About Our FAI Process

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BC Engineered Products utilizes  FAI (AS9102B) standard process by SAE. Although AS9100 Rev D requires the production process verification required under Clause 8.5.1.3, AS9102 itself is not a formal requirement –it is a guidance document, not something requiring certification. (In fact, AS9102 is not formally mentioned in the requirements ofAS9100, which implies that there may be other ways to satisfy the production verification than directly following AS9102).

The AS9100 Rev D (Annex C) standard explains that an FAI document “standardizes FAI process requirements to the greatest extent possible and can be used at all levels of the supply chain by organizations around the world to provide a consistent process and documentation requirements for verification of aviation, space, and defense product.”

AS9100D Clause 8.5.1.3 discusses the need to establish, implement and document the verification of production processes (e.g., risk assessments, capability studies, control plans) to ensure the ability to produce products that meet expectations. One of these verified processes in the clause refers to is FAI.

Clause 8.5.1.3 states: “The organization shall implement production process verification activities to ensure the production process is able to produce products that meet requirements.” It goes on to explain that a representative item from a first production run can be chosen to verify that “production processes, production documentation, and tooling are able to produce parts and assemblies that meet requirements.“ The clause also notes that this activity can be referred to as “First Article Inspection.” 

AS9100 Rev D clarifies FAI as a production process verification activity, so all designs should be finished before an FAI is conducted. Once all the design activities have been completed, and production processes have been determined, an FAI can be performed on the first production run. It should be repeated whenever there is a change in design that affects the fit, form, or function of the product.

During a First Article Inspection, BC Engineered Products will:

• Perform a pre-production run;
• Select parts or assemblies to test;
• Inspect and test each part;
• Document the results.

During the inspection process, the physical and functional characteristics of the product are verified against drawings, purchase orders, specifications, and/or other design documents. The verification must be documented on what is most commonly called a first article inspection report (FAIR).