Glossary

Ballooned characteristic

A ballooned characteristic is a numbered drawing or specification requirement mapped to inspection evidence.

First Article Inspection (FAI) in Aerospace Manufacturing and Regulated Supply Chains Ballooning and Characteristics

A ballooned characteristic is a specific requirement on an engineering drawing, model, or specification that has been assigned a visible identifier, often shown in a circle or “balloon.” The identifier links the requirement to inspection planning, measurement results, and quality records.

In manufacturing and aerospace first article inspection, ballooned characteristics commonly include dimensions, tolerances, notes, material requirements, process requirements, and other verifiable design requirements. Each balloon number is typically mapped to an inspection report line, such as an AS9102 Form 3 characteristic entry, so the requirement, acceptance criteria, and recorded result can be traced together.

A ballooned characteristic should not be confused with a key characteristic or critical characteristic. A key or critical characteristic has special significance based on product, process, safety, fit, function, or customer requirements. A ballooned characteristic is simply an identified requirement for traceability and inspection control, although a key or critical characteristic may also be ballooned.

In digital inspection workflows, ballooned characteristics may be created from 2D drawings, model-based definition data, or manual characteristic extraction. They are often used to align CMM data, inspection plans, FAIR records, and supplier documentation.

Teams should choose full FAI when there is no valid prior baseline for the current part configuration and production method. Partial FAI is appropriate only when an existing FAI remains valid and the team can clearly define which characteristics, operations, materials, tools, or sources were affected by a change.

How should unchanged characteristics be handled in a partial FAI?

In a partial FAI, unchanged characteristics are usually not remeasured if a documented impact assessment shows they were not affected by the change. They should still be traceable to a prior accepted FAI, with clear references, rationale, and customer-specific requirements checked before relying on carry-forward evidence.

When does a production lapse require a full FAI?

A production lapse commonly triggers FAI re-evaluation at the AS9102 or customer-defined threshold, often two years. It does not always require a full FAI; partial FAI may be acceptable if the prior baseline, revision, process, tooling, source, and evidence remain valid.

Who is responsible for completing AS9102 forms?

The organization performing the first article inspection is normally responsible for completing the AS9102 forms. In practice, quality coordinates the package, but engineering, manufacturing, inspection, purchasing, and suppliers may all provide controlled inputs. Final accountability depends on contract flowdown and approved procedures.

Related Glossary

GD&T

GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) is a symbolic system for defining part geometry and allowable variation on engineering drawings and models.

datum

A datum is a theoretically exact point, line, or plane used as a reference for measurement, design, and manufacturing operations.