Design Characteristics of the FAI (First Article Inspection)

[Putmbak]

I am having a difficult time with an AS Auditor stating that AS9102 5.5.2 says that every design characterisitc has to be verified during the FAI. I agree IAW the AS9102 5.5.2, but my customer specifically identifies on their dwg's what is critical and what design characteristics are to be inspected for the FAI. All other dimensions are not of a critical nature.

The auditor says this isn't acceptable.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

My company mfg plastic interior parts for wide body aircraft.

thank you

[kiwisfly]

The auditor is right, your customer may not specify all design characteristics for your production inspection but the FAI to AS9102 should include all design characteristics, you only need to do it once!!

For your production batches, you may select some other form of inspection to ensuring that the customer specified design requirements are in specification. This could include 100% inspection or sampling to an approved sampling plan in accordance with your manufacturing and inspection plan and/or the customer's approval.

I think you need to look at the FAI and customer specified design requirements as two seperate issues. One confirms that your manufacturing processes can produce the product to the design requirements, the latter allows you to reduce the inspection burden to fit your production batches.

Cheers

[Frank T.]

In Reply to Parent Post by Putmbak

I am having a difficult time with an AS Auditor stating that AS9102 5.5.2 says that every design characterisitc has to be verified during the FAI.

5.5.2 of AS9102A states, "The organization shall verify every Design Characteristic during FAI and record the results".

The word "shall" indicates a mandatory requirement per 1.3 of AS9102A.

In Reply to Parent Post by Putmbak

my customer specifically identifies on their dwg's what is critical and what design characteristics are to be inspected for the FAI. All other dimensions are not of a critical nature.

Critical characteristics identified on the drawing usually have special requirements attached to them (i.e. SPC monitoring), as they may pertain to flight safety. These are also the dimensions that are usually included on the control plan, for monitoring purposes.

[koalatee]

In going through Stage-2 audit of AS9100, our auditor informed us that in order to be in compliance with AS9102 FAI process, we must account for Key Characteristic of the parts inspected using AS9103. Also that we must have a ballon drawing reference for the FAI report. Additionaly, if no key characteristics are identifed on the customers drawing, our Engineering Dept must identify them then get cutomrs approval prior to FAI. I think this is nonsense as we have been perfroming FAI on parts that only have basic dimensions (3-5 different ones) and no Key Characteristics identified by the customer. We list the basic dimensions from the drawing by item# on the Characteristic Accountability form and any other special caharcteristics identified bydrawing notes, etc. Seems like this is suficient and using AS9103 is for variation management of key characteristics- How can you do variation management on one part? Help?

[alspread]

First-
AS9102 is not required by AS9100. It may be a customer requirement, but it is not a requirement of the standard. The standard (AS9100) does say that you need to have soem kind of process verification method, that assures that your process is in fact capable of producing a part, at least once and when you make changes (para. 7.5.1.1 in the new rev C). This process is called a first article. The standard also says that you have to comply with customer requirements. So if the customer wants AS9102, then you have to do AS9102. And yes, you must do EVERY characteristic. Even the ones called out in the body of the specifications (i.e. plating, welding, material, etc.).
Second-
AS9102 and AS9103 are two completely differnet animals. They may be linked and share some common traits, but they have two different goals or objectives. AS9103 is all about variation mangement throughthe application of a control plan (PCD). In order to have a contriol plan you need to be set-up to produce more than one part. If all you are making is one of something, then AS9103 is mute or pointless. The control plan comes later as you manufacture more parts and understand their (and your) key characteristics required to make a good part again and again.

Go to the IAQG OASIS web page. Open the SCMH (Supply Chain Mgmt Handbook), go to the table of contents, go to chapter 7 and open the links for variation of key characteristics and the training module for AS9102 first article.

Good Luck

[kiwisfly]

Hi Koalatee,
The auditor is wrong on the KC issue, if the design document from your customer does not have any Key Characteristics then you certainly should not be making them up.

The first article process you use should either be that specified by the customer or the system that you default to should the customer not specify it. Most companies default to AS9102 as it is the one indicated in the AS9100 standard (8.2.4.2 Note). It is also the FAI process specified by Boeing in their Supplier Quality Requirements.

If the auditor has raised a non-conformance on the KC issue then you shoud dispute it with the registrar / certification body. All registrars have procedures to deal with complaints and disputes.

Good luck and let us know how this turns out.

Cheers