Machine Shop Inspection Checklist and Internal Audit Checklist
This machine shop inspection checklist doubles as an internal audit checklist for shops working toward ISO 9001 or AS9100. It follows the job flow from contract review to shipment and ends with management system records. A quality manual outline is included below.
0 of 28 items complete
11 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.
Contract review and planning
Incoming material and outside processing
In-process and final inspection
Calibration, tooling and maintenance
Management system records
Use the first four groups as a shop inspection walk and the last group as the core of an internal audit. Record objective evidence for each item. Failed critical items require a corrective action before certification audits.
Make audit evidence retrievable in minutes
Optional: see how a private AI can answer audit traceability questions from your ERP and quality records.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use it for inspections and audits
For a shop inspection, walk a live job from traveler to packed box and tick each item with evidence such as a cert number or gauge ID. For an internal audit, sample several jobs and check the management system group, then write findings with the requirement, evidence and corrective action owner. Audit each process at least annually, more often where risk or past findings are higher.
Quality manual outline for a machine shop
ISO 9001 no longer requires a quality manual, but customers and AS9100 certification bodies still like a short one. A practical outline keeps it to a few pages and points to procedures.
- Scope, products and exclusions
- Quality policy and measurable objectives
- Organization, roles and authorities
- Process map: quote, order review, planning, machining, inspection, shipping
- Controls for documents, records, calibration and nonconformance
- Supplier control and special process approval
- Internal audit, corrective action and management review
Evidence auditors look for
Auditors want traceability: a part in the box should lead back to material cert, program revision, operator, inspection record and gauge calibration. They also check that the drawing revision on the floor matches the order and that nonconforming product cannot ship by accident. Keep the evidence in the ERP job record so it is retrievable in minutes, not hours.
Common findings and fixes
Frequent findings in machine shops include expired gauge calibration, missing flow-down review, outdated drawing revisions at the machine, undocumented first piece results and corrective actions without effectiveness checks. Close them by tying calibration due dates to the ERP, controlling the traveler revision and requiring sign-off fields in the inspection step. A private AI over your quality records can answer audit questions such as which jobs used a gauge that later failed calibration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a machine shop do internal audits?
At least once a year per process for ISO 9001 or AS9100, with higher frequency for high-risk processes, new processes or areas with past findings. Plan the schedule in advance and keep audit reports as records.
Do I need a quality manual for ISO 9001?
No, ISO 9001:2015 does not require one, but a short manual is still useful for customers and for AS9100 shops. Keep it brief and reference your procedures instead of repeating them.
What should a machine shop inspection checklist cover?
Order review, material certs, special process approval, first piece, in-process checks, final inspection, gauge calibration, nonconformance control, packaging and traceability. Management system records are added for an internal audit.
What is the difference between inspection and audit here?
Inspection checks product and a job against requirements. An audit checks that the management system is followed and effective, using sampled jobs as evidence. This list supports both.
Netray can add a private on-prem AI layer to your ERP and quality records so audit questions about gauges, certs and revisions are answered from your own data.
Related Tools
AS9100 Quality Manual Template with Policy and KPI Examples
A fillable AS9100D quality manual with an example quality policy, KPI table and guidance for writing procedures. Export to Word, PDF or Excel.
Aerospace & DefenseAS9100D Internal Audit Checklist by Clause
An editable AS9100D internal audit checklist, clause 4 to 10, with audit questions, evidence and results, plus a guide to building an audit plan.
Quality & InspectionFinal Inspection Checklist
A pre-shipment checklist covering records, measurements, function, appearance, labeling, packing and release authorization.
Safety & WorkforceMachine Shop Safety Checklist
An OSHA-aligned safety, housekeeping and 5S checklist for machine shops with suggested audit frequency and practical examples.
More Quality & Inspection tools
See all- Job Shop Material Certification Log Worksheet
- Job Shop First Piece Inspection Sign-Off Template
- SAP QM Process Capability Cp Cpk Calculator
- SAP QM Lot Rejection Rate, PPM and Sigma Level Calculator
- SAP QM Gauge R&R Study Calculator
- SAP QM Cp and Cpk Capability Calculator
- Job Shop Scrap and Rework Cost Calculator
- Master Data Audit Sample Size Calculator
- Data Quality Sigma Level Calculator
Keep exploring
Free tools
- Machine Shop Safety ChecklistAn OSHA-aligned safety, housekeeping and 5S checklist for machine shops with suggested audit frequency and practical examples.
- Job Shop Machine Hour Rate WorksheetEditable worksheet that converts machine price, life, hours, power draw and maintenance into a cost per run hour for each machine.
- Job Shop First Piece Inspection Sign-Off TemplateA simple first piece sign-off sheet for the traveler: measured values against requirements, gauges used and approval to run the lot.
Guides
- AS9100 Contract Review Checklist for Aerospace Machine ShopsAS9100D contract review checklist for build-to-print machine shops: what to verify on every PO and RFQ, who signs, and the records an auditor expects.
- Machine Shop Quoting Software: What CNC Job Shops Should Look ForMachine shop quoting software compared by approach: ERP estimating modules, standalone quoting tools and AI drafting, with what each does for CNC job shops.
- ISO 9001 Certification for a Small Build-to-Print ShopWhat ISO 9001 means for a small contract manufacturer: required records, timeline, cost drivers, MEP support, and how ERP data reduces audit burden.
AI on your ERP
- AI for ProShop quality and documentationHow AI reads ProShop quality records, work instructions, and inspection data to answer audit questions and prep FAIs, read-only via its API and private.
- AI for ProShop ERP in AS9100 Machine ShopsAdd AI on top of ProShop ERP to speed up NCR/CAPA drafting, FAI review, and document control, without moving AS9100 quality records off your network.
Manufacturing hubs
- AMT and IMTS: the machine tool association and its show, from a shop's point of viewWhat the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and the IMTS show are, and how machine shops and plants connect equipment, ERP and data after the show.
- NTMA and the custom precision manufacturing ecosystem: shops, training, standards and ERP realitiesNational Tooling and Machining Association: tool and die, precision machining and moldmaking shops, and their quoting, ERP and private AI issues.