What Should a First Article Inspection (FAI) Report Include?

Overseas buyers cannot personally inspect each part at the machining facility in Taichung's Tanzi District, so the FAI report serves as written evidence replacing on-site acceptance. When parts are produced through CNC turning, milling, or Swiss-type lathe operations, buyers need a traceable and verifiable document proving which drawing revision, material batch, and machine tool were used. For Tier-1 suppliers or OEM part buyers, missing or incomplete FAI data often leads to rejection during incoming quality control (IPQC), affecting delivery schedules and supplier ratings. It is recommended that buyers request an FAI template during the quotation stage to confirm whether its format complies with AS9102 or the buyer's own template before placing an order. As a precision CNC machining facility in Taiwan, Yuan Shun Li has a complete inspection process from prototyping to mass production, and FAI is one of the standard outputs of final inspection before shipment.

A complete FAI report should clearly state the part number, part name, customer name, order number, and manufacturing lot number at the beginning, ensuring a one-to-one correspondence between the report and the physical parts. It should also note the design revision (Revision or Drawing Version) and manufacturing date to prevent buyers from receiving parts corresponding to an outdated drawing. For different materials such as aluminum alloy, stainless steel, carbon steel, or brass/copper, the report should indicate the actual material specification and heat number to enable traceability to the material test certificate (MTC). If parts undergo heat treatment, surface treatment, or secondary processing, these process details should also be listed because subsequent processes alter final dimensions and surface conditions. An FAI report with missing identification information is typically considered invalid by buyers.

The Mill Test Certificate (MTC) is one of the attachments to the FAI report, used to verify that the batch of material meets the specified grade, such as 6061-T6 aluminum, 304 or 316 stainless steel, or A36 carbon steel. For parts used in aerospace, medical, or automotive safety applications, buyers often require material traceability to the heat number and chemical composition report. Process records include the machine model used (e.g., BROTHER, Star Swiss-type lathe, TAKISAWA), tool numbers, machining parameters, and operator codes. This information allows quick traceability to a specific machine or operation step if deviations occur during subsequent mass production. Yuan Shun Li's inspection process covers incoming inspection, in-process checks, and final inspection before shipment. Material and process records are outputs of the incoming and in-process stages and are integrated into the FAI report.

The verification process for buyers after receiving an FAI report typically involves three steps: first, compare the physical part with the identification information on the report to confirm that the part number, lot number, and physical item match; second, spot-check measurement data by independently measuring and comparing critical dimensions and geometric tolerances, and if necessary, request the machining facility to provide original measurement files (such as CSV output from a CMM); third, confirm the completeness of material certifications and process records, and have the quality assurance or purchasing department sign off on the report. For parts in the prototyping and development stage, FAI sign-off represents design freeze and mass production launch. For mass production, FAI serves as the basis for re-verification after process changes. It is recommended that buyers specify in the contract the FAI submission timing (e.g., 5 working days before the first shipment) and the conditions for rejection and re-review to avoid disputes.

The risks of missing or non-conforming FAI often surface only during mass production, when the cost of returns far exceeds the time cost of requesting additional documentation earlier. Common scenarios include: measurement data not covering geometric tolerances, leading to assembly interference; material heat numbers not recorded, making upstream supply chain traceability impossible; and incorrect design version labeling, causing the entire batch of parts to be scrapped. For OEM parts suppliers or Tier-1 subcontractors, a single FAI error can result in downtime losses across the entire production line. We recommend that buyers incorporate FAI requirements into the purchase contract during the RFQ stage and require the machining facility to submit a complete report before the first shipment, confirming approval before starting mass production. Yuan Shun Li's pre-shipment final inspection process covers FAI output, and the actual submission format and content can be adjusted according to customer specifications.