DI-SESS-82501

First Article Inspection and Test Requirements

Defines First Article Inspection and Test Requirements for Additive Manufacturing processes such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion and Directed Energy Deposition, ensuring first articles conform to contract, technical data package, and industry standards.

Approval DateAugust 18, 2025

AMSC NumberF10597

Preparing ActivityAF-11 (AFLCMC/ROD)

Project NumberSESS-2025-033

OPR—

DTIC ApplicableNo

GIDEP ApplicableNo

Limitation—

Applicable Forms—

Approval Limitation—

Form Version—

DID Formatfree_text

963C CompliantYes

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Supersedes

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Description & Purpose

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Application & Interrelationship

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Use & Relationship

This Data Item Description (DID) defines the First Article Inspection and Test Requirements (FAI/TR) for Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes, such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED). The First Article Inspection (FAI) is critical for verifying that the initial production part (the First Article) conforms to the contract's technical specifications, the Technical Data Package (TDP), and relevant industry standards. This document details inspection and testing requirements to be met during the production of a first article, supporting process qualification and compliance with quality standards.

a. This DID outlines documentation, testing, inspection points, and associated activities required to confirm that the AM process can produce parts that meet the specified requirements for aerospace, defense, or other critical applications.

b. This Data Item Description (DID) contains the format, content, and intended use information for the data deliverable resulting from the work task described in the solicitation.

Preparation Instructions

1Reference documentsThe applicable issue of the documents cited herein, including their approval dates and dates of any applicable amendments, notices, and revisions, shall be as specified in the contract. ISO/ASTM 52926-1: Additive Manufacturing of Metals - Qualification principles - Part 1: General Qualification of Operators ISO/ASTM 52926-2: Additive Manufacturing of Metals - Qualification principles - Part 2: General Qualification of Operators for Powder Bed Fusion Laser (PBF-LB) ISO/ASTM 52926-4: Additive Manufacturing of Metals - Qualification principles - Part 4: General Qualification of Operators for Directed Energy Deposition Laser (DED-LB) ISO/ASTM 52943-2: Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace - Process characteristics and performance - Part 2: Directed Energy Deposition using Wire and Arc ASTM F3592: Standard Guide for Additive Manufacturing of Metals - Powder Bed Fusion - Guidelines for Feedstock Re-use and Sampling Strategies ASTM F3572: Standard Practice for Additive Manufacturing - General Principles - Part Classifications for Additive Manufactured Parts Used in Aviation ASTM F3624: Standard Guide for Additive Manufacturing of Metals - Powder Bed Fusion - Measurement and Characterization of Surface Texture (Copies of these documents are available from https://www.astm.org) MIL-STD-1587: Materials and Processes for Aerospace Systems (Copies of this document are available from https://assist.dla.mil) SAE AS9102: Aerospace First Article Inspection Requirement SAE AS9131: Aerospace Series - Quality Management Systems - Nonconformity Data Definition and Documentation (Copies of these documents are available from https://www.sae.org/standards/) NASA 6030: Additive Manufacturing Requirements for Spaceflight Systems (Copies of these documents are available from https://standards.nasa.gov)

2FormatFAI/TR shall be formatted according to the following guidelines:

2.1RevisionsA Table of Revisions shall follow the Table of Contents, listing changes made and the date of each revision.

3ContentThe FAI/TR shall include the following sections:

3.1Cover PageThe Cover Page shall include:

3.1.1Contractor's company name, logo, address, and phone number

3.1.2The part name, number, and revision according to the contract and engineering drawing

3.1.3A statement identifying the document as the "First Article Inspection and Test Requirements" for AM

3.1.4A "Submitted For" section with the following details

3.1.4.1National Stock Number (NSN) for the part

3.1.4.2Contract number

3.1.4.3FA part number, with the revision of the engineering drawing

3.1.4.4Serial Number (SN), if applicable

3.1.4.5Date of submission and document revision letter

3.1.5A "Submitted To" section listing the name and address of the contracting officer and procurement office

3.1.6Signatures of the document preparer, Quality Assurance (QA) representative, and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) representative

3.2Table of ContentsThe Table of Contents shall identify all sections, subsections, appendices, and illustrations, with corresponding page numbers.

