First article inspection is where a machined part earns trust. It is the documented proof that the very first production part matches the drawing in every dimension before quantity flows. Wexmar performs first article inspection in house and delivers AS9102-style FAI packages backed by two Brown & Sharpe coordinate measuring machines. For buyers qualifying a new machined parts supplier, this is the record that shows the process is set correctly from the start.
AS9102 and its current revision
AS9102 is the aerospace standard that defines how a first article inspection is planned, performed, and documented. The current revision is AS9102 Rev C, released June 23, 2023, which sharpened the requirements around FAI planning, evaluation, and re-accomplishment. The standard is built around three forms.
| Form | Name | What it captures |
|---|---|---|
| Form 1 | Part Number Accountability | Part identity, revision, material, sub-assembly rollup, and who performed the FAI |
| Form 2 | Product Accountability | Materials, special processes, and functional testing with their certifications |
| Form 3 | Characteristic Accountability | Every drawing characteristic, its requirement, the result, and the tool used |
These forms travel with the part and give your receiving team a complete audit trail from print to measured result.
Ballooned drawings and characteristic accountability
A proper FAI starts with a ballooned, or bubbled, drawing. Every dimension, note, tolerance, and GD&T callout on the print is assigned a unique characteristic number. Nothing on the drawing is left unaccounted for. Each balloon then maps one to one onto Form 3, so a reviewer can trace characteristic 17 on the drawing to characteristic 17 on the report and see the requirement, the actual measured value, and the instrument that produced it. That one-to-one accountability is the heart of AS9102. It is also the part buyers audit first, because a gap in the balloon map is a gap in the proof.
CMM first article inspection
Wexmar runs two Brown & Sharpe CMMs for first article and in-process inspection. CMM measurement gives repeatable, operator-independent results on position, profile, and tight dimensional features that hand tools cannot resolve reliably. For a CMM first article inspection we program the routine against the model or print, measure the characteristics, and export the results straight into the FAI report. Features better suited to other gauging, threads, surface finish, and the like, are measured with the right instrument and recorded to the same characteristic. Our inspection and quality program describes the full toolset.
When FAI is required
FAI requirements are triggered by change, not by calendar. A first article is generally required in these situations.
- A new part or a new supplier producing the part for the first time.
- An engineering change that affects form, fit, or function, or a drawing revision.
- A change in manufacturing source, process, or location.
- A change in numerical control program that alters a characteristic.
- A lapse in production, often two years, that requires re-accomplishment.
A partial FAI covers only the characteristics affected by a change, while a full FAI re-verifies the entire part. We plan the scope with you up front so the package matches your purchase order.
Material certs, traceability, and PPAP-style documentation
An FAI is only as good as the records behind the material. We provide material certifications tied to the lot and maintain DFARS material traceability from mill certificate through the finished part. Where special processes are involved, their certifications are captured on Form 2. For automotive and industrial customers who prefer a PPAP-style submission, we can assemble the equivalent documentation package, control plan, dimensional results, material and process certs, so the part arrives with its full evidence set. This is the same discipline that lets us move a proven part into government and defense machining without re-qualifying the process each time.
What you receive
- AS9102 Rev C style Forms 1, 2, and 3, fully populated.
- A ballooned drawing with one-to-one characteristic mapping.
- CMM inspection reports from our Brown & Sharpe machines.
- Material certifications and DFARS traceability.
Our quality system is ISO 9001 aligned, not certified, and we hold NIST SP 800-171 at 110 of 110 in SPRS. Send a drawing through request a quote and tell us the FAI scope, or start with an instant quote.