First article inspection (FAI) is how a manufacturer proves the process made the part that was designed. Historically that meant a ballooned drawing and a table of CMM points. That still works — and it is still required for many features — but it is a weak description of freeform hardware.
What a scan-based FAI package includes
For complex parts we typically deliver:
- Alignment to the drawing datum scheme (or an agreed alternate)
- Full-field comparison to CAD
- Ballooned or tabulated results on critical features
- CMM correlation on the tolerances that must be defensible
The scan does not replace the quality record. It fills in the surfaces a probe cannot economically sample.
When FAI and reverse engineering overlap
Sometimes the “first article” is actually an as-built of a tool, a casting, or a legacy part with incomplete CAD. In that case the same capture supports both inspection and reverse engineering to CAD.
If you are releasing a first article in aerospace, energy, or industrial manufacturing, tell us the drawing, the CAD, and whether the part can ship to South Windsor, CT. Request an FAI / scanning quote.
— Bolton Works