What is First Article Inspection?
First article inspection is one the first steps in the production process. The inspection is done when the very first part comes out and is compared to the drawing of the initial design. The inspection checks for every specification that is on the original drawing. If anything is off you will get a report and be told what needs to fixed. Instead of just a few words you will be given the actual dimensions, what was wrong and even told where the improvements need to be. In a general inspection you would just be told if the product passed or failed which does not generally help in fixing problems or recurring issues.
Risks of Not Doing the First Article Inspection
There are companies out there who do not get a first article inspection and think that their product is fine. The product could fail, could fail in the future and this could lead to many problems. The product could cause injuries and various other problems. You do not want to have your business linked to a large recall. In addition to causing problem for your consumer, a bad product could also cost you a ton of money in product loss. For instance you put your product on the assembly line and do several hundred only to discover that you have done them wrong. Those would have to be thrown away, costing you time and material. Doing the first article inspection allow you to make sure that your product is of high quality with no problems.
Other Benefits to Inspection
Inspection can help with other things as well. Inspections can help to verify what tools will be needed to produce the part and to make sure that the tool is doing its job in making the product. Often times the tool that might work well for the job won’t and another tool is needed. This process also makes sure that a company can verify their suppliers to ensure that they can meet production needs and what companies need them to do.
Getting a first article inspection can help to show clients and business people that you are serious about your products and your work. Businesses that show that they put forth this effort will have greater success in getting their products out there. Businesses that do not do first article inspections will find themselves possibly having slow production as well as recalled products. If you are a business owner, consider getting this inspection done for all your products even your upcoming products to ensure that your product is where it needs to be and all of your clients will be happy with what you are offering.
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