First Article Inspection (FAI)
A documented check of the first unit off a production run against the agreed specification, before the rest of the batch is built.
What it is, and what it is not
An FAI takes the first pack produced on a run and verifies it, dimension by dimension and parameter by parameter, against the approved specification — then records the result.
It is not the same as sample approval. A sample is built to prove a design is possible, often with more attention than a production unit receives. An FAI proves the production process reproduces that design, which is a different question and the one that actually predicts what you receive.
Why it catches what samples miss
The gap between a hand-finished sample and volume output is where most quality disputes begin.
An FAI catches setup errors early: a welding fixture positioned slightly off, BMS firmware flashed from the wrong file, a connector wired to the previous revision’s pinout, an enclosure from a different mould cavity. Each of these produces a batch of identical defects, and each is cheap to fix at unit one and expensive at unit two thousand.
It also creates a record. When a question arises months later about what shipped, an FAI report is evidence rather than recollection.
What should be in the report
Ask for the FAI to cover, at minimum:
- Dimensional check against drawing, including the mounting interface
- Capacity verification and internal resistance
- BMS firmware version and configured thresholds
- Connector pinout continuity
- Hipot result
- Labelling, markings, and packaging
- Photographs
And ask that it be sent for your approval before the run continues, not filed with the shipment. An FAI reviewed after delivery is a record, not a gate.
Where it fits
FAI belongs at the start of every production run, not only the first order ever. Runs separated by months can differ — a cell lot changes, a fixture is re-set, an operator is new.
We document cell arrangement per work order and retain QC data per batch, which is the same record set an FAI draws on. See cell traceability for what that gives you afterwards.
Working on a pack specification?
Send us the voltage, capacity, current draw, and target markets. We reply with a specification you can review rather than a price with no working shown.