First Article Inspection: AS9102 Process, Forms and Costs

A first article inspection (FAI) is a documented check that the first part produced by a new or changed process meets every requirement on the drawing and the technical data package. Its real job is to prove that the process can make conforming parts, not just that one part happened to measure well. In aerospace the format is set by AS9102. Automotive, medical and industrial teams use the same logic under different names.

This guide covers what an FAI contains, how the AS9102 forms fit together, when you need a full or partial one, how it differs from PPAP, and what you can do on the drawing side to keep it fast and cheap.

Key takeaways

• An FAI validates the production process and the documentation, not only the part. Wikipedia’s overview describes it as a validation of a new or modified process.
• AS9102 Rev C uses three forms: part number accountability, product accountability and characteristic accountability. Every drawing characteristic must appear on Form 3.
• A process or design change usually calls for a partial (delta) FAI of the affected characteristics, not a full repeat.
• A clean, fully ballooned drawing with clear tolerances is the cheapest way to shorten FAI lead time.
• Parts modified for a customer generally do not qualify as commercial off-the-shelf, so they fall under FAI requirements.

Table of Contents

• What first article inspection means
• When you need one
• The AS9102 process, step by step
• The three forms of an AS9102 report
• Full FAI or partial (delta) FAI
• FAI versus PPAP
• Where the time and cost go
• How to prepare your parts for a smooth FAI
• Our perspective: treat FAI as part of the build
• Getting FAI-ready parts from us
• FAQ
• Sources

What first article inspection means

The first article is the first part, or the first few parts, made with a production-intent process: the actual tooling, programs, fixtures, material, operators and inspection methods. It is measured against everything the customer specified, and the results are written up in a report.

The ASQ career guide to aerospace quality engineering puts it plainly: FAI verifies that the first production part meets every requirement on the drawing and technical data package before a run is released, and it is documented in exhaustive detail.

Two points trip people up.

1. It is not a shipment pass/fail stamp. The IAQG’s AS9102 guidance frames the FAI as validation of the process. The customer still reviews and approves the package.
2. It is not a one-time hurdle. The same ASQ source notes that startups often treat FAI as a hurdle, when it is meant to be an ongoing part of verifying production. A change in tooling, location or process brings it back.

When you need one

Typical triggers, which are consistent across AS9102 and most customer quality manuals:

• A new part number going into production for the first time.
• A change to the design that affects form, fit or function.
• A change in manufacturing process, tooling, material source, or production location.
• A long lapse in production, as defined by your customer’s contract.

Your purchase order or quality clause is what makes any of these mandatory. Prime contractors publish their own flow-downs on top of the standard. Lockheed Martin’s supplier guidebook SQAG 001, for example, explains how to plan for and complete a compliant FAI to that company’s specific requirements. Read the clauses in your own contract before you assume anything.

Prototypes, one-offs and small runs

No minimum quantity is built into the concept. A single prototype can have an FAI if your customer, or your own design-control process, calls for one. Medical and aerospace teams often run an FAI on the last prototype build precisely to find drawing ambiguities before tooling money is spent. Our prototype QA guide for aerospace, automotive and medical work covers how that fits into a development cycle.

The catalogue-part loophole

Some buyers try to avoid FAI by calling a part a standard catalogue item. The ASQ source warns that this is a compliance risk: if a part is modified in any way for the customer, it loses commercial off-the-shelf status and becomes subject to FAI requirements under standards like AS9102. Decide the classification early, because the wrong call surfaces late as a production delay.

The AS9102 process, step by step

AS9102 is maintained by the International Aerospace Quality Group. The IAQG’s AS9102 page says the document standardizes FAI requirements so they can be used at every level of the supply chain worldwide. The standard is published through SAE International. Revision C is the current benchmark for comprehensive FAI reporting, according to the Wikipedia summary.

The NIST-hosted FAI requirement document describes the flow in the following order:

1. Planning. Identify every design characteristic and the functions responsible for verifying each.
2. Documentation review. Check drawings, specifications and the technical data package for completeness and conflicts.
3. Physical inspection. Measure the article against each characteristic.
4. Functional testing. Run any required tests.
5. Process and tooling verification. Confirm that the production process and tooling can repeat the result.
6. Complete the report. Record results and document any nonconformance.
7. Customer approval. The customer reviews and accepts the package.

Steps 1 and 2 are where most of the schedule is won or lost. If the drawing has a conflicting note, a missing tolerance or an unclear datum, it will surface at step 3 as a delay.

The three forms of an AS9102 report

The First Article Inspection Report (FAIR) standardizes data across the supply chain with three forms. The IAQG’s Form 1 instructions are public and worth reading once.

The IAQG form instructions also say the forms can be customized as long as they carry the same fields and reference numbers the standard mandates. Variable results must be expressed to the accuracy equivalent to the measurement tolerance. A part with a tolerance of ±0.01 mm cannot have its results rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Ballooning the drawing

Form 3 depends on a ballooned drawing. Every dimension, note, tolerance and surface finish requirement gets a unique number, and that number is cross-referenced in the report. The IAQG guidance treats this as essential to avoid skipped requirements. Model-based definition tools can automate it, but for smaller teams a manual ballooned PDF is still a reliable single source of truth.

Complete versus not complete

AS9102 distinguishes between an FAI that is complete (all characteristics verified and conforming) and one that is not complete. If there are nonconformances, they go on Form 3 and the FAI remains open until corrective actions are validated. A documented nonconformance does not automatically ruin the exercise. An undocumented one does.

Full FAI or partial (delta) FAI

Many engineers assume any small change forces a full re-inspection. It does not. AS9102 requires a multidisciplinary review to determine whether a change calls for a full or a partial FAI, and a partial one re-verifies only the characteristics the change affects. Typical examples are a tooling replacement or a move to a new facility.

