- Good first article inspection software balloons your drawing and shows what it's unsure of, fills AS9102 Rev C Forms 1, 2 and 3, imports CMM results by balloon number, links each reading to a calibrated gauge, handles delta FAIs, and logs every signature and edit. Score each on your own drawing before you buy.
What does first article inspection software do?
First article inspection software turns a customer drawing into a signed first article inspection report (FAIR). It replaces the usual chain of a PDF markup tool for ballooning, an Excel workbook for the AS9102 forms, and a stack of CMM printouts retyped by hand.
A complete tool covers six jobs:
- Ballooning: number every dimension, GD&T frame and note. Each balloon becomes one row on Form 3, the characteristic accountability form.
- Forms: Form 1 (part number accountability), Form 2 (materials, special processes, functional tests) and Form 3 in the layout of AS9102 Rev C, the current edition, published by SAE in 2023.
- Results: readings typed or imported from a CMM, each marked pass or fail.
- Gauges: which gauge measured each characteristic, and whether it was in calibration that day.
- Revisions: what changed from Rev C to Rev D, with unchanged balloons carried into a partial FAI.
- Sign-off: preparer and approver signatures, and a record of every change.
Many products do one or two of these well. The scorecard below is built to find out which ones.
When don't you need FAI software?
You don't need dedicated FAI software if you do a few FAIs a month on simple parts for customers who accept a standard AS9102 form. Excel templates, a PDF markup tool and a pre-submission checklist will do the job, and the money is better spent elsewhere.
A rough way to decide, as a judgment call rather than an industry rule:
| Your situation | Excel and templates | FAI software |
|---|---|---|
| FAIs per month | A handful | Enough that FAIs queue up behind each other |
| Characteristics per part | Tens | Hundreds, or multi-sheet drawings |
| CMM results | Few, or short printouts | Long reports retyped into Form 3 |
| Drawing revisions | Rare | Frequent, with delta FAIs |
| People involved | One inspector who also approves | Several inspectors, a separate approver |
| Audit history | Clean FAI records | Findings on FAI or inspection records |
If you stay on spreadsheets, start from the free AS9102 Excel templates, balloon with a consistent method (see how to balloon a drawing), and run every report through a first article inspection checklist before it leaves the building. To put a number on the time you'd save, the first article inspection cost model breaks an FAI into steps you can time.
What should you look for in first article inspection software?
Look for the twelve capabilities in the scorecard below, weighted by how much each one costs you when it's missing. Score each line 0, 1 or 2 during the demo or trial, multiply by the weight, and add up. The weights are a starting point; change them to match your work.
How to score. 0 = missing, or only on the vendor's sample. 1 = works with workarounds or manual steps. 2 = works on your own drawing and data, in front of you. Maximum score: 60. Weight 3 means a gap there sends work back to Excel; weight 1 means nice to have.
| # | Capability | What a 2 looks like | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automatic ballooning | Finds dimensions, tolerances, GD&T frames and notes on your drawing, including a scanned one. Lets you add, split, merge and renumber balloons. | 3 |
| 2 | Shows its doubts | Marks the balloons it's unsure about, with a reason (low-quality scan, overlapping text, unclear tolerance), so the inspector reviews those first. | 3 |
| 3 | AS9102 Rev C forms | Forms 1, 2 and 3 follow Rev C field numbering: Part Type in field 17, the nonconformance question in field 19, reviewed-by and approved-by in fields 20 and 22, no signature fields on Forms 2 and 3. | 3 |
| 4 | CMM import | Reads your CMM's actual output and maps each result to the right balloon number, without retyping. Flags results it can't match. | 3 |
| 5 | Gauge and calibration links | Each reading records the gauge ID. An out-of-calibration gauge is caught before sign-off, and you can list every FAI a given gauge touched. | 2 |
| 6 | Delta FAI and revision compare | Overlays two drawing revisions, highlights what changed, keeps balloon numbers stable for unchanged characteristics, and builds a partial FAI. | 2 |
| 7 | Signatures and audit trail | Named preparer and approver, each signature tied to a login with date, time and meaning. Every edit after creation is logged and can't be quietly removed. | 3 |
| 8 | Customer forms and portals | Exports to your customers' own forms, and produces the data a portal such as Net-Inspect needs in a format you can upload or paste. | 2 |
| 9 | Form 2 and certs | Attaches material and special-process certs to Form 2 lines, with spec and revision fields that are hard to leave blank. | 2 |
| 10 | ITAR / CUI handling | A clear written answer on where data lives, who can access it, and what happens to export-controlled or CUI-marked drawings. | 2 |
| 11 | Exports you own | Full report as PDF and Excel, plus raw data (CSV or similar), so your records survive the vendor. | 2 |
| 12 | Price fits your team | The pricing model doesn't push you to share logins or keep the approver off the system. | 3 |
The weights add to 30, so the maximum is 60. Gaps on any weight-3 line usually mean someone ends up back in Excel, whatever the total says.
