SC QUALITY GUILDFirst article inspection record
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Record a first article inspection balloon by balloon, with limits, results, gauges and material and process certificates, and see what keeps it from closing.
ON THE EXAM · CQI III.C.1, IV.F.4, CQT IV.B.6 · FREE · NOTHING YOU TYPE LEAVES YOUR BROWSER
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What a first article inspection proves
A first article inspection (FAI) is a complete, documented verification that a part made by the intended production process, tooling and materials meets every requirement of the drawing and the specifications it references. It verifies the process, not just the part. The aerospace standard AS9102 sets a common format; this tool follows the same logic in a simplified form.
Characteristic accountability
Each requirement on the drawing gets a number, a balloon. The FAI record has one line per balloon with the requirement, the actual result and the tool used. Notes, surface finish, part marking and referenced specifications count as characteristics too. The record must account for every balloon: a characteristic without a result is not verified, and an unaccounted balloon is a common reason an FAI is rejected.
- Variable results are recorded as the measured value, not "OK". For a multiple callout (4X), record each feature or the worst one.
- Tool or gauge ID ties each result to a calibrated instrument.
- Material and special processes such as heat treat, plating, anodize and nondestructive testing are verified by certificates traceable to the part, from approved sources where the customer requires them.
When an FAI is required
Typical triggers are a new part or first production run, a design change, a change in manufacturing process, tooling, location or source, a lapse in production for a period the customer or standard defines, and corrective action after a failed FAI. A partial FAI re-verifies only the characteristics affected by a change, on the basis of an earlier accepted full FAI.
Reading the result
The FAI closes only when every characteristic in scope passes, each has a tool, and every certificate conforms. A failed characteristic means correcting the process and repeating the FAI for at least the affected characteristics on a part from the corrected process.
On the exam
CQI and CQT questions place first article inspection among the inspection types, alongside receiving, in-process and final inspection. Know that it verifies the production process before a run, that every drawing requirement is covered, and which changes trigger a full or partial FAI.