Front page / How do I inspect first articles from a new mould (FAI and AS9102 basics)?
How do I inspect first articles from a new mould (FAI and AS9102 basics)?
A first article inspection (FAI) checks that a production process can make a part meeting every requirement on the drawing, and records the evidence. In aerospace the format is AS9102, which uses three forms. Form 1 identifies the part. Form 2 covers materials, special processes and functional tests. Form 3 lists every design characteristic with its measured result, numbered to match balloons on the drawing. Other industries use the same idea, often with their own forms.
The three AS9102 forms
| Form | Title | What it records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Part number accountability | the FAI part: number, name, revision, drawing, organisation, and whether the FAI is full or partial and why |
| 2 | Product accountability: materials, special processes and functional testing | each material and process specification and functional test defined as a design requirement, with source and certificate references |
| 3 | Characteristic accountability, verification and compatibility evaluation | each design characteristic: number, drawing location, requirement, measured result and any nonconformance |
Form titles follow the Lockheed Martin MFC supplier guidebook and the IAQG form 3 instructions.
Ballooning and measurement reports
Quality Magazine describes the ballooned or bubbled drawing: each characteristic on the drawing gets a unique numbered balloon that matches its characteristic number on Form 3. The MFC guidebook strongly recommends ballooning, with reference by drawing sheet and zone as an alternative. The IAQG form 3 instructions allow results from automated inspection, such as a CMM report, to be referenced instead of retyped, provided the characteristic numbers are clearly linked and results can be compared directly with the requirements. Results go in the units of the drawing unless the customer agrees otherwise.
When to repeat it
Quality Magazine says an FAI should be repeated whenever a design change affects form, fit or function. The MFC guidebook lists triggers for a partial FAI, which covers only what changed. These include design changes; changes in manufacturing source, process, inspection method, location, tooling or material; changes to numerical control programs; events that may affect the process; and corrective actions needed to close a previous FAI. It also lists a lapse in production as a reason to record.
Applying FAI to a moulded part
- Use parts from the production process. Mould at the intended settings, in the production resin and colour, after the process is stable, not from early trial shots.
- One report per cavity. Each cavity is effectively its own process, so buyers often ask for a dimensional report on a part from every cavity.
- Condition before measuring. Moulded parts can keep shrinking after moulding, and nylons change with moisture, so agree the time and conditions before measuring.
- Treat a mould repair or move as a change. Under the triggers above, tooling changes and a change of location call for at least a partial FAI.
- Include material evidence. Resin lot certificates and any special processes, such as plating or printing, belong in the Form 2 section.
Educational summary of public guidance. Your customer's purchase order and the current edition of AS9102 define the actual requirements.
Questions buyers ask
Is a T1 sample report the same as an FAI?
Usually not. Trial samples check the mould; an FAI documents that the production process meets every requirement.
Do I need AS9102 outside aerospace?
Only if a customer asks for it. Many non-aerospace buyers ask for a similar ballooned dimensional report.
What if one dimension fails?
Record it as a nonconformance, correct the cause, and then do a partial FAI on the affected characteristics, as the MFC guidebook describes for corrective actions.
Can the toolmaker's CMM report be used?
It can be referenced if each result is clearly traceable to the ballooned characteristic numbers.
Sources
- Quality Magazine, How to create an AS9102 first article inspection report
- IAQG, 9102 Form 3 instructions (PDF)
- Lockheed Martin MFC, Supplier first article inspection guidebook (PDF)