AS9100D requires a production verification, Clause 8.5.1.3, which includes two clauses. The first clause states production process verification activities shall be undertaken to ensure the production processes are able to produce products that meet requirements. The actives can include capacity studies, capability studies, and control plans. The second clause states a First Article Inspection (FAI) shall be taken from a part, representative from the first production run. The FAI is used to verify that the production process activities can produce parts that meet requirements.
Steps for First Article Inspection
The FAI process can only begin after the process verification activities have been completed, and consists of the following steps:
Perform a production run
Select the part to be tested - the part should be selected at random, to ensure the process is consistent.
Measure, test, and inspect the part - the physical and functional characteristics of the part should be verified against the design documents. This includes drawings, specifications, and other requirements set out by the customer.
Maintain adequate records of documentation - The documentation should include all references and details, to ensure full traceability of the part, the processes that were undertaken to produce the part, the requirements being verified, and the results of the verification.
Note, if any changes are made to the part, the process verification activities shall be updated, and the FAI completed on the subsequent first production run.
VP Expert Machining Inc. offers complete FAI solutions, including the use of 3rd party vendors, to ensure parts meet all of the requirements specified. For dimensional verification, we use our CNC CMM. The setup of the inspection is documented, along with the results, and NC program, allowing for consistency if subsequent measurements are needed for larger batches.
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