Is the procurement of new products going well in coronavirus buzzwords? Request from your supplier before mass production begins. IPQCCO inspects products produced in plants in China and Asia and audits them, and knows how important it is to do First Article Inspection for Initial Production Check before mass production. If you neglect this early stage of verification, you will experience serious quality problems.
Why Do First Article Inspection Before Mass Production?
Perhaps you are a lucky person whose production in Asia is always smooth and without any problems. It is certainly possible to select a sample of the product you are interested in online or at a trade fair and ask the supplier to produce the same.
However, with such a sample confirmation method, problems and defective products may occur in mass production due to lack of specifications, detailed product information, confirmation of each production stage, and insufficient communication with suppliers. Is often.
To solve these problems, it is important to establish common technical specifications between the two. The more detailed and easy-to-understand technical specifications and manufacturing requirements, the more likely you are to produce high quality products.
After several prototype developments and improvements, you and your supplier will be able to achieve the price and quality most desired. This final prototype is a sample also called First Article .
When To Check the First Article (Sample)?
Samples are typically approved before mass production begins and before signing a contract. Prior to this process, we will negotiate and develop prototypes to review the product specifications and manufacturing costs of mass production based on the finished samples.
Another important time of sample approval is the timing of production start. You can purchase all the necessary materials and parts for the factory-ordered production and request the provision of samples for evaluation once production is completed of 1-2% of the order quantity. If some evaluation samples do not meet approved samples or customer-specified requirements, ask them to stop production and review material replacement or manufacturing processes.
How To Inspect The First Article & Sample?
Please check all the details such as the appearance, parts, dimensions, printing, packaging, etc. of the sample.
1. Appearance
When approving the appearance of the sample, write down the appearance and assembly method of the product, the characteristics of the material (e.g., glossiness or not), the color number according to the sample of the material, or the pantone color number and the quality of the product assembly (maximum possible gap, surface flatness requirements, etc.).
For example, if assembly is required during the manufacture of a product, determine acceptable assembly quality (tolerance level, deviation, etc.).
2. Product Dimensions
When approving the dimensions of the product, provide its own measurements (especially when designing clothes and shoes, dimensional inspection is very important) and specify an acceptable deviation value (usually 1-5%). Check the measuring point and unit of measure (cm, inch) of the product.
3. Product Materials/Parts
Specify the quality of the material and parts of the product. For example, the type of plastic and all the parts incorporated into its specifications and products. To ensure that internal parts are not replaced, it is important to ensure that the sample is the standard for mass production. For electrical and electronic products, please refer to the CDF (Component Data Form).
4. Internal and External Packages
Specify the material for packing the product, the density of the cardboard, the color of the packaging, and the protective material. In addition, do not forget to specify moisture-proof, mold, corrosion prevention materials such as silica gel.
5. Compliance with retailer/online platform standards
If you sell products through online platforms or in retail stores such as Walmart or Costco, you probably have your own product compliance requirements. For example, Amazon has specific requirements for product package label barcodes (ASIN&FNSKU).
6. Compliance with import market standards
Before importing products into the desired country, make sure they meet market standards. Europe, for example, requires compliance with LVD/EMC, the RoHS standard for electronic products, EN-71 toys, REACH for consumer products, and many other standards.
Each country/market has different national or international standard requirements, so investigate which standards your product needs to pass and see if your supplier knows how to manufacture products that meet your country’s requirements. Approve the sample as soon as you develop the product according to these requirements. Leave one sample in the factory and keep the remaining samples at your own company to pass multiple samples to your inspection company when inspecting the product.
How To Use First Article Inspection for Quality Inspection?
Comparing mass-produced products with samples is the most effective way to check the quality of mass-produced products. IPQCCO inspectors use First Article Inspection checklists to conduct item-specific comparative inspections to identify differences and defects between samples and mass-produced products.
At the end of the First Article Inspection, the inspector will issue a report to the customer with the defects found and detailed photos and videos. Please see the detailed inspection report comparing the sample and the product once by all means.
We are always happy to help you ensure that the quality of your products meets your requirements. IPQCCO offers a variety of quality control services, including product inspections and factory audits in Asia.