What an AS9102 FAI Contains
AS9102 defines three forms. Form 1 is part number accountability, listing the part and the assemblies or lower-level parts it relates to. Form 2 is product accountability: raw material, special processes and functional testing, with certifications and the approved source for each.
Form 3 is characteristic accountability: every dimension, note and requirement on the drawing, ballooned and measured, with the result and the inspection method. The FAI must be done on a representative first article from production tooling and processes, and repeated when there is a design change, process change, source change or a lapse in production. A delta FAI covers only what changed.
Cost follows the number of characteristics and the number of processes in the routing.
The Cost Elements to Quote
Estimate each element separately so you can defend it to a buyer and track it against actuals.
- Ballooning the drawing and building the Form 3 characteristic list, often an hour or more per sheet on dense prints
- CMM program creation and proving, or fixture and gauge setup, for tight tolerance or GD&T features
- Measurement time on the first piece, including surface finish, thread and profile checks
- Material cert, mill test report review and special process certificates collected and checked
- Outside lab or NDT costs, such as metallurgical, hardness or conductivity testing
- Form preparation, review by quality, and customer submission portal time
Quote Strategy: Line Item, Spread or Waive
Where the buyer's system allows, show FAI as a separate non-recurring charge so a rev change later can be priced as a delta FAI. If the customer insists on a single unit price, spread the cost over the lot quantity and note the assumption, for example a quantity break below which FAI is charged in full. For prototype and small lots the FAI can exceed the part price, so say so.
Watch for POs that say first article required on every shipment, which is a different obligation from AS9102 FAI on first production. Also confirm whether the customer wants their own form format or will accept AS9102 forms exported from your software, and whether they require source inspection, which adds scheduling delay.
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Aerospace Delta FAI Cost Savings Calculator
Compares the cost of a full first article inspection with a delta FAI that re-inspects only affected characteristics.
Pulling Real FAI Hours From Past Jobs
The best estimate for FAI is what the last similar parts actually took. If your ERP or quality system holds job labor by operation, including an inspection or FAI operation, a quick query by commodity, characteristic count and material gives a defensible range. Many shops do not have this because FAI time is logged to general quality overhead.
Fixing that, with a dedicated FAI operation on the router or a labor code, pays for itself in better quotes. A private AI model can then read the new drawing, count the characteristics, find the closest past jobs and propose an FAI hour range for the estimator to adjust, citing the jobs it used.
When Not to Over-Engineer It
If your parts are simple and most orders are repeat with an existing FAI on file, a flat FAI charge by complexity tier (simple, medium, complex) is enough and faster to quote. Build the detailed model only if FAI is a large share of cost on your small-lot work or you keep missing it on estimates. Never promise a price on FAI before you have seen the drawing revision and checked the number of special processes in the routing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AS9102 first article inspection cost?
It varies widely by part. A simple turned part with a dozen characteristics may take a couple of hours, while a complex housing with hundreds of ballooned characteristics, CMM programming and outside testing can take days. Use your own logged hours by characteristic count, not an industry average.
When is a delta FAI allowed instead of a full FAI?
When a change is limited, for example a drawing revision that touches specific characteristics or a change of a single process or source, the FAI can be limited to the affected items per AS9102. A lapse in production, or major changes to tooling or location, normally requires a full FAI. Confirm the customer's rules in the PO.
Should FAI be charged separately to the customer?
Where the buyer allows it, yes, as a non-recurring line, because it makes later delta FAIs easy to price and keeps unit prices comparable. If the customer requires one unit price, include FAI with a stated lot quantity assumption on the quote.
Can software generate the AS9102 forms?
Yes. Quality platforms and some shop ERPs such as ProShop and others produce AS9102 forms from a ballooned drawing. Whatever you use, a qualified inspector must verify the measurements and sign off the results.
Ask Netray to benchmark your FAI hours against past jobs in your ERP and propose a consistent FAI line item for your next aerospace quote.