This works only if you keep a baseline. Hold on to the original ballooned drawing, the Form 3 data and the measurement method for each characteristic. When a change comes, you can show what is affected and what is not, and you avoid re-inspecting the whole part.

FAI versus PPAP

Searchers often ask how FAI compares with PPAP. They have the same aim, confirming that a supplier can reliably make a part to spec, but different homes and formats.

PPAP packages are generally broader. They include items such as process flow and control plans, which an AS9102 FAIR does not require. If you supply both industries, plan for two sets of paperwork even when the physical measurements overlap. Always confirm the requirements and submission level in your customer’s purchase order.

Where the time and cost go

Inspection effort scales with the number of characteristics, the tightness of tolerances and the measurement method. We do not publish prices, and any figure depends on your drawing, but these are the drivers every buyer should expect:

• Characteristic count. A drawing with 150 balloons takes longer to inspect and write up than one with 30.
• Tolerance tightness. Tight tolerances need more capable equipment and more careful fixturing. Our engineer’s guide to tolerance and practical guide to machining tolerances help you decide which tolerances are truly functional.
• Material and process certifications. Form 2 needs paperwork for materials and special processes such as plating or heat treatment. Missing certificates stall the report.
• Drawing quality. Ambiguity creates questions, and questions create idle time.
• Rework loops. A failed characteristic means adjusting the process and re-measuring.

How to prepare your parts for a smooth FAI

These steps are within your control before you request a quote.

1. Release a clean drawing. Include the revision, material callout, finish, critical datums and general tolerance block. Send the 3D model alongside the 2D drawing.
2. State the requirement explicitly. Say whether you need an AS9102 FAIR, a simplified dimensional report or a customer-specific format. Name the standard and revision.
3. Mark critical characteristics. Flag key and safety-critical features so the supplier plans inspection method and sampling accordingly.
4. Specify certifications up front. Material certs, special process certs and test reports are Form 2 inputs.
5. Decide the quantity. Say whether the FAI is on one part, several, or a first lot, and who approves it.
6. Plan the change path. Agree how a revision will be handled, and keep the baseline FAI so a delta is possible.

Ordering online raises its own questions about files, tolerances and communication. Our checklist on what engineers should know before ordering CNC parts online covers them.

Our perspective: treat FAI as part of the build

We run a prototyping and low-volume manufacturing operation for aerospace, automotive, medical, robotics, electronics and oil and gas clients, and we are an ISO certified manufacturer. From that vantage point, the pattern we see most often is simple: FAI problems are rarely measurement problems. They are definition problems.

A drawing that says one thing in the title block and another in a note, a tolerance that no one chose on purpose, a finish callout that conflicts with a dimension: these cost far more than the inspection itself. So we encourage engineers to bring quality questions into the quote stage rather than after the parts are cut. Our project managers can walk through the drawing with you, point out characteristics that are hard to verify, and flag where a tolerance is tighter than the function needs.

We also think prototype runs are the cheapest place to find these issues. With no minimum order quantity, you can test your inspection plan and your ballooned drawing on a handful of parts, correct the drawing, and only then commit to a production run. Treating the first article as a rehearsal of the whole supply relationship, not a form to be filled in, is what keeps programs on schedule.

If your contract demands a specific FAI format, tell us at the start and we will confirm what we can supply for your part.

— Nas

Getting FAI-ready parts from us

An FAI is only as good as the parts and process behind it. We make prototypes and low- to medium-volume parts through CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, injection molding, die casting and 3D printing, including DMLS metal printing. Upload your drawing for an instant quote, list your inspection and documentation requirements in the notes, and a project manager will confirm the specification with you before production starts. For aerospace-grade precision, read our piece on precision CNC machining and aerospace tolerances. To see how we think about process quality, see quality control in CNC machining.

FAQ

What is the difference between FAI and AS9102?

FAI is the activity: verifying that a first production article meets all requirements. AS9102 is the aerospace standard that defines how to plan, perform and document it, including the three report forms. Other industries run FAIs without AS9102, but the aerospace format is the most widely copied.

Does every part need a full FAI after a change?

No. AS9102 allows a partial or delta FAI that re-verifies only the characteristics affected by the change, such as those tied to a tooling replacement or a new production site. A multidisciplinary team decides which applies. A preserved baseline FAI makes this decision faster and easier to defend.

Who approves a first article inspection?

The customer does. The FAIR documents the supplier’s results, but it is not a self-issued certificate for shipment. Your purchase order or quality clause will state who reviews it and whether production may proceed before approval.

What happens if a characteristic fails?

The nonconformance is documented on Form 3, and the FAI stays not complete until corrective action is validated. You then fix the process or obtain a customer disposition, and re-verify the affected characteristics.

Do prototypes need first article inspection?

Only if your contract, customer or internal design controls require it. Many teams run one anyway on late-stage prototypes to test drawings and inspection methods before production tooling. Tell your manufacturer the requirement when you request a quote.

Sources

• First article inspection, Wikipedia
• Quality Engineer Jobs in Aerospace and Defense, ASQ
• AS9102 standard issues, IAQG
• 9102 First Article Inspection Requirement, IAQG
• Form 1 Part Number Accountability, IAQG
• AS9102 aerospace first article inspection requirement, SAE International
• First Article Inspection Requirement, NIST
• SQAG 001, Lockheed Martin

Recommended

• Prototype QA Guide: Aerospace, Automotive, And Medical
• Aerospace Metal Fabrication Processes - Step-by-Step Guide
• Prototyping in Aerospace: Complete Process Guide
• Where to Find Sheet Metal Fabricators for Aerospace Parts