Key takeaways
  • First Article Inspection verifies that the production process, tooling and setup produce a part meeting every drawing requirement.
  • It validates the process, not the part. A part measured from a prototype method proves nothing about production.
  • A new FAI is required after changes to design, process, tooling, location, or a long production gap.
What FAI is really testing
The process, not the sample

An FAI part must come from production tooling, production processes and production people. A part hand-made by an engineer will pass and tell you nothing about what the line will produce next week.

What goes into the report

  • A ballooned drawing, with every characteristic numbered.
  • A results table listing each characteristic, its specification, the actual measurement and the method used.
  • Material certifications and any special process certifications.
  • Records of functional testing where the drawing calls for it.
  • Identification of the tooling, machines and programs used.
  • Sign-off by someone with the authority to accept it.

Every characteristic means every characteristic

Dimensions, tolerances, notes, surface finish, material specification, marking, coating, packaging requirements. Drawing notes are where FAIs most often fall short, because they are prose rather than numbers and are easy to skip over.

When a new FAI is needed

  • Design change affecting fit, form or function.
  • Change of manufacturing process, method or tooling.
  • Change of manufacturing location.
  • Change of supplier for a special process.
  • A lapse in production, commonly two years, though customer requirements vary.
  • After a natural or manmade event that could have affected the process.

Partial FAI

When a change affects only part of the product, a partial FAI covering the affected characteristics is normally acceptable, with a reference to the previous full report. The judgement to document is why the unaffected characteristics are genuinely unaffected.

Making it useful rather than ceremonial

An FAI done properly finds problems before a run, which is the cheapest moment to find them. Done as paperwork after the first batch shipped, it finds nothing and costs the same. The distinguishing behaviour is whether production is authorised to start before the report is accepted.