FAI - Operators/Machinists

FIRST ARTICLE INSPECTION

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What is a First Article Inspection?

It is the inspection of one to three pieces from the start of a production run, and is important to note that the FAI is not limited to a single piece, as the name might imply

The Manufacturing Process (SOP-3.0-001) defines a first article inspection (FAI) as:

A representative item from the first product run of a new part or assembly for each manufacturing routing operation, to verify that the products processes, production documentation, and tooling can produce parts and assemblies that meet requirements.

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Why do we have to do one?

An FAI helps to ensure that that issues are caught before production starts, and that everything is conforming:

• All the equipment being used to manufacture the part is functioning properly
• The program/machine settings (speeds and feeds, program, etc.) are ready to run production with no more major changes
• The materials are all correct per the drawing requirement before continuing with production
• Reduce future escapes, risks, and total costs
• Improve quality, delivery and customer satisfaction
• Reduce costs and production delays associated with nonconformances
• Identify when a manufacture process is not capable of producing a conforming part

An FAI helps the company to reduce waste and to prevent time-consuming and costly reworks!

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Terminology you may hear

Attribute Data: A result from a characteristic or property that is appraised only as to whether it does or does not conform to a given requirement”

Example: Go/no-go, accept/reject, pass/fail

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Variable Data: Quantitative measurements taken on a continuous scale

Example: the diameter of a cylinder, the gap between mating parts

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First Article Inspection Report (FAIR): The forms and package of documentation for a part number, sub-assembly, or assembly, including associated FAI results

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What does it look like?�(Sample Form)

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Your side!

So how do you complete & submit an FAI?

1. After setting up the machine, the set-up personnel must produce and inspect 1-3 parts (if it takes more than 3, escalate to your supervisor), until 1 part is inspected and is fully conforming per the customer requirements. Once you believe you have a conforming part, ready for production, document your inspection in the machinist column on the FAIR

**Remember a conforming part for FAI means that the program, feeds, speeds, and machine are all running at the optimal level to start production after FAI approval. The first part run will need to be inspected for all drawing and/or traveler call-outs that are applicable to that operation**

• Review your program and set-up book to ensure they are completed and saved in the server per process. Work with programming for any updates needed.
• Submit the FAI part, FAI document and job traveler to the quality department. Make sure that you log your FAI inspection request through the inspection log. Very important!
• You must wait until Quality Control (QC) inspects and passes your part to start your production run

**there is an exception for continuous run FAI’s. See FAI Requirements slide for more details

4. When the FAI part and FAI document are received back, make sure to verify QC inspected all dimensions for your operation!

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So how do you complete & submit an FAI?

1. Inspect your part for every feature that is cut from your operation. Fill in the data results in the Operator Results column and your Name on the Operator Name column, on the FAI report.
2. Don’t leave any spaces blank. See the next slide for acceptable symbols to use if you cannot inspect a dimension during your operation.

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Symbols that May be Used on Inspection Documents

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Finalized FAI Form

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Please make sure your handwriting is readable because the FAI documentation is typed up at the end of the job and sent to the customer (upon customer request).

FAI original documents are scanned and saved in the Q:drive for future retrieval

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Finalized FAI Form Sent to Customer

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FAI original documents are scanned and saved in the Q:drive for future retrieval

FAI Requirements

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• Employees cannot proceed with working on their operation until their first article piece has been approved by QC.
• Exceptions can be made for repeat jobs that are continuous runs. In this case, work on an operation can continue while QC/lead approval is still pending.
• If a part is set up on a machine, and the work order switches, but the machine is not broken down, this is considered a continuous run, and is not required to be inspected by QC.

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• All first articles are required to be verified by QC with calibrated equipment in a temperature-controlled environment.
• Just because we have a thermostat, does not mean the room is temperature controlled, we need to have data recorded of the temperature readings

Types of FAI Submission

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There are multiple types of first articles submitted to QC including:

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1. FAI (First Articl): first article submitted with customer required material. This should be already inspected by the operator as best as possible and should be ready to run production without changes after passing.
2. Set up FAI: first article submitted with set up material instead of what material is required by the drawing. Operator must submit a real FAI regardless.
3. Subcontract FAI (Subcnt- FAI): this is when another manufacturing house (subcontractor) is submitting an FAI in order to continue their production.
4. New Program FAI (New Prog FAI): this is when the manufacturing program has been changed or up-rev’d and a new part needs to be made to ensure it conforms to all requirements.
5. Continuous run FAI (Cont. Run): this is when the machine has not been broken down between job changes, and it is running the same part. A continuous run can be inspected by the lead or another qualified machinist if QC is backlogged. The employee must write the original job # on the FAI and on the dashboard, submission notes that the continuous run is coming from.

Continuous Run FAI

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• Continuous runs can be inspected by the lead or supervisor in place of QC, so long as they are following this process correctly, along with any subsequent required processes.
• Continuous runs shall be submitted as such:
• Dashboard: when submitting the FAI, it shall reference the original job # (not necessarily the job that ran before it) in the Special Requirements section
• FAI Sheet: The operator/machinist shall write on the top of the sheet: “Continuous run from 12345-01” (the original job) along with their initials and the date

Example:

• Continuous run job = 12345-13
• Original job = 12345-01
• Continuous runs shall be inspected as such:
• Inspect critical features identified on the in-process inspection sheet (SPC) or Inspection Plan (IP)
• If the lead or supervisor is inspecting the part, they need to enter/copy data from original job into the continuous run job

• If QC fails the FAI, the machinist will need to correct the issue, then submit a new FAI to QC.
• If the FAI fails three times, escalate to your supervisor so they can assist as needed.

If FAI’s still to fail, continue escalation efforts up to the director and executive level to ensure we “stop the bleeding”

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What happens if QC fails the FAI?

1. QC will log the job as pass or fail in the Inspection Log
2. QC will bring the passed part back to you with a copy of the FAI and any subsequent inspection data needed

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Expectations of you as the employee submitting and receiving the FAI

1. It is your job to ensure:
1. The program you are running in the machine is at the correct customer PN, rev, PSP internal rev and machine
2. The set-up workbook is at the correct customer PN, rev, PSP internal rev and machine
3. Any fixturing you are using is engraved and referenced in the set-up workbook

You are liable for this being accurate when submitting an FAI for production

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What to expect when QC passes your FAI

Additional FAIs (for the same operation) will need to be done any time a change has been made that could have an affect on the manufacturing process (an adverse effect). Examples:

• Engineering changes- customer makes a change
• Break in the set up- scheduling/production requests to stop the job and continue at a later point
• Production process changes- there is a change in the manufacturing program, manufacturing route, or change in the material prep (wasn’t ground > now it is, wasn’t heat treated > now it is, etc.)
• Tool Change- a tool has worn down or broken and must be replaced. The machinist will need to inspect the part again for all the dimensions affected by the tool change, then submit to QC through the inspection log, and make a note in the ‘Special Requirements’ box of what dimensions were affected by the tool change, so QA does not waste time inspecting features that have no change.

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Machinist must wait for QC to pass the tool change FAI, if the feature the tool affected cannot be checked/verified by machinist.

The entry in the log will serve as the record of the FAI, you do not need to document this on the FAI sheet

The need for additional FAI’s

Scrap Parts

• Any non-conforming parts manufactured during set up must be identified and segregated by placing in a red bin, marking with red ink, red tagged, or if the part will be used for set up in the future, you can use blue ink.
• If you have submitted an FAI 3 times and it has failed every time, you must escalate to your supervisor.

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Revision History

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