9102 Rev C and the new FAI Landscape
Updates and revisions to existing standards are par for the course, in the ever-advancing world of technology and innovation. One such crucial standard that has undergone a transformation is the 9102 standard Rev B, a critical document that sets the bar for ensuring Part Number, Product and Characteristic accountability in the aerospace and defense industry. The question at this juncture in time is, what are the key differences between 9102 Rev B and the recently released Rev C, and what are the improvements and impacts on the aerospace and defense sectors.
While 9102 Rev. B was an important step forward in streamlining the requirements, it did have certain limitations, most notable the lack of clarity on certain elements, which led to varying interpretations across businesses and industry. 9102 Rev C introduces a number of changes and additions that clarify and bolster existing interpretations and requirements. Most notable is heavily concentrated on the planning process for producing FAIs, and along with requiring a documented process (new to the standard) there are some other key changes that will likely impact the A&D supply chain.
Now that Rev C has been released, industry is undertaking their due diligence to understand the updates and determine the level of change required for compliance. What is unknown at this point is when this new flow down take effect. What window are the primes providing the suppliers in their network for compliance with the new revision? Regardless of the flowdown schedule, what is known is that there will be a considerable shift in how suppliers plan for and fund the activities behind the changes.
Verify’s 9102 Subject matter experts have identified some of the key changes to the standard that will likely have a substantial impact on supplier’s business practices, their resourcing and ultimately their bottom line.
Let’s address some key changes:
Section 4.1 A
“The organization shall have a documented process to plan for FAI. This process shall identify the responsible functions and address the activities to be performed prior to the first production run”
The shift here is the word “documented”. Rev B required that an organization have a process but did not require it to be documented. This means suppliers and organizations responsible for the FAI are going to have to go beyond just a stated ad hoc process. They will have to provide documented evidence of the process and work instructions. Once a process is documented it becomes auditable, so this is a substantial change for organizations who historically have not documented their FAI planning.
Section 4.1.c.6
“Determine suitable monitoring and measuring equipment of appropriate resolution and accuracy. Ensure part specific gauges and tooling are identified, qualified and traceable.”
“Noted additionally: Metrology principles (e.g. accuracy ration, measurement uncertainty) should be taken into consideration when selecting a measurement method.”
The key takeaway from this change is the supplier is now faced with implementing what is essentially a version of Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA). This involves a shift in protocols especially for suppliers that have never been required to employ the practice. Organizations will now have to integrate metrology science into their FAI.
Section 4.6.f
“The organization shall have a documented process to evaluate any changes to product realization processes or engineering design requirements (see supporting sub-sections 1-6) that invalidate or are not represented in the previous FAI and then perform a full or partial FAI, as determined by the evaluation.”
Again, here we have a subtle, but critical change, introducing the need for a ”documented” process, with past revisions not requiring this and the resulting efforts for the suppliers.
Delta or Partial FAIs have been required if defined parts of the manufacturing process changed. This left some leeway and ambiguity for suppliers to determine in real time if a change warranted a Delta.
Documenting this criteria beforehand removes that flexibility and is likely to increase the requirements to perform these Deltas. Exactly how to quantify or identify where changes occur and how you initiate the partial or delta to accommodate the change will represent a significant challenge to suppliers.
Verify has developed and released a web-based Software application as a Solution (SaaS) for producing, validating and storing an organization’s first article reports. The team of subject matter experts at Verify’s First Article Center of Excellence in Irving TX designed this tool not only to provide for the fundamental production of a compliant FAI to Revision B but additionally encompasses each of the new requirements Rev C has introduced.
Verify’s application natively creates a documented process that satisfies the new requirements in Rev C. These documented processes also satisfy the AS9102 audits defined within AS9001, saving suppliers and customers the time and resourcing that could be needed to comply.
Additionally, Verify’s application has a built-in ability to accept the inputs of measurement analysis. For example, if an out of calibration or faulty micrometer had been used for inspection, the application would identify which characteristics had been measured with it to allow targeted re-validation with a compliant tool. The measurement analysis functionality built into the application ensures you have the right tool to measure with every time.
Verify is already well positioned to assist your organizations in preparation and planning for the changes, as well as a turn-key compliant solution.
Verify provides 9102 services for:
- Training
- Consulting
- FAI creation
- FAI Data Management & Storage
- Validation and Verification
- Legacy FAI backlog management
Contact us today for a demonstration of our FAI Application.