Why is SMT PCBA First Article Inspection so important?

The SMT first article inspection is a great way to control the production process of a product in advance, as well as to control the quality of the production process. To improve economic benefits and ensure product quality, it is an effective and necessary method for enterprises.

The first article inspection process serves two important purposes. The first is to verify and validate that all documented requirements are met. The second is to establish the Manufacturing Plan of Record (POR) for ongoing production.

Elecrow conducts the first article inspection to grant great PCB manufacturing and PCB assembly for all clients.

What is First Article Inspection?

FAI stands for SMT PCBA First Article Inspection(FAI), which is complete, independent, and documented physical and functional inspection of PCB design and manufacturing results. To ensure the quality and consistency of the final product is of the highest possible standard, FAI studies are frequently used within the aerospace, medical, and automotive electronics industries, and Elecrow conducts PCBA First Article Inspections meticulously and professionally at every step of PCB assembly.

What is First Article Inspection For?

For PCB assembly production, FAI is used as an official authentication method to monitor and approve dimensional studies. FAI stories use dimensional characteristics, such as design specifications, to verify consistency or identify deviations in production. By performing this inspection, PCB assembly manufacturers ensure that the manufacturing process is reliable and repeatable, while also ensuring that elements are provided in accordance with specifications.

What is Elerow SMT FAI Purpose?

1. The FAI report provides an objective confirmation that each engineering design and specification is properly understood, accounted for, verified and documented.
2. Ensure that the SMT assembly manufacturing course of action is dependable, repeatable, and constant. Develops a transparent understanding and communication outlet between customer and assembly provider.
3. Verify the accuracy of drawings and ensure that any adjustments made to any part of the designs are accounted for.
4. Validate all tooling used for PCB assembly production, ensuring that the equipment and machines are capable of delivering all required elements at a defined and accepted speed.
5. Ensure the PCB and assembly manufacturing course is successful and could meet the entire of all manufacturing needs.

What functions can Elecrow SMI First article inspection realize?

Elecrow uses advanced SMI First Article Inspection machine and software to perform the entire inspection process.

The SMT FAI software can perform fast BOM verification, old and new BOM comparison, automatic AB-side BOM, Gerber processing, fast coordinate correction, direction correction, and extraction of mark point and panel data. Elecrow uses SMT FAI software to compare BOM with the Gerber package for consistency, and efficient material classification can be done.  SMD, insertion, soldering, assembly, etc. can be performed quickly. Elecrow uses software that can generate machine programs, support interchangeable programs for different models, and generate first-part process drawings and BOM with a single click.

What does SMI First Article Inspection cover?

Measurable attributes: Measure the temperature, voltage, and resistance of the board and compare them to design specifications.

Manufacturing defects: Any problems that occur during the assembly process must be addressed and corrected. These issues can range from component placement to soldering problems.

Supplier validation: Materials and parts installed on the board, such as subassemblies, sheet metal, and cables, should be verified to meet their specifications.

Documentation Clarity: PCB manufacturing is often hampered by unclear documentation requirements. The first article inspection will reveal discrepancies between the documentation and what is expected.

How Elecrow conducts the SMI First Article Inspection?

There are a variety of SMT First Article Tester models on the market, but their principles are much the same, Elecrow now introduces you to a widely used SMT FAI method.

The detailed steps are given below:

A. Prepare Tools and Materials

　　1. A professional SMT first-article tester.

　　2. template BOM files, coordinate files, and screen printing files.

B. How to operate

　　Step 1: The engineering department provides electronic files of PCBA products, such as BOM files, coordinate files, and screen printing files;

　　Step 2: Operators process the above-required files and import them into the system.

　　Step 3: Scan the first item for analysis and check that the components are correctly positioned.

　　Step 4: LCR test, the system will automatically record the test information.

　　Step 5: The system will generate a test report.

PCBA First Article Inspection is so important.

SMT First Article Inspection is very important in the PCBA industry and can prevent and solve many problems that occur in high-volume PCBA manufacturing.

Elecrow uses these inspection steps to identify potential problems in the first article inspection process before regular production begins. If issues are identified, they should be corrected before production starts.