Preparing for First Article Inspection: What to Send Your Inspection Provider

Key Takeaways

• Agree on the inspection scope and required deliverables before shipping parts.
• Provide matching drawing, model and part revisions, with a clear way to identify each characteristic.
• Connect every sample to its part number, revision and relevant lot or serial information.
• A dimensional inspection report may support an FAI package without completing every requirement in that package.
• Confirm reporting format, technical questions and handling instructions early.

A sample arrives at the inspection laboratory with a drawing and a delivery deadline. The drawing calls out one revision, the CAD filename suggests another, and nobody has identified which document controls. Before measurement can begin, someone has to resolve the discrepancy.

A first article inspection checklist helps prevent that kind of delay. The aim is to give your inspection provider a complete, consistent description of the work and to agree on what you expect back. The following checklist is a practical starting point for manufacturers arranging outside dimensional inspection.

Define the Assignment Before Sending Parts

Start by explaining why the inspection is needed. Is this a new production part, a changed design, a customer-requested verification or an investigation of a specific dimensional concern? State whether you need all specified dimensional characteristics checked or only an agreed subset.

Florida Metrology offers contract inspection and first article inspection services. Discuss the actual drawing and reporting requirements with the team before assuming that a general inspection quotation includes every document your customer expects.

Where an aerospace contract invokes AS9102, identify the applicable requirements and customer instructions. IAQG’s 9102 framework addresses a documented FAI process. An external dimensional report can contribute to that process, but material certifications, processing records and other supporting evidence may remain separate responsibilities.

Send One Consistent Set of Technical Documents

Choose a controlled set of files rather than forwarding several historical attachments and asking the provider to determine which one is current. Include the drawing revision, applicable model and relevant specifications. If information is model-defined, ask which file formats the provider can use.

• Current drawing, including all sheets, notes and referenced dimensional requirements.
• Applicable CAD or digital product definition files, where needed and agreed.
• Part number and revision corresponding to the submitted sample.
• Relevant customer inspection instructions and required report templates.
• A contact authorized to resolve drawing or scope questions.

Flag any known conflict between the model, drawing or purchase requirements. The provider should not have to guess which tolerance or revision governs a measurement. Resolve the conflict through your document-control process before treating the resulting report as evidence against that requirement.

Give Each Characteristic and Sample a Clear Identity

A ballooned drawing or agreed characteristic list makes it easier to connect a result to its requirement. Confirm who will prepare it and how drawing notes, geometric tolerances and repeated features will be identified. Keep those identifiers consistent with the report your customer will review.

Label samples without damaging functional or inspection surfaces. Provide the part number, revision and lot or serial identification used in your own records. If multiple samples are submitted, agree on how each will be distinguished in the results.

For example, three visually identical brackets should not depend on their position in a shipping box for identification. A receiving record and a sample-identification method give the inspection team a more reliable way to connect each bracket to its report.

Discuss Difficult Features and Part Condition

Tell the provider about thin walls, flexible materials, delicate finishes, restricted access or other features that could affect handling and measurement. Identify whether the part is submitted before or after a coating, heat treatment or other operation relevant to its final dimensions.

Discuss datum features and any specified restraint conditions. A feature that is accessible during production may be inaccessible after assembly. Such requirements need an agreed inspection sequence rather than an assumption that every characteristic can be evaluated on the finished item.

The choice of dimensional inspection equipment follows the part, tolerances and access requirements. A photograph can help explain the application, but it does not replace the controlled drawing or the provider’s assessment of measurement suitability.

Agree on the Report Before Inspection Starts

Ask for confirmation of the reporting format and the information it will contain. If your customer supplies a template, provide it during quotation rather than after the work is complete.

• How characteristics and samples will be identified.
• Which requirements need numerical results or other evidence.
• How units, nominal values and specification limits will appear.
• How exceptions, inaccessible features or unresolved questions will be reported.
• Who reviews the completed report and authorizes any additional work.

Where conformity statements are requested, clarify the applicable acceptance criteria and treatment of measurement uncertainty. A specific instrument choice alone does not settle how a result near a limit will be evaluated.

Complete the Handoff and Return Instructions

Include receiving contacts, packaging requirements and return-shipping instructions. Protect measurement surfaces and identify any special handling needs before dispatch. Confirm timing with the provider based on the agreed scope and availability.

Keep a copy of the submitted document set. When the report arrives, check that its sample identification, revision and characteristic coverage match the assignment. Route technical questions back to the provider before using an incomplete or mismatched report in a customer submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a first article inspection the same as checking the first part made?

Not necessarily. FAI involves planned verification and documentation against applicable requirements. A quick first-piece dimensional check may be useful for production control but may not satisfy the required FAI process or customer documentation.

How many parts should I send?

Confirm the quantity from the applicable requirements and agreed inspection scope. There is no single sample quantity that suits every first article inspection assignment.

Do I need to supply a ballooned drawing?

Ask who will prepare the characteristic identification. Providing an approved ballooned drawing can simplify the handoff, but the important point is agreement on identifiers and coverage before inspection starts.

Does outsourcing inspection transfer responsibility for the entire FAI package?

No. Define the provider’s deliverables and your organization’s remaining responsibilities. Dimensional results, material evidence, process documentation and customer submission requirements may involve different owners.

Discuss Your First Article Inspection Requirements

Send Florida Metrology your drawing revision, sample details, requested report format and target schedule. Request an inspection quote so the team can review the assignment and clarify what is needed before you ship your parts.