Incomplete Accountability for All Design Characteristics in FAI Packages
Published .
Applicable Standards
AS9102Applicable Sections
- ✓Form 2 — Product Accountability
- ✓Form 3 — Characteristic Accountability
Related
- AS9100
Topics
- fai
- first_article_inspection
- characteristic_accountability
- as9102
- form-3
- documentation
- drawing_review
A supplier submitted a First Article Inspection (FAI) package for review. The package included inspection results on Form 3 for all clearly ballooned dimensional characteristics, and all results were documented as conforming. However, upon detailed review against the engineering definition, it was discovered that certain requirements were not accounted for in the FAI.
The supplier's FAI process failed to identify and document all design characteristics, such as general notes, title block tolerances, and part marking requirements. The FAI was therefore incomplete and did not provide objective evidence that every requirement defined by the engineering drawing had been verified.
Key Takeaways
- The incomplete FAI was rejected and returned to the supplier for correction.
- This action resulted in schedule delays and required additional labor from both the supplier and the customer to complete the verification activity and secure FAI approval.
- The supplier's FAI process failed to identify and document all design characteristics, such as general notes, title block tolerances, and part marking requirements.
Common Mistakes
- The FAI was therefore incomplete and did not provide objective evidence that every requirement defined by the engineering drawing had been verified.
- Missing balloon numbers on the drawing.
- Title block requirements not accounted for on Form 3.
- Drawing notes not captured as characteristics.
Best Practice
Implement a robust process to ensure 100% accountability for all design characteristics defined by the engineering source, including non-dimensional requirements like notes, material specifications, part marking, and title block tolerances. All such characteristics must be uniquely identified and documented on the FAI forms to provide a complete record of verification as required by AS9102.
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