What should be on a first article inspection checklist?

A first-article inspection checklist should cover: every critical feature from the 2D drawing measured against its tolerance, material and hardness verification if specified, surface finish check against the callout, thread gauge verification, visual inspection for cracks or surface defects, and a record of who inspected and when. For PCBA, add: AOI results, X-ray for BGAs, functional test pass, and CPL alignment confirmation.

Why this becomes hard

Teams often treat first-article inspection as a formality—a visual check that the part roughly looks right. Without a checklist tied to the drawing callouts, the inspector has no standard to measure against. Parts that pass a visual check may still fail assembly because a critical bore is 0.05mm out of tolerance.

What teams usually miss

The critical feature list. Not every dimension on a drawing needs to be measured at first article, but every dimension that matters for function, fit, or assembly needs to be on the checklist. Determining which features are critical is a design decision, not an inspector's guess.

What KnowYi does

KnowYi creates a first-article inspection plan from your 2D drawing, identifies critical features requiring dimensional verification, and requires a completed inspection report against that plan before releasing any lot. Reports include photos of the measured features and the measurement values.

What to send us

2D drawing with tolerance callouts and any assembly or functional requirements that identify which features are critical.

If you already have CAD, drawings, BOM, Gerbers, or even an incomplete file package, send it to KnowYi. We can turn it into a clear manufacturing path with missing inputs identified, quote blockers flagged, supplier routing handled, production records maintained, and delivery evidence returned.

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