What a first article inspection is
A first article inspection (FAI) is a systematic measurement of a sample part against every dimension, tolerance, and specification on the engineering drawing. The purpose is to verify that the manufacturing process produces parts that meet all requirements before committing to production volume.
The FAI report documents every measurement: the nominal dimension, the tolerance limits, the actual measured value, and the pass/fail result. It covers all features on the drawing, not just critical dimensions.
When a FAI is required
A FAI is typically required in these situations:
- First production run of a new part
- After a design change that affects form, fit, or function
- After a process change (new machine, new tooling, new supplier)
- After a long gap in production (re-qualification)
- When transferring production to a different facility
In aerospace, AS9102 defines the formal FAI requirements. In automotive, PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) serves a similar function. Many other industries have their own versions, or customers specify their requirements directly.
How to prepare the report
The process starts with the drawing. Go through every view, every section, every detail, and list every dimension with its tolerance. This becomes your inspection checklist. Then measure the sample part against every item on the list and record the actual values.
A clear FAI report includes: the part number and revision, the drawing number and revision, the date of inspection, the inspector name, the serial number of the sample part, and a table with nominal, tolerance, actual, and pass/fail for every dimension.
The bottleneck: creating the checklist
For a complex part with 80 or more dimensions, creating the inspection checklist is the most time-consuming part. Reading every dimension from the drawing and typing it into a structured format takes hours. This is where automation helps most: extract the dimensions from the drawing automatically, then let the quality engineer review and refine the list.
Asytra Measure is being built to automate this extraction step: upload the PDF drawing, detect dimensions and tolerances, and create a reusable inspection template. Learn more about Measure.
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Frequently asked questions
A first article inspection is a complete dimensional verification of one or more sample parts against every requirement on the engineering drawing. It is performed before full production to verify that the manufacturing process can produce parts to specification.
A first article inspection is typically required for the first production run of a new part, after a design change affecting form fit or function, after a process change such as new tooling or a new machine, after a long gap in production, or when transferring production to a different facility.
In aerospace, AS9102 defines formal FAI requirements including forms and procedures. In automotive, PPAP serves a similar function. Many other industries have their own requirements, or customers specify their expectations directly in purchase orders or supplier quality agreements.