How to write a first-article inspection brief
Specify the drawing revision, numbered inspection features, production tooling, measurement methods and records the factory must submit. Name the buyer who can release the pilot run and require written approval after discrepancies are closed. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate this brief with its staff in China.
Define what the first article must prove
Make the brief an attachment to the order. Identify the part, drawing number and revision, material specification, finish and intended assembly. State which drawing controls if files conflict. Ask the factory to acknowledge the complete document pack and flag unclear tolerances before making inspection parts.
The custom plastic parts guide introduces drawing approval and material selection. This brief adds the inspection deliverables and the release decision. Distinguish permission to make first articles from permission to start the pilot run; neither should imply approval for bulk production.
Link every result to the drawing
Mark each dimension, geometric tolerance and drawing note with a unique inspection reference, often called a balloon. Keep that reference beside the corresponding report entry. Specify units, nominal value, tolerance limits, datum setup and measurement method. Include threads, surface finish and other drawing requirements, rather than reporting only easy dimensions.
Require actual readings for each identified sample, alongside the instrument identity and pass or fail result. Do not accept a report containing only ticks or averaged results that hide individual failures. Agree how inaccessible features will be checked and record any unverified requirement as open. Use checking factory measurements for a closer review of measurement reliability.
Use the intended production tooling
State that inspection parts must come from the tooling, fixtures, material and process intended for the pilot run. Require identification of the tool, cavity where relevant, machine, material batch and process settings. Ask the factory to disclose hand finishing, rework or alternative processes. A machined prototype cannot demonstrate how a moulded production part will behave.
Agree sample selection across relevant cavities, machines or setups, with each result traceable to its origin. If production tooling is unavailable, record the sample as provisional and list the checks to repeat on production-tool parts before pilot release. Keep ownership and storage arrangements in the separate injection moulds and tooling guide.
Specify the submission pack
Request the marked drawing, dimensional report, sample identification photographs, material evidence, finish or treatment records, instrument calibration evidence and a discrepancy log. Specify who prepares and checks the report. Retain identified physical samples and link them to the submitted records, so a photograph or certificate cannot be substituted for evidence about the inspected parts. For jewellery-specific evidence, see our guide to nickel allergy and jewellery checks.
Include an assembly trial with the intended mating parts and record the outcome; checking mating parts fit explains that work. Keep this purchasing inspection separate from product compliance assessment. Government guidance says manufacturers must follow conformity assessment for some classes of product before market placement. A dimensional pass alone is insufficient evidence for that assessment. For electrical safety evidence, see our guide to reviewing earth-continuity checks. For electrical product reporting, see our guide to WEEE reporting categories.
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Write the pilot-run approval gate
Use an instruction such as: “Hold the pilot run until the named buyer approver issues written release against the identified drawing revision and inspection pack.” Require failed or missing checks to be closed with correction records and repeat measurements. Any accepted deviation should identify the affected feature, permitted use and expiry condition; it should not silently change the drawing.
The release should identify the approved part, tooling, material, process and pilot scope. State which changes trigger renewed inspection, including a drawing revision, tool repair, material substitution or process transfer. Agree the pilot inspection plan separately and require another decision before bulk production. Archive the approval with the report rather than relying on a chat message saying the sample looks fine.
Frequently asked questions
What should a first-article inspection report contain?
Include the marked drawing, actual readings linked to inspection references and sample identities, methods, tooling and material records, discrepancies and the buyer’s written release.
Can I approve a prototype before production tooling is ready?
You can accept it for development, but mark it provisional. Specify which checks must be repeated on parts made with the intended production tooling before releasing the pilot run.
What if a first article is outside tolerance?
Hold release. Ask for the cause, correction and repeat inspection. If you accept a deviation, record its exact scope and expiry condition without changing the drawing by implication.
Does first-article approval authorise bulk production?
Only if your written release expressly says so. Keep first-article acceptance, pilot release and bulk approval as separate decisions with named approvers and defined evidence.