A Three-level Approach to Quality Programs for Research, Development, and Production

A primary mission of the Los Alamos National Laboratory is to develop nuclear weapons systems for the Department of Defense. The activities included in this effort cover a broad spectrum, ranging from pure research to routine production. In order to provide a workable framework for a comprehensive quality assurance program for these varied activities, we have proposed a three-level structure of quality plans, corresponding to a rough classification of the weapons work into three general categories. These categories are: 1) research into materials and processes, and preliminary development; 2) design, development, and fabrication of prototype components; 3) routine production, analysis, or refinement activities. The first category requires a quality program to assure the validity, reliability, and retrievability of the information developed; this is accomplished by a conscientious application of what is generally recognized as good laboratory practice. The second category requires in addition a strong emphasis on design review and inspection. For the third category, a comprehensive quality program is appropriate, following the general guidelines of NQA-1.