In the design and production process of any product, activities such as design changes, process changes, process adjustments, unplanned stoppages, and transitions between products and lines often occur. So, how can we ensure that these activities do not affect the quality of subsequent production? This is where the first article inspection comes into play during the job preparation verification and post-shutdown verification stages.
Process Changes During production, any one or more of the 5M1E (Man, Machine, Material, Method, Environment, Measurement) production elements may change, such as personnel changes, equipment adjustments and maintenance, material and tooling changes, design changes, line stops, etc.
First Article Inspection The inspection of the first or first few products processed at the beginning of each shift or after a process change. The number of inspections can be determined according to the requirements of different companies or customers. Generally, at least 3-5 consecutive products should be inspected, and only after passing can further processing of subsequent products continue. Strict first article inspection must be conducted before any changes in equipment or manufacturing processes, as well as at the start of each work shift.
(2) Purpose of First Article Inspection
First article inspection in the production process is mainly to prevent batches of products from being out of tolerance, rework, or scrap. It is a means of pre-control in the product production process, an important method of process quality control, and an effective and indispensable method for enterprises to ensure product quality and improve economic efficiency.
Only after the first article inspection is qualified can formal production begin, mainly to prevent the occurrence of batch non-conforming products.
Long-term practical experience has proven that the first inspection system is an effective measure to discover problems early and prevent batch scrap of products. Through first article inspection, systematic reasons such as serious wear of tools and fixtures or incorrect installation positioning, degradation of measuring instrument precision, misreading of drawings, material feeding or formula errors, etc., can be discovered, and corrective or improvement measures can be taken to prevent batch non-conforming products.
(3) Occasions for First Article Inspection
When changing or re-testing bath solutions (such as phosphating, nitriding, etc.)
(4) Requirements for First Article Inspection
First article inspection follows a three-inspection system: self-inspection, mutual inspection, and specialized inspection.
Products to be inspected must first be "self-inspected" by the operator, then "mutually inspected" by the team leader or colleagues, and finally "specialized inspected" by the inspector to determine if they can continue processing subsequent products.
(5) Main Items of First Article Inspection
Whether materials, rough parts, or semi-finished products match the work task order;
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(1) Main Content and Scope of Application
(2) Responsibilities
(3) Control Requirements
For the first semi-finished and finished products completed in the first continuous production by the production department, first article inspection and confirmation must be carried out.
When inspecting the first article of new products, the production unit should notify the relevant personnel to inspect according to the current effective drawings, lists (or customer-provided samples), process documents, and the inspector fills in the inspection records. After passing, sign on the first article card and hang the card on the first article product for marking; if the first article inspection is not qualified, it should be returned immediately, redo the first article, and keep records. Products that have not passed the first article inspection shall not be accepted.
(4) Work Procedures
For regular production products and products produced after machine restart, the first article production must complete all production processes, and after the producer inspects and qualifies on the first article card, it is then handed over to the inspectors for first article inspection. During the first article inspection, the inspector should work with the production line leader to inspect according to the current effective drawings, lists (or customer-provided samples), process documents, and product requirements. After passing, mark the first article product (such as signing "First Article Qualified", etc.), and have the producer (or representative) and the inspector co-sign on the first article card. For the first article inspection required for significant product changes, it can be recognized and signed by the relevant personnel and inspectors; if the first article inspection is not qualified, it should be returned immediately, redo the first article.
New products for the first batch production and semi-finished and finished products generated after material and specification changes all require first article inspection and confirmation.
When quality problems are found during the first article production, they should be reflected and handled in a timely manner, and the unqualified items should be re-confirmed. Only when the first article is qualified, and the results are recorded on the first article card, and the inspector recognizes the quality, can production be organized.
