Orientation on First Article Inspection (FAI) Attachment 1.pdf

This is an orientation document issued by the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) Quality Management Division at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, providing guidance on First Article Inspection (FAI) and contractor testing procedures. The document was revised on January 26, 2017.

The document outlines the purpose, scope, and process of FAI as a quality assurance mechanism to verify that contractors possess the capability to manufacture products conforming to all contract requirements. Contractors must notify the Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO) and Government surveillance elements at least 30 days prior to scheduled FAI performance, including date, time, and location. The inspection is the contractor's responsibility, though Government representatives including AMRDEC Quality Management Division personnel, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Quality Assurance Representatives, and purchasing Command representatives may participate. The FAI process comprises several stages: an initial meeting to review procurement packages and establish inspection scope, the actual inspection and testing (including examination of certifications, material records, processes, procedures, manufacturing specifications, dimensional checks, marking, preservation, packaging, and special functional testing), optional courtesy review of draft First Article Test Reports (FATR) by AMRDEC Quality Assurance Specialists, and final critique upon completion. The document specifies that deficiencies are defined as nonconformances or departures from contractually required characteristics, processes, or procedures; contractors may submit nonconforming articles with appropriate waivers or deviations. The document includes Enclosure 1, which lists common causes of FATR rejection, including missing DCMA participation documentation, absence of required Quality programs, missing certifications, wrong materials, undocumented dimensional checks, missing part marking or barcode verification, unverified packaging requirements, insufficient functional testing, missing calibration data, and lack of traceability for subcontractor requirements.