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An AS9102 First Article Inspection Report (FAIR) certifies that a sample part was produced and inspected according to the customer's specifications. AS9102 FAIRs, used across the aerospace and defense industry, require three forms: Part Number Accountability, Product Accountability and Characteristic Accountability.
An AS9102 FAIR contains three forms, each covering a different accountability requirement:
Identifies the part for the First Article Inspection (FAI) and any associated sub-assemblies or detailed parts.
Accounts for all material and process specifications, along with any special processes and functional testing defined as design requirements.
Accounts for every product characteristic, including dimensions, tolerances and notes. This form requires an inspection drawing or model where each inspection characteristic is identified with a uniquely numbered inspection balloon. The balloon numbers must match the characteristic numbers on Form 3 exactly, since this link is what makes the report auditable.
A First Article Inspection is typically called for in a purchase order contract between the producer and buyer. According to SAE, a First Article is required in the following situations:
Learn more about when a First Article Inspection is required.
AS9102 Rev C is the current version and the standard used by most companies. Learn more about the evolution of AS9102 since it was first released in 2000 and the differences between Rev B and Rev C.
What's Included:
What’s Included:
Gather the documentation you need before starting:
Engineering drawings
Digital product definition data sets
Bill of materials and raw materials list
Specifications
Manufacturing planning, routing, traveler or work order
Source and supplier information
Balloon your part drawing to identify each requirement to be inspected with a unique balloon number. These balloon numbers are what you'll match to Form 3's characteristic numbers once measurement data comes in.
Build the product and inspect it according to your inspection plan, recording results for each requirement as you go. Keep track of which calibrated, certified tools were used and by whom, so every measurement is traceable back to a certified inspector.
First articles aren't necessarily the very first part produced, but the first part from a qualifying production run. Learn more about when a first article is required.
Enter your measurement result data into Form 3:
Because your balloon numbers from Step 2 already match Form 3's characteristic numbers, this step is where ballooning software like Ideagen Quality Control removes the most manual work: measurement data exports straight to Form 3 instead of being retyped from a spreadsheet.
Balloon your drawing and capture feature data once, then export it directly to Form 3 of your AS9102 FAIR.
“We chose [Ideagen Quality Control] because it was easy to implement. There are training videos online, and we are able to customize reports without having to pay for services.”
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