ShopFloorOps
Start here

Field Book · Chapter 6 of 8 · First article inspection

Make the First Article

A first article is parts from the production process measured against every characteristic on the drawing. Record each reading, not just pass or fail, and tie the results to the setup.

By Chris Martin, quality manager. 2 minute read. Free, no signup.

Make the first article from the production process: production tool, production material, normal setup and normal people. Measure every characteristic on the drawing and record each reading, not just pass or fail. Here five parts are measured on all 14 characteristics, which is 70 readings. The setup report ties the results to how the parts were made.

Week 8. The tool is in the press, the gages are proven and the operators are trained. Now the team makes the first article: parts from the production process, measured against every characteristic on the drawing.

"From the production process" is the point. The production tool, the production material, the normal setup and the normal people. Parts hand-picked or hand-finished prove nothing about production.

Every characteristic, every reading

The drawing has 14 characteristics. Five parts were measured on all of them, which is 70 readings. All 70 are in tolerance. Record each reading, not just pass or fail, so anyone can see how close to a limit it ran.

Three of the 14, to show what the record looks like:

  • Snap hook height, 1.10 to 1.30. Readings 1.19, 1.21, 1.20, 1.22 and 1.18. Average 1.200.
  • Width across the lugs, 41.70 to 42.30. Readings 42.06, 41.94, 42.11, 42.02 and 41.98. Average 42.022.
  • Wall thickness at the hook root, 1.45 to 1.75. Readings 1.57, 1.62, 1.60, 1.64 and 1.59. Average 1.604.

The setup report records the press settings and the resin lot used, so the first article can be tied to how the part was made. If a setting changes later, you know which results it affects.

Read more: what is a first article inspection.

The mistake to avoid

Measuring the characteristics you expect to pass and marking the rest "not applicable." The ones you skip are the ones the customer will check.

ON THE FLOOR MONDAY
  • Pull your last first article and count the characteristics on the drawing.
  • Check every one has a reading, not just a tick.
  • Check the report names the gage used for each.

Open the printable Monday Board

Want every tool on this trail in one purchase? The Launch Trail Bundle has all 12.

The part, the tool, the program and every number in this book (latch cover LC-5927) are a made-up example. The tool sidebars show ShopFloorOps tools, which I make and sell. Every chapter teaches the step itself, so you can use your own forms. New to a term? See the quality glossary.