The first article, or FAI (First Article Inspection), is the exhaustive, documented verification of the first part produced with the tooling, programs, material and manufacturing route intended for the series. It proves, before launch, that the process can hold all the requirements of the drawing and the order. It is not a simple dimensional check: it also covers the material, special processes and tests.
A first article file generally includes the “ballooned” drawing on which each requirement is numbered, the measurement record for each of these characteristics (often on a CMM), the material certificates, the treatment certificates (anodising, quench hardening…) and any functional tests. In aerospace, the reference is EN 9102 (AS9102 in the United States), with three forms covering the part, the materials and processes, and the characteristics. In the automotive industry, the equivalent approach is the production part approval process, or PPAP.
It is carried out on a first order, after the creation or modification of tooling, a program or a process, or after a change of production site. It applies to a small batch as much as to a large one; its cost, mostly measuring and documentation time, is spread over the quantity. The buyer validates the file before authorising the rest of production.
In a quote request
Say whether a first article is required, under which reference (EN 9102, PPAP, internal document), on how many parts and with which documents: dimensional report, certificates, ballooned drawing supplied by you or to be prepared by the workshop. State who approves and within what time, since production often waits for this approval. See the guide from prototype to series and the one on dimensional inspection. For the quality framework, also read the definition of EN 9100.