A worked scoring example
Two hypothetical tools, scored by a shop that does mostly CMM-heavy machined parts and has a customer on Net-Inspect:
| Capability (weight) | Tool A | Tool B |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic ballooning (3) | 2 → 6 | 2 → 6 |
| Shows its doubts (3) | 2 → 6 | 0 → 0 |
| AS9102 Rev C forms (3) | 2 → 6 | 1 → 3 |
| CMM import (3) | 1 → 3 | 2 → 6 |
| Gauge links (2) | 2 → 4 | 1 → 2 |
| Delta FAI (2) | 1 → 2 | 2 → 4 |
| Signatures and audit trail (3) | 2 → 6 | 1 → 3 |
| Customer forms and portals (2) | 1 → 2 | 2 → 4 |
| Form 2 and certs (2) | 2 → 4 | 1 → 2 |
| ITAR / CUI (2) | 2 → 4 | 2 → 4 |
| Exports you own (2) | 2 → 4 | 1 → 2 |
| Price fits team (3) | 2 → 6 | 1 → 3 |
| Total (of 60) | 53 | 39 |
Tool B wins on CMM import and revision compare. But a 0 on showing its doubts means an inspector checks every balloon on every drawing, and a 1 on signatures is the line an auditor looks at. The total points to A; the low lines tell you what to push B's vendor on.
What makes ballooning software good enough for FAI?
Ballooning software is good enough for FAI when it catches every inspectable requirement on the drawing, including notes, and tells you which balloons it isn't sure about. A missed characteristic means a FAIR that comes back from the customer (see why FAI reports get rejected), so recall matters more than speed.
- GD&T frames. One balloon per frame, or one per line of a composite frame, read with the datum references. Ask how it handles a frame with a modifier like Ⓜ.
- Notes. Flag notes like "BREAK ALL SHARP EDGES .005-.015" or "MARK PER MIL-STD-130" as characteristics. Many tools only find dimensions.
- Basic and reference dimensions. Basic dimensions are verified through their GD&T control; reference dimensions aren't inspected. See basic vs reference dimensions.
- Doubts made visible. A tool that marks every balloon with the same confidence forces you to check all of them. Ask the vendor to show you the ones it got wrong.
How should FAI software handle CMM results?
FAI software should read your CMM's real output file and map each measured feature to its balloon number, so nobody retypes a result. Retyping is where transposed digits come from, and a transposed digit on Form 3 is a nonconformance on paper.
Ask which formats it reads, and bring your own files to prove it. Common ones are PC-DMIS, Calypso and MCOSMOS text or CSV reports, DMIS output files, and QIF, the ISO and ANSI data format for quality results. The hard part is matching "CIR12 DIAM" to balloon 34. Ask how the match is made (feature label, order or by hand) and how it shows a result it couldn't place. Our guide to reading a CMM report covers what each column means.
What should signatures and the audit trail look like?
Signatures should name a real person, tie to that person's own login, and record when they signed and what the signature means (prepared, reviewed or approved). The audit trail should log every change after the report was created, with who and when, in a way an administrator can't edit.
