Imagine that you’re an importer who has placed a large order of radios to be produced in China. As decided earlier between you and your supplier, you conduct a pre-shipment inspection once the supplier has finished producing approximately 80% of the goods. However, to your surprise, you find that the quality of the battery used in the manufacturing of the radios is below the standard set by you.
You promised your customers a battery time of 6 hours, whereas the radios produced hardly run for a couple of hours without having the need to be charged again. This can potentially cost you thousands of dollars as losses; if the supplier starts replacing the batteries now, you’ll have a huge delay on your shipment- also resulting in losses for you. How could you have avoided this situation?
So far we have spoken regarding the importance of pre-shipment inspection and golden samples when making sure that the quality of the products meets with your standards; however, just as important is the concept of first article inspection which is essential in order to limit defects when you have placed an order that requires mass production.
What is the first article inspection?
The first articles are mass-produced units of a first production run. Prototypes or other pre-production samples are not considered first articles, as they are manufactured using processes not employed during mass production.
Even though the name suggests otherwise, first article inspection need not always be the first article produced during mass production. In fact, it can comprise several units produced during the first run of the mass production. This is important to make sure that the products being manufactured meet your requirements early on in the production stage so that in case there are any discrepancies they can be quickly fixed and altered according to your liking without having the defect to spread throughout the products as they continue to be produced.
Why do you require first article inspection if you’ve already seen and approved a golden sample?
Up until now, there has been a lot of stress upon the importance of approving a golden sample. As a lifelong rule for your business, you should make sure that you always have an approved sample from your supplier prior to manufacturing the entire order.
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This sample is known commonly as a golden sample that is passed by you whereby you confirm that every aspect of the products in the sample is according to your requirements and specifications and that the rest of the production order should be an exact replica of the approved sample. This sample would also be used to verify all the future production units to make sure that they are in-line with the specifications asked by you.
Let’s illustrate the importance of a golden sample with the help of an example:
During a holiday season, one of our customers ordered wall hangings that had printing on them, one saying ‘happy mother’s day’ and the other ‘Merry Christmas’. When the order was received, the customer was utterly disappointed because both the decoration pieces had spelling errors on them. The first set read ‘happy mother day’ with the s missing in mother’s and the other one that said ‘Merry Christmas.’
Though it may be hilarious, the damages it caused the customer were far from something to smile about. All of this hassle could have been easily avoided had the customer first ordered a golden sample, and approved it; because since no approved sample existed, the inspectors were unable to find anything wrong with the products.
The difference between a golden sample and first article inspection is that pre-production samples are usually custom made by staff in the factory’s R&D department, while first articles are made on the production line.
First articles should be manufactured:
- With the same materials and components as mass-produced units
- Using the same equipment and tools as used in mass production
- By the same factory staff as who will be employed on the production line for the duration of the order
When would a first inspection plan be most beneficial for you?
Although you may be tempted to conduct first article inspections in order to eliminate any chances of defects in the future in your product line, certain kinds of goods may not require first article inspection as much as other goods. First article inspection is not needed for the majority of low-cost consumer products, especially promotional goods. Often a pre-shipment inspection, when the order is at least 80 percent finished, is sufficient to verify quality for these products.
Importers in the following industries most commonly rely on first article inspection to verify mass production processes:
- Military and defense
- Aerospace, according to standard AS9102
- Automotive
- Medical devices
- Electrical and electronics (E&E)
- Industries where dimensions are critical, such as those manufacturing precision machined parts
It is also recommended to conduct a first article inspection for products that are of a highly complex nature, with technical parts and components. This is because the margin of error in such products is often very low, so it is best to make sure that there are no defects in the products that might potentially be replicated in the entire shipment. Also, keep in mind that a first article inspection should never replace a pre-shipment inspection. A first article inspection should instead be thought of as a supplement to pre-shipment inspection that ensures further quality standards.
How can conducting first article inspection potentially decrease product defects in finished goods?
A first article inspection plan can help you identify any:
- Misunderstandings regarding your quality requirements or specifications
- Use of unapproved and substandard materials or components
- Tooling or production processes that need to be adjusted for mass production
- Variation in workmanship between production staff and R&D staff that made your pre-production sample
Once you’re able to successfully identify these issues, you have the opportunity to correct them before the rest of the shipment is produced. This ensures that you do not bear the unreasonably high cost of correcting defects in products which could have easily been avoided had you conducted the first article inspection on time.
What should you include in the first article inspection procedure?
It is common for a first article inspection to cover the following aspects:
- Comparing all dimensions and characteristics in your approved drawings and prototypes with the actual production unit. This ensures factory workers understand and can follow your exact design requirements.
- Verifying production output meets requirements and tooling is properly calibrated. This can help you and your supplier identify any vulnerable steps in the production process that could cause defects in mass production. The factory may need to modify tooling or processes if finished components don’t match specifications.
- Checking product function, safety, and construction. Function, safety, and construction checks are common at most stages of inspection. But there’s particular emphasis on these with FAI.
In what ways is a first article inspection procedure different from other kinds of inspection?
If you’re an importer who is already conducting the pre-shipment inspection, you might be wondering how a first article inspection is different from other kinds of inspection. The two very basic differences are as follows:
Inspection findings are reported to the importer
As you might already know, pre-shipment inspection entails a set of critical characteristics that are outlined in a QC checklist which have to be verified in order for the shipment to be approved for delivery. The inspection team will typically make a record of any nonconformance found within the goods that are then sent to the importer to analyze.
However, there exist certain industries such as aerospace and defense that have much higher requirements in terms of quality; these require importers to fill out a first article inspection form that complies with standard AS9102. This documentation helps form a quality record for reviewing accountability, planning, performing periodic surveillance, and evaluating root cause and corrective action for any non-conformances.
The inspection sampling method
In a pre-shipment inspection, importers often use an acceptance sampling method like AQL. To inspect a representative sample of the order. But a first article inspection entails checking just a few pieces at random. Inspectors generally won’t use a specific sampling plan with FAI.
Do you need to hire a third-party inspection company to conduct a first article inspection?
As is the case with other kinds of inspection. There exist the pros and cons of each type of inspection method that you wish to employ. It is always a good idea to conduct an audit of the supplier’s quality management system. To see whether its internal QC processes are reliable enough for you. If you feel that the supplier’s internal quality control team has been performing well for you in the past. Then you may decide to hand over the responsibility of the first article inspection to them as well.
However, in case you feel that the internal quality control team lacks. The expertise or is not free from conflict of interest. Then you can always turn to a professional third party inspection team to perform this task on behalf of you.
What information should you include in your first article inspection checklist?
A first article inspection checklist should clearly outline:
- Your specifications
- Design drawing or blueprint
- Product diagram
- Organized checklist for accurate measurements
- Dimension details
- Your standard and tolerances
- Any specific equipment required for conducting the inspection
Conclusion
Although the first article inspection may not be an acute necessity for many importers. You must look into the type of goods that you are producing to decide upon. Whether or not it is needed for your business.
Make sure to carry out an audit of the supplier’s internal quality control team. If you wish to hand over the task of first article inspection to them. If you are not satisfied with the performance of the supplier’s quality control team, then you can always turn to a third party inspection team to perform the inspection for you.
Make sure to clearly outline your requirements and any specifications. That you wish to achieve through the first article inspection so that you get the most out of the inspection.