Plain Markdown versions of our Insights articles, structured for easier reading and reference. Key takeaways appear near the top, with links back to the full Insights version.
This article explains how the boundaries are calculated, how they are used to find a worst-case minimum wall thickness, and why the calculation matters when a part goes through first article inspection (FAI) under AS9102.
Most aerospace suppliers still build their first article inspection reports in Excel. The AS9102 forms translate easily into spreadsheet tabs, templates are free to download, and every inspector already knows how to use them.
Seven purchase order clauses that change an AS9102 FAIR before ballooning starts, from revision rules to customer-specific Form 1 fields.
When CAD nominals and boxed basic dimensions disagree, your CMM program and FAIR depend on which document governs—and how you record the decision.
This guide walks through three ways to balloon a model-based definition, what to confirm with your customer before you start, and how to account for the requirements that never appear as an annotation at all.
A feature control frame is read left to right. Here's what each compartment means, from the geometric symbol to the datum references, per ASME Y14.5-2018.
A&D manufacturing is seeing a historic surge and OEMs are ordering more than ever, but paperwork limits how fast shops can accept more work.
To ace a customer scorecard, get the scoring rubric in writing, confirm which delivery clock your customer measures against, prevent documentation rejections from counting as quality defects, respond to corrective action requests inside the required window, and score yourself monthly using your customer's definitions.
PO vs quote checklist for aerospace and defense suppliers: what to compare on a customer purchase order before production, including revision, flow-downs, FAI, DPAS, and invoice matching.
How to evaluate automated ballooning software for AS9102 FAIRs, what extraction methods actually mean, and what to test before you buy.
An update on the security assessment and deployment options available to regulated manufacturing customers.
How to complete AS9102 Forms 1, 2, and 3 for Rev C FAIRs
FAI and FAIR aren’t the same thing. Here’s the difference between First Article Inspection (the process) and the FAIR (the AS9102 report).
A pre-ballooning title block checklist for AS9102 FAIRs, drawing revisions, referenced documents, approvals, and aerospace quality teams.
A step-by-step checklist for aerospace and defense suppliers adopting model-based definition workflows, with guidance on PMI readiness, CMM traceability, FAIR reporting, and phased deployment.
A practical guide to how MBD inspection differs from traditional 2D drawing workflows, where CMM traceability improves FAIR quality, and what to look for in 3D PMI-driven inspection software.
How aerospace manufacturers and suppliers can improve supply chain visibility, monitor inspection compliance globally, and flag out-of-tolerance results faster.
A practical CMMC 2.0 overview for aerospace and defense suppliers, including levels, timeline, and readiness steps.
A practical guide to ITAR-friendly AS9102 tools, how to evaluate them, and which options are best for different aerospace teams.
Why extracting dimensional data for AS9102s is hard, and what aerospace quality teams should expect from OCR.
What AS9100D is, why it matters, and how to plan an implementation or transition from ISO 9001.
A practical guide to selecting between bridge and portable CMMs, and matching capability to inspection needs.
A practical workflow for error-free AS9102 reports using CMMs or manual tools.
How to move AS9102 FAIR data without losing history, traceability, or momentum.
The most common causes of AS9102 FAIR rejection and how to prevent them.
CMMC is mandatory for defense suppliers. Here is why FedRAMP cloud reduces compliance burden.
A clear, inspection-focused guide to GD&T concepts, feature control frames, and common aerospace characteristics.
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