For aerospace shops, FAI reports are records under AS9100D clause 7.5 (documented information). Clause 7.5.3 asks you to control them: protect them, control access and changes, and keep and dispose of them on a defined schedule. AS9102 Rev C's Form 1 expects a reviewer in field 20 and an approver in field 22, and recommends they not be the same person. The AS9100 audit guide to FAI records lists what auditors sample.
For medical shops, ask whether your records fall under FDA rules. 21 CFR Part 11 applies to electronic records that FDA regulations require you to keep, and 11.50 says a signed electronic record must show the signer's printed name, the date and time, and the meaning of the signature. Component suppliers aren't always directly covered, but device customers may flow it down. If a vendor says "Part 11 compliant", ask which controls they mean.
How should FAI software handle ITAR and CUI drawings?
FAI software should give you a written answer on where drawings are stored, who can reach them, and what it does with a drawing marked ITAR or CUI. "We're secure" is not an answer.
- ITAR technical data. Under 22 CFR 120.54, storing unclassified technical data abroad isn't an export if it's end-to-end encrypted with FIPS 140-2 (or successor) cryptography and no third party, including the cloud provider, holds the keys. Ask the vendor whether their setup meets that, or whether they keep controlled data in a separate, US-only environment.
- CUI on defense contracts. DFARS 252.204-7012 requires NIST SP 800-171 on systems holding covered defense information, FedRAMP Moderate-equivalent security from any cloud provider storing it, and flowdown to subcontractors. Ask for the vendor's documentation, not a sentence on a website.
- Marked drawings. Ask what happens if an inspector uploads an ITAR-marked drawing to the standard workspace. "It's blocked" is a better answer than "it's your responsibility".
How is first article inspection software priced?
FAI software is usually priced per seat, per shop, per FAI, or as a perpetual license with annual maintenance. The model matters as much as the number, because it decides who gets a login.
| Model | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Per named seat | A monthly or annual fee for each user | Shops buy two seats and share them, which breaks the audit trail. Approvers and occasional users get left off. |
| Concurrent (floating) license | A fee per simultaneous user, often for desktop tools | License servers, and inspectors waiting for a free license at month end. |
| Per shop, flat | One fee for the whole team, sometimes tiered by FAI volume | What happens when you go over the tier: blocked, or billed. |
| Per FAI or usage-based | A fee per report or per drawing | Hard to budget when a new program lands with thirty FAIs. |
| Perpetual license + maintenance | Pay once, then a yearly fee for updates and support | Stop paying maintenance and you stop getting Rev changes to the forms. |
To compare, count everyone who touches an FAI, approver included, and price each model at this year's FAI volume and at double it.
Cloud or desktop FAI software?
Cloud FAI software runs in a browser with nothing to install and lets the inspector and approver work on the same report from anywhere. Desktop software installs on each PC and keeps files on your own network. Neither is right for every shop.
Ask a cloud vendor where data is hosted, how it is backed up and how controlled drawings are kept apart. Ask a desktop vendor how updates reach each PC and how an approver signs away from the shop.
Test any ballooner on your own drawing before a demo. Ours is free and needs no account.
Try the free balloonerHow do you trial FAI software properly?
Trial FAI software on your own drawings and data, not the vendor's sample. Bring a test pack and run the same pack through every tool on your shortlist:
- A clean drawing you've already FAI'd, so you can compare the balloon count to your own.
- A messy drawing: scanned, multi-sheet, with GD&T and a long notes block.
- A real CMM report from your machine, for that part.
- Two revisions of one drawing, to test revision compare and delta FAI.
- A customer-specific form or portal requirement, such as a Net-Inspect submission (see what Net-Inspect needs).
- A past rejection. Run the report that came back and see if the tool would have caught the problem. Why FAI reports get rejected lists the usual causes.
Count missed and wrong balloons on the clean drawing. That number tells you more than any accuracy figure on a website.
What questions should you ask in an FAI software demo?
- Can you balloon this drawing (mine) now, live?
- Which balloons are you unsure about, and why?
- Show me Form 1 field 19 and fields 20 to 23. Is this the Rev C layout?
- Here's my CMM file. How does each result get to the right balloon?
- What happens if a reading was taken with a gauge that's past its cal due date?
- Show me what changed between Rev C and Rev D of this drawing, and the partial FAI it builds.
