The paperwork between the part and the signature.
Practical writing for quality managers and inspectors at job shops: first articles, CMM reports, GD&T, audits, and the mistakes that send reports back.
GD&T profile of a surface: zones, datums and pass/fail
GD&T profile of a surface for inspectors: bilateral and U zones, datums, flatness vs profile, CMM pass/fail with real numbers, and how to report it on Form 3.
Shop floorNon-conformance report (NCR): a filled-in machine shop example
What a non-conformance report (NCR) is, the fields it needs, a filled-in machine shop example, dispositions, who approves, correction vs corrective action.
MetrologyGage R&R study: formula, worked example and acceptance criteria
A Gage R&R study worked by hand: 10 parts, 3 operators, 3 trials, with the AIAG K constants, EV, AV, %GRR and ndc, the acceptance criteria and what to fix.
GD&TFree ballooning software: 5 ways to balloon a drawing, compared
Free and low-cost ways to balloon a drawing: PDF markup, CAD, Excel, desktop auto-ballooners and browser AI. A decision table and a checklist for any output.
FAI basicsFirst article inspection software: a buyer's checklist
How to choose first article inspection software: a weighted scorecard for AS9102 demos, questions to ask, red flags, pricing models, and when Excel is enough.
FormsFirst article inspection report template, with a filled-in example
What a first article inspection report template must contain, a filled-in AS9102 example for a 6061-T6 bracket, and Excel vs Word vs PDF. Free templates.
AuditsDFARS compliant material: what it means on a mill cert
What DFARS compliant material means on a mill cert: which specialty metals count, the 28 qualifying countries, exceptions, and recording melt source on Form 2.
MetrologyCalibration out of tolerance: what to do next
What to do when a gauge comes back out of tolerance: an 8-step OOT procedure, a worked micrometer impact assessment, and how to set calibration tolerances.
FAI basicsFAI report rejected? 12 reasons and how to fix them
The 12 reasons customers send AS9102 FAI reports back, what the SQE sees in each case, how to prevent it, and a pre-submission checklist you can print.
FAI basicsPPAP vs FAI: differences and what you can reuse
PPAP vs FAI side by side: AIAG levels and 18 elements vs AS9102 Forms 1-3, what each proves, when each is redone, and what a shop doing both can reuse.
GD&TMMC bonus tolerance: formula and 3 worked examples
MMC bonus tolerance: the formula plus three worked examples, a hole, a pin, and a datum at MMB where datum shift applies. Real numbers, pass or fail.
MetrologyHow to read a CMM report: an annotated sample
How to read a CMM report column by column: nominal, tolerances, MEAS, DEV, OUTTOL, true position with MMC bonus, alignment, and how to spot a bad report.
FAI basicsFirst article vs first piece inspection: the difference
First article vs first piece inspection, plus in-process, final, source and receiving inspection: who does each, when, what it proves and what record it leaves.
Shop floorFirst article inspection cost: a model you can copy
What a first article inspection costs a job shop, step by step, with a worked example to copy, plus how to quote FAI as a line item and price delta FAIs.
FAI basicsFirst article inspection checklist for AS9102
A printable first article inspection checklist in six phases: contract review, ballooning, inspection, Forms 1, 2 and 3, sign-off, and submission and retention.
AuditsCertificate of conformance vs certificate of compliance vs material cert
CoC, certificate of compliance, mill cert, EN 10204 3.1, CoA and special-process certs: who issues each, what it proves, what to check, and a sample CoC.
GD&TBasic dimension vs reference dimension: do you balloon it?
Basic vs reference dimensions for inspectors: what each means, whether to balloon it, and a decision table for TYP, 4X, notes, flag notes and GD&T frames.
FormsAS9102 Form 2: materials, special processes and tests
What goes in each AS9102 Form 2 column, a worked example for an anodized 6061-T6 bracket, tracing each line to a cert, and the cert gaps that get FAIs rejected.
FormsAS9102 Form 1: field-by-field guide with an example
How to fill in AS9102 Rev C Form 1, field by field: part identity, full or partial FAI, Part Type on the assembly index, and sign-off block, with an example.
AuditsAS9100 audit checklist: FAI and inspection records
What an AS9100 auditor pulls when sampling FAI and inspection records, clause by clause, the findings they write most, and a 30-minute self-audit.
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