First article inspection and material certs explained
What a First Article Inspection (FAI) report proves, how AS9102 ballooning and the three forms work, and what a mill cert (material test report) is. The documentation that proves a first-off part and its material meet the drawing before you run production.
A First Article Inspection (FAI) is a full, documented verification that the first part off a production process meets every requirement on the drawing, before the run is approved. In aerospace it follows AS9102, which uses three standard forms and a ballooned drawing so every characteristic is numbered, measured and recorded. A mill certificate (also called a material test report, or MTR) is the separate document that certifies the raw material's chemistry and mechanical properties against its spec. Together they answer the two questions a buyer needs settled before production: is the first part right, and is it made of the right material.
What a first article inspection proves
An FAI is not a sample that "looks right." It is a line-by-line verification: every dimension, note, tolerance and specification callout on the drawing is checked on the first production part and recorded, with the actual measured value against the requirement. It catches a misread tolerance, a wrong feature or a process that cannot hold a dimension before you have made a thousand of them. It is required on new parts, after a design change, after a process or location change, and often after a long production gap.
AS9102: ballooning and the three forms
In aerospace the standard is AS9102. The drawing is "ballooned," meaning every characteristic is given a number, and the report records each one. AS9102 uses three forms:
- Form 1, Part Number Accountability: identifies the part, drawing and assembly.
- Form 2, Product Accountability: lists the materials, special processes and functional testing, with their certifications.
- Form 3, Characteristic Accountability: the line-by-line record of every ballooned characteristic, its requirement, the measured result and the tooling used.
Even outside aerospace, the same ballooned, characteristic-by-characteristic method is the credible way to run an FAI.
Mill certs and material traceability
A mill certificate (material test report, or MTR) is issued by the material producer and states the heat or lot number, the chemical composition and the mechanical properties, certifying the material against its specification. For regulated work it is what links the finished part back to a traceable, conforming batch of metal. A shop that can supply mill certs on request is set up for traceability; one that cannot is a flag for aerospace, defence or medical work.
When to require them
- FAI on any new production part, after an engineering change, or after a process or supplier change.
- Mill certs and full traceability on aerospace, defence and medical parts, and anywhere material conformance is safety-critical.
- Both are routine expectations for AS9100 and many ISO 9001 suppliers.
What to send for a quote
State whether you require an FAI and to which standard (AS9102 for aerospace), whether the drawing needs ballooning, and whether you require mill certs and full material traceability. Put it in the RFQ, since inspection and documentation are real cost and lead-time items. Request a quote from Canadian shops set up for documented inspection.
FAQ
What is a first article inspection?
A full, documented check that the first part off a production process meets every requirement on the drawing, recorded characteristic by characteristic, before the production run is approved.
What is AS9102?
The aerospace standard for first article inspection. It uses a ballooned drawing and three forms (part number accountability, product accountability and characteristic accountability) to record every characteristic and its measured result.
What is a mill certificate?
A material test report from the metal producer that certifies the heat or lot's chemistry and mechanical properties against the material specification. It is the basis of material traceability.
When do I need a new FAI?
For a new part, after an engineering or drawing change, after a change in process, tooling or manufacturing location, and often after a long break in production.
Is FAI the same as PPAP?
No. An FAI verifies the first part against the drawing. PPAP is the broader automotive approval package that also covers the process, FMEAs, control plan and capability studies. They overlap but are not the same.
Last reviewed: November 2026. Related reading: what is PPAP and what is NADCAP.
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