- Who can edit a report after it's signed, and where is that edit recorded?
- Where is my data stored, and what happens if someone uploads an ITAR-marked drawing?
- What will I pay with eight users and forty FAIs a month? And with twice that?
What are the red flags when buying FAI software?
- Demo on their drawing only. If they won't run yours, assume it doesn't work on yours.
- A single accuracy percentage with no test set, drawing count or definition of a miss.
- "AS9102 compliant software". Software can follow the AS9102 layout; compliance belongs to the shop that measures and signs.
- Rev B forms with "Rev C" on the cover: a "FAI complete / not complete" field on Form 1, or signature boxes on Forms 2 and 3.
- Shared logins encouraged to save on seats. That defeats the signature record.
- AI that signs. A person signs an FAI. Software can prepare a report; it shouldn't approve one.
- No raw export. Your FAI records may need to outlive the subscription.
Where does Deburr fit?
Deburr is first article inspection software for job shops, so score it with the same checklist. It runs in the browser and balloons your drawing, with a confidence score on every balloon and a plain reason on the ones it's unsure about. It takes pasted CMM text output (PC-DMIS, Calypso and MCOSMOS style) into Form 3, blocks sign-off when a reading was taken with an out-of-calibration gauge, and produces AS9102 Rev C Forms 1, 2 and 3 for a preparer and an approver to sign, each re-authenticating. Every edit is logged. ITAR and CUI work is available as an add-on at added cost, in a separate workspace. The standard workspace refuses marked drawings. Pricing is $249/mo (Shop, 100 FAIs a month) or $499/mo (Pro, unlimited) for the whole team, with no per-seat fees and a 14-day trial with no card. The ballooner is free with no account. We're new, so run your test pack through it rather than taking our word for it.
Related: AS9102 Form 3 explained · Full vs partial FAI · AS9100 audit and FAI records · First article inspection cost
FAQ
What is first article inspection software?
First article inspection software builds the FAI report for you: it balloons the drawing, turns each balloon into a characteristic row, takes measured results (typed, or imported from a CMM), and produces the AS9102 Forms 1, 2 and 3 with signatures and a record of who changed what. Better tools also link each reading to the gauge used and handle partial (delta) FAIs when the drawing revision changes.
Is there free first article inspection software?
Free options cover parts of the job, not all of it. Free AS9102 Excel templates handle the forms, and some free online ballooners number a PDF drawing and export the characteristic list. Free tools rarely include signatures with an audit trail, gauge calibration links or revision compare. For a shop doing a few FAIs a month, free templates plus a careful checklist can be enough.
Does FAI software make my reports AS9102 compliant?
No software makes a report compliant on its own. Software can follow the AS9102 Rev C form layout and field numbering, but compliance depends on what the shop measures, records and signs: every characteristic verified, correct certs on Form 2, and the right people reviewing and approving on Form 1. Treat any vendor claim of "AS9102 compliant software" as a question to dig into.
Should I choose cloud or desktop FAI software?
Cloud FAI software suits shops that want nothing to install, shared access for inspectors and approvers, and updates without IT work. Desktop software suits shops whose customers forbid storing drawings outside the building, or that already run controlled on-premises systems for ITAR or CUI work. Ask either kind of vendor where data is stored, who can access it, and how marked drawings are handled.
Sources
- AS9102C: Aerospace First Article Inspection Requirement, SAE International (2023).
- AS9102 First Article Inspection Report Rev B vs Rev C, Net-Inspect (Rev C fields 17, 19, 20 and 22; signatures removed from Forms 2 and 3).
- A new approach to document and record control in AS9100, Advisera 9100 Academy (clause 7.5 controls).
- 21 CFR 11.50, Signature manifestations, Legal Information Institute.
- Part 11, Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures: Scope and Application, FDA guidance (2003).
- 22 CFR 120.54, Activities that are not exports, Legal Information Institute (end-to-end encryption conditions).
- DFARS 252.204-7012, Safeguarding covered defense information, Acquisition.gov.
The scorecard weights and the worked scoring example are illustrative, not industry data. This article is not legal or export-control advice.