Glossary

First Article Inspection Report

A First Article Inspection Report documents FAI results against drawings, specifications, and production requirements.

First Article Inspection (FAI) in Aerospace Manufacturing and Regulated Supply Chains AS9102 / FAI

A First Article Inspection Report is the documented record of a first article inspection, showing whether a production-representative part or assembly meets the applicable drawing, specification, and purchase order requirements. It records the evidence used to compare actual production output against defined design and process requirements.

In aerospace and other regulated manufacturing contexts, the report is commonly associated with AS9102 first article inspection practices. A typical report may include part accountability, referenced materials and special processes, drawing characteristics, measured results, acceptance status, and links to supporting records such as certificates or inspection data.

The report should not be confused with the inspection activity itself. First article inspection is the verification process; the First Article Inspection Report, often abbreviated FAIR, is the controlled record of that process. A FAIR can support traceability and review, but the existence of a report does not by itself imply production approval, certification, or compliance status.

Yes, MES can help coordinate customer sign-offs for FAIs by linking production evidence, inspection status, holds, and review workflows. It does not replace the customer’s approval process, AS9102 requirements, or external portals unless those integrations are defined, validated, and controlled.

When should FAI software integrate with ERP?

FAI software should integrate with ERP when ERP is the controlled source for part, revision, work order, purchase order, supplier, customer, lot, or shipment context used in the FAI. The integration should reduce re-entry and improve traceability, not turn ERP into the inspection record system.

When does a material change require FAI resubmission?

A material change usually requires FAI resubmission when it changes the approved design baseline, material specification, grade, form, treatment, or any condition that could affect fit, form, function, or required characteristics. A new lot alone usually does not trigger FAI unless customer or program rules say otherwise.

Can AI automatically balloon aerospace drawings for FAI?

AI can help identify and propose FAI balloons, but fully automatic, release-ready ballooning is usually not credible in aerospace without human review, controlled source data, revision governance, validation, and traceable approval.

Related Glossary

FAI Documentation Error

An FAI documentation error is a mistake, omission, or inconsistency in a First Article Inspection record package.

Supplier documentation

Supplier documentation is the set of records and files provided by a supplier to support purchased materials, parts, or services.

Characteristic extraction

Characteristic extraction is the capture of inspection characteristics from drawings, models, or specs into structured data.