the following special-characteristics classes are used:
Critical Characteristics [CC] refer to special characteristics which can affect safety;
Significant Characteristics [SC] refer to special characteristics which can affect compliance with
regulations (for emission regulations use STD 105-0004), form, fit, function and performance, or
subsequent manufacturing-process steps.
3 Basic principles
The objective and challenge for the development, design-engineering and manufacturing processes are:
• Product risk related to the product design’s sensitivity to process variation should be minimized.
• Special characteristics shall be applied only after all design/process alternatives have been
exhausted.
The necessary associated special quality-assurance actions shall have been identified and implemented.
Thereby, the need to assign special characteristics will be limited.
The basis for identifying special characteristics must be the product-risk management.
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
Identified special characteristics shall be objectively measurable values with tolerance indication and/or
parameter information, defined in the design-engineering documentation, e.g., PVR (part version report),
drawings and Technical Requirements.
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
Minimum documentation • Verified results shall be documented in such a way that they can
requirements for easily be linked to the individual manufactured product (e.g.
manufacturing manufacturing number/chassis number/batch identity dates).
• Manufacturing-process records and documentation have a
minimum retention period of ten (10) years after product phase-out
or end of production. These requirements do not supersede any
regulatory requirements.
Minimum documentation • Product-controlling documents shall be stored in accordance with
requirements for engineering the respective product-development processes or minimum ten
(10) years after product phase-out or end of production. These
requirements do not supersede any regulatory requirements.
1
Equivalent methods that are verified to meet EN ISO 12100 are also acceptable.
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
6 Responsibilities
From D-FMEA, the potential special characteristics are identified and applied in B-release design-
engineering documentation.
For special-characteristics [CC] or [SC], the manufacturing unit, the suppliers and the subcontractors shall
be responsible for quality-assurance activities in accordance with table 1.
Decision and confirmation of special characteristics shall be made by design engineering and production
engineering, based on the evaluation of performed risk reduction in D-FMEA and P-FMEA and later
applied in C-release design-engineering documentation.
Product-development engineering is responsible for the final decision and documentation of special
characteristics in design-engineering documentation.
The product-development engineer is responsible for indicating special-characteristics information in all
the intended areas of the PDM (product data management) system.
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
10 Example
How to connect a D-FMEA with the application of special characteristics
The purpose of this example is to visualize how Product Risk Management (D-FMEAs) and the identified
risks are connected to special characteristics and managed through the application of risk-reduction
actions. The example has been adjusted for educational purposes.
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
3. The Technical documents are updated as a first step, released in B-status to Operations (SE-
75) and Purchasing & Supply Management to feed APQP.
The D-FMEA (as depicted in the image above) is communicated together with the Drawing to
Operations and Purchasing & Supply Management.
4. Operations in SE-75 perform a P-FMEA for the Hub unit and hardening process, see image
below.
The P-FMEA identifies a number of required quality-assurance actions, such as Quality Assurance of
supplier and supplier processes and implementation of a SPC in the “Hub hardening line” at SE-75
Operations.
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
6. The D-FMEA is updated with respect to performed Quality-Assurance actions and the
achieved results communicated from the P-FMEA and APQP.
As can be seen, the Severity S = 10 remains but RPN has been reduced.
This means that with the Quality-Assurance processes and products in Operations and at the supplier,
the required product quality can be achieved.
However, the [CC] will need to remain on the drawing and the drawing is C-released! See updated
D-FMEA below.
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24
Standard STD 105-0007
Volvo Group
7. The Operations Statistical Process Control (SPC) triggered by Special Characteristics [CC].
The Operations process requires the development and Quality Assurance of a Statistical Process
Control (SPC) and documentation thereof, including the requirements triggered by Special
Characteristics of the type [CC]. An example can be seen below.
© AB Volvo Group. All rights reserved. The Standard may not be used, reproduced, transmitted or made available
to a third party without prior written permission. Printed copies are uncontrolled. Print date: 2018-10-24