Preparing First Article Inspection Requirements for CNC Parts

Define what must be inspected, which records must be supplied and whether production must stop for approval before requesting a first article. A first-article report and a build-and-hold production instruction are different requirements. Xometry lists them as separate service options; do not assume that selecting a report automatically stops the remaining lot. Inspection and hold options

Inspection, report and hold point

First article inspection (FAI) is the inspection activity. A first article inspection report (FAIR) is its documentation. A production hold point is an instruction governing when the remaining production may proceed. The report and the hold instruction are not the same deliverable. FAI and build-and-hold options

Use the agreed customer requirement to define the activity and documentation. SAE AS9102C provides a particular aerospace framework; its name alone does not establish the inspection scope of a general CNC order. Standard scope

1. State the applicable requirement

Identify the customer requirement and any agreed inspection standard and edition. SAE’s public AS9102C description concerns performing and documenting FAI and states that its requirements complement customer and applicable requirements. It is not evidence that every general CNC order must use AS9102. SAE public scope

This guide has not reviewed the full standard and cannot supply a clause-by-clause conformity checklist.

2. Freeze the document set

As an editorial preparation step, list the part number, drawing and model revisions, material specification and any approved changes. If the evidence and the ordered design do not refer to the same revision, resolve that before interpreting measurements.

3. Make each requirement traceable

This is an editorial handover format, not a reproduction of AS9102 forms. Agree the actual format and required evidence with the customer and supplier.

4. Specify the production decision

For a hypothetical initial order, write separately who receives the first-article evidence, who can approve it, what happens if a result is unresolved, and whether the remaining quantity is held. Xometry’s specific options illustrate why those decisions cannot be inferred from the label “FAI”. Its sampling and service limits are not adopted as a general requirement. Provider-specific workflow

5. Check the handover before ordering

Confirm that the drawing is supplied, the evidence requirements are agreed, the inspected part can be identified, and the production hold point is explicit where needed. Record open items rather than interpreting a partial report as proof that all parts comply.

Limits and related tasks

A first-article result does not by itself demonstrate the condition of every later part. Production control and further inspection require their own agreement. Prepare the wider order package with the CNC RFQ checklist and review the evidence guide when interpreting claims.