# Incoming Fastener Inspection Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/incoming-fastener-inspection-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A 30-point receiving checklist for fasteners: documents, markings, dimensions and gauging, mechanical tests, coating and storage. ## Category quality ## Industry Springs and Fasteners ## Audience - Receiving inspector - Quality engineer - Supplier quality ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### Documents and certificates **Items:** **Text:** Purchase order, packing slip and part number agree **Critical:** true **Text:** Certificate of conformance received and signed **Critical:** true **Text:** Heat number and manufacturer lot are on the certificate **Critical:** true **Text:** Certificate lists specification, grade and revision **Critical:** true Mill or chemical and mechanical test report present where required Country of melt and manufacture meets contract flow-down (for example specialty metals) #### Identification and markings **Items:** **Text:** Head marking present and legible **Critical:** true **Text:** Manufacturer identification mark matches the certificate **Critical:** true **Text:** Grade or property class mark matches the order (for example 6 lines for SAE Grade 8, 8.8 or 10.9 for metric) **Critical:** true Container label heat and lot match the certificate Every container in the lot shows the same lot identity **Text:** No evidence of re-marking, ground-off marks or mixed headstamps **Critical:** true #### Dimensional and thread checks **Items:** Sample drawn per the sampling plan (for example ANSI/ASQ Z1.4) Length, head height and head width within drawing tolerance **Text:** Thread passes GO gauge and NOT GO gauge to the thread class **Critical:** true Thread form is clean, with no burrs, laps or nicks Under-head fillet and radius meet the specification Drive recess condition checked for the fastener type #### Mechanical and material tests **Items:** **Text:** Hardness measured on the sample and within the grade range (Grade 5 about HRC 25 to 34, Grade 8 about HRC 33 to 39) **Critical:** true **Text:** Proof load or tensile test performed where the PO requires it **Critical:** true Wedge or torque-tension test performed where required Visual check for cracks, seams and forging defects Decarburization or case depth checked where specified Magnetic or material verification (for example PMI) done for stainless or alloy lots #### Coating, storage and release **Items:** Coating type and thickness match the order **Text:** Hydrogen embrittlement relief bake documented for high-strength plated parts **Critical:** true No rust, white rust, flaking or damaged coating **Text:** Lot recorded in the ERP or traceability record with heat and lot numbers **Critical:** true Parts stored in a labelled location separate from other lots **Text:** Non-conforming lots tagged, quarantined and supplier notified **Critical:** true **Scoring Note:** Each item is a pass or fail check. Any unchecked critical item means the lot should be held until resolved. Adapt the sampling plan, hardness ranges and tests to your customer drawings and governing specifications. ## Content **Intro:** Fasteners are cheap, so incoming inspection is often skipped, and then a bad lot ends up in a hundred assemblies. This checklist gives receiving inspectors a repeatable 30-point routine covering documents, markings, gauging, hardness, coating and storage. **Sections:** #### How to use it **Body:** Work through the groups in order. Documents come first because a lot with no heat and lot identity cannot be traced, whatever the parts look like. Then check markings, which are quick and catch the commonest problem, wrong or mixed grades. Take your sample, gauge the threads, measure hardness and perform any tests the PO calls for. Finish with coating condition, recording in the ERP and storage. Mark critical items first and hold the lot if any is open. Export the finished list and attach it to the lot record. **Bullets:** - Pull the sample before opening more than one container. - Record gauge ID and hardness tester ID for calibration traceability. - Never commingle accepted and unaccepted parts. #### What the checks catch **Body:** Paperwork checks catch lots that cannot be traced or that carry the wrong grade on paper. Marking checks catch mixed grades, relabelled stock and suspect product. Thread gauging catches worn tooling and plating build-up that blocks assembly. Hardness is the quickest proxy for strength: a Grade 8 screw reading well below the range is either mislabelled or improperly heat treated. Coating checks catch rust and, for high-strength plated parts, a missing bake that risks hydrogen embrittlement and delayed fracture. #### Sampling and records **Body:** Use a defined sampling plan, such as ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 for attributes, and record the sample size, results and disposition. Keep the certificate, test readings and the completed checklist together under the lot number. For customers with flow-downs such as AS9100 counterfeit-parts prevention, DFARS specialty metals or automotive PPAP, add the extra tests and record them. A repeatable record is also your evidence when a customer or auditor asks how a particular lot was accepted. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Inspection of fasteners fails in predictable ways, mostly because it is rushed. **Bullets:** - Accepting the distributor certificate with no link to the original manufacturer. - Gauging one bolt and calling the lot good. - Checking hardness on a threaded section, which gives unreliable readings. - Putting new stock on top of old stock and losing lot identity. **Cta:** If receiving inspection results and lot data live on paper or in separate spreadsheets, we can help connect them to your ERP so lots, certificates and quality holds stay together. **Faq:** #### How many fasteners should I sample from a lot? **Answer:** Follow your contract or quality plan. Many shops use ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 single sampling at a chosen inspection level and AQL, and critical aerospace lots may need larger or full sampling for specific features. Record the plan and the sample size on the checklist. #### What hardness range should I expect? **Answer:** SAE J429 gives about Rockwell C 25 to 34 for Grade 5 and 33 to 39 for Grade 8 fasteners. Metric classes have their own ranges in ISO 898-1. Always use the range stated on the drawing or specification governing your parts. #### Why check hydrogen embrittlement relief? **Answer:** Electroplated high-strength steel can absorb hydrogen, which causes brittle fracture hours or days after load is applied. A bake after plating, within a specified time, drives it out. Missing bake records on high-strength parts are a major reason to hold the lot. #### What if the certificate is correct but the parts look wrong? **Answer:** Trust the parts. Hold the lot, record what you saw and test the sample. Certificates can be wrong, copied or attached to the wrong lot. Quarantine and notify the supplier through your nonconformance process, and do not release until resolved. ## Search terms incoming fastener inspection checklist, fastener receiving inspection, bolt inspection checklist, fastener quality checklist, counterfeit fastener inspection, fastener certificate review, fastener hardness inspection, receiving inspection checklist template --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json