What is the first article inspection form template?
A first article inspection answers one question before a production run goes ahead: does the process, as set up today, make a part that matches the current drawing? Whether it's a brand-new part, a drawing revision, a new supplier or a tooling change, the first part off the line is measured characteristic by characteristic before anyone makes a thousand more.
This form records that inspection over three pages. The first identifies the part, drawing number and revision, the reason for the FAI and whether it's a full or partial inspection. The second captures every characteristic result, a count of characteristics inspected and out of tolerance, a short grid of other checks such as material, finish and marking, and the gauges used with their calibration status. The third collects the CMM report or ballooned drawing and ends with a disposition, a signature and quality approval.
Every submission is saved as a PDF in your FileIt vault with its attachments, giving you a searchable record of first articles by part number and revision. It's a general-purpose FAI record; if a customer requires a specific format such as the AS9102 forms, use this to gather the data and transfer it to their format.
- Best for
- Machine shops, contract manufacturers and quality teams releasing new or changed parts
- Filled in by
- The quality inspector measuring the first part
- Time to complete
- 10-20 minutes plus measuring time, depending on the number of characteristics
- Includes
- Full or partial scope, characteristic results, gauge calibration check, file upload, disposition and signature
Who uses a first article inspection form?
- Releasing the first production run of a new part number
- Re-inspecting after a drawing revision or engineering change
- Qualifying parts from a new supplier or second source
- Checking parts after a tooling, fixture or CNC program change
- Restarting production after the line has been idle for a long time
- Keeping first article records ready for a customer or audit request
Questions on this first article inspection form
34 questions over 3 pages · includes signature, file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages, ratings.
1 Part & reason
- Inspector*
- Inspection date*
- FAI report number
- Part number*
- Part name or description*
- Drawing number*
- Drawing revision*
- Customer
- Work order or job number
- Production line, cell or supplier
- Why is a first article inspection needed?* New part, first production run · Drawing or design change · New supplier or production source · Process, tooling, program or machine change · Production moved to a new location · Production restarted after a long break
- Scope* Full FAI — every characteristic · Partial FAI — only characteristics affected by the change
- Which characteristics are affected by the change?* asked only when it applies
- Serial or sample number of the part inspected
- Material and lot or heat number
- Material certificate reviewed and matches the specification?*
2 Characteristics & measurements
- Characteristic results*
- Characteristics inspected*
- Characteristics out of tolerance*
- Details of the out-of-tolerance characteristics* asked only when it applies
- Other checks* Pass · Fail · N/A
- Gauges and measuring equipment used
- All gauges within their calibration date?*
- Which gauge is out of calibration, and what was done?* asked only when it applies
3 Evidence & disposition
- Ballooned drawing, CMM report and photos
- Disposition* Accepted — production can be released · Accepted with an approved deviation or concession · Rejected — correct and re-inspect
- Deviation or concession reference* asked only when it applies
- Nonconformance report (NCR) number asked only when it applies
- Re-inspection due by asked only when it applies
- Actions required before re-inspection* asked only when it applies
- Notes
- Inspector's signature*
- Quality approver
- Approved on
The first article inspection form, page by page
1 Part & reason
The inspector, inspection date and an FAI report number come first, followed by the Part number, Part name or description, Drawing number and Drawing revision, all required, so the record is tied to the exact revision the part was made to. Customer, Work order or job number and Production line, cell or supplier say where the part came from.
Why is a first article inspection needed? lists the common triggers, from a new part to a process or machine change, with room for another reason. Choosing a partial FAI under Scope asks which characteristics are affected by the change. The page ends with the serial or sample number, the material lot or heat number and whether the material certificate was reviewed.
2 Characteristics & measurements
A note explains what to record for each characteristic, and the Characteristic results box takes one line per balloon: requirement and tolerance, measured value, method or gauge and result. Characteristics inspected and Characteristics out of tolerance are counted separately, and any failures open a required box for the details.
An Other checks grid covers material, surface finish, burrs and damage, part marking, special process certificates, fit or function and packaging, each as pass, fail or N/A. The inspector lists the gauges used and confirms they're within calibration; answering no asks which gauge and what was done about it.
3 Evidence & disposition
Up to ten files can be attached: the ballooned drawing, a CMM report, a spreadsheet of results, material certificates or photos. The Disposition is accepted, accepted with an approved deviation, or rejected. A deviation requires its reference number; a rejection asks for the NCR number, a re-inspection date and the actions needed first.
The inspector signs, and there's space for the quality approver's name and approval date.
Make the template yours
- Replace the Characteristic results box with a fixed set of short fields if every FAI for a product family has the same critical dimensions
- Add your customer's specific FAI triggers to the reason list
- Add a key characteristic yes/no question if your customer marks critical or safety characteristics
- Send notifications to the production supervisor so a release decision isn't missed
- File submissions into a vault folder per customer or part family
Tips for a better first article inspection form
- Inspect against the drawing revision the job was released to, not a copy pinned up on the shop floor
- Balloon the drawing before measuring so every characteristic has a number in the results
- Record actual measured values rather than just pass or fail, so trends are visible on the next FAI
- Check gauge calibration dates before you start, not after a failure
- Keep the inspected part tagged and quarantined until the disposition is signed
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
Each first article inspection is saved as a PDF in your FileIt vault, with the measurement report, drawing and photos stored alongside it. With owner notifications on, quality and production are told straight away whether the run can be released.
The Responses table lists every FAI with its part number, revision and disposition, and can be exported to CSV to see which parts or sources are failing first articles most often.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
First article inspection form: frequently asked questions
Is this first article inspection template free?
Yes. It's included in the FileIt Forms app on every account, including the free plan, and every question can be edited, removed or added to in the form designer.
Is this an AS9102 form?
No. It collects the same kind of information an FAI needs, such as part and drawing details, characteristic results and material and special process checks, but it isn't the AS9102 form set. If your customer requires that format, transfer the data into it.
Can I attach a CMM report instead of typing every measurement?
Yes. Upload the report on the last page and summarise in the Characteristic results box, or write "see attached CMM report" and note any failures.
What's a partial FAI?
When only some features are affected by a change, such as one dimension on a revised drawing, many teams re-inspect just those characteristics. The form asks which ones are in scope when you choose a partial FAI.
Who signs the record?
The inspector signs on the last page, and there are fields for the quality approver's name and approval date.
Can it be used for supplier first articles?
Yes. Send the link to the supplier's quality contact, or fill it in yourself during receiving inspection, and use the Production line, cell or supplier field to record the source.