3.3Revision History TableThe Revision History Table shall include:

3.3.1Base designation of the FAI/TR document (initial revision "-")

3.3.2Subsequent revisions (e.g., "A," "B") with descriptions of changes made and dates of revision

3.4Purpose of the First Article Inspection and TestThis section shall describe the purpose of the FAI/TR, including: This section shall also highlight the importance of:

3.4.1Verifying that the AM process produces parts that meet the contractual requirements, the TDP, and relevant industry standards

3.4.2Ensuring that the AM process and associated operators are qualified to produce parts to the specified tolerances and material properties

3.4.3Establishing confidence that the AM process is capable of consistently producing conforming parts

3.4.4Documenting the testing and inspection procedures to ensure repeatability and reliability

3.5Applicable DocumentsThis section shall list all reference documents that govern the FAI/TR requirements, including:

3.5.1Applicable industry process and materials standards

3.5.2SAE AS9102 for aerospace FAI requirements

3.5.3Any relevant contract-specific standards or Technical Data Package (TDP) guidelines

3.6Inspection and Test PlanThis section shall provide a detailed Inspection and Test Plan that outlines all tests, inspections, and verification points required for the First Article. It shall include:

3.6.1Test Requirements

3.6.1.1Mechanical testssuch as tensile strength, hardness, fatigue resistance, and other testing as specified in the TDP.

3.6.1.2Dimensional inspectionsto verify compliance with the design tolerances (e.g., surface finish, build accuracy).

3.6.1.3Visual inspectionsfor surface defects, porosity, microstructural evaluation, and other quality-related characteristics.

3.6.1.4Non-destructive testing (NDT)such as ultrasonic testing (UT), X-ray inspection, or CT scanning to detect internal defects or inconsistencies.

3.6.2Inspection Points

3.6.2.1Material certificationVerify that all materials (e.g., powders, wire) meet the required specifications and have traceability to the original mill or supplier.

3.6.2.2Post-processing inspectionEnsure that all post-processing steps (e.g., heat treatment, machining) are completed as required and conform to TDP specifications.

3.6.3Test Equipment and Tools

3.6.3.1Identification and descriptionof the test equipment and tools to be used in inspections.

3.6.3.2Calibration statusof test equipment to ensure compliance with industry standards.

3.6.4Acceptance Criteria

3.6.4.1Specific pass/fail criteriafor each inspection and test.

3.6.4.2The acceptance thresholdfor each measurement or test, such as allowable deviation in dimensional tolerance or mechanical property limits.

3.7Test Data DocumentationThis section shall describe the methodology for documenting and reporting test results, including:

3.7.1Test result formsSAE AS9102 or equivalent forms used to record the outcomes of all first article tests.

3.7.2Mathematical analysis and comparisonof actual results against the specified requirements in the TDP.

3.7.3Pass/fail determinationDocumentation on how test results are assessed and recorded.

3.8Nonconformance and Corrective ActionThis section shall outline the process for addressing nonconformances during the First Article inspection and testing:

3.8.1Identification and documentationof non-conformities using SAE AS9131 or equivalent forms.

3.8.2Root cause analysis and corrective actionsto resolve issues identified during FAI.

3.8.3Preventive actionsto avoid recurrence of nonconformities during production.

3.9First Article Photos and DocumentationThis section shall include:

3.9.1Photographic documentationof the First Article part, showing the entire part and close-ups of critical features or inspection points.

3.9.2Photographs of all exposed permanent markings (e.g., identification plates, serial numbers, barcodes)confirming conformance to contract and Item Unique Identification (IUID) requirements.

3.9.3Photographs of test setups, inspection fixtures, and any post-processing operationsdepicting how the inspections and tests were conducted.

3.10TraceabilityThis section shall ensure traceability of all materials and equipment used in the First Article production:

3.10.1Material certificationshowing conformance to TDP requirements.

3.10.2Manufacturer's certificationfor AM machine and post-processing equipment.

3.10.3Operator qualification recordsfor personnel conducting the tests and inspections.

3.11AppendicesThe FAI/TR shall include the following appendices:

3.11.1Appendix ATest Forms (SAE AS9102 or equivalent) for all FAI tests and inspections.

3.11.2Appendix BCalibration Certificates for all inspection and test equipment used.

3.11.3Appendix CNonconformance Records (including root cause analysis and corrective actions).

3.11.4Appendix DMaterial Traceability Records from suppliers to the contractor.

References

ASTM https://www.astm.org

SAE https://www.sae.org/standards/

NASA https://standards.nasa.gov

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