First Article Inspection (FAI)

First Article Inspection (FAI) refers to the comprehensive dimensional, visual, performance, and functional inspection of the first (or first few) products manufactured before mass production begins, in order to verify whether the production process, equipment, molds, and operating procedures can stably produce products that meet customer drawings, specifications, and quality standards. FAI is widely used in OEM/ODM manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and machinery manufacturing in foreign trade. It is one of the important quality documents that customers (buyers) require suppliers (sellers) to submit. Use cases include: new product introduction, mold transfer, engineering changes, production line changes, or resumption of production after shutdown. Notes: The FAI report usually needs to include actual measured values of all dimensions marked on the drawings, material certificates, test data, and deviation explanations, and must be signed and confirmed by the quality department. If the FAI fails, the supplier must rectify and resubmit; otherwise, mass production is not allowed. Unlike IPQC (In-Process Quality Control) and FQC (Final Quality Control), FAI focuses on process verification in the pre-production stage, rather than continuous monitoring during production or final gatekeeping before shipment.