Determining FAI Scope for Production Lapses and Design Changes
Published .
Related
- AS9100
Topics
- fai
- first-article-inspection
- lapse-in-production
- delta-fai
- configuration-management
A customer receives hardware following an extended delivery break exceeding two years, while the supplier claims continuous production for other orders. Simultaneously, the part drawing has undergone an engineering revision change, raising questions about whether a full or partial First Article Inspection is required.
Quality teams often conflate customer delivery cycles with supplier production lapses and struggle to determine whether combined triggers, such as an engineering change and a potential manufacturing hiatus, mandate a full re-baseline or a delta First Article Inspection.
Common Mistakes
- Drawing notes not captured as characteristics.
- Treating a design change as a full FAI re-accomplishment instead of a partial/delta.
Best Practice
Review contract quality clauses to verify if production lapses are evaluated at the customer delivery level or supplier manufacturing line level per AS9102. When an engineering revision coincides with an extended production hiatus or process change, evaluate whether process integrity justifies a full FAI or if a documented partial FAI adequately addresses all altered characteristics.
Reflects the recommended position based on community discussion and expert review.
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