Overview
What is First Article Inspection (FAI)?
A First Article Inspection (FAI) is an exhaustive inspection process conducted by the experts at GD&T to verify that the identified product or products meet all the engineering and design requirements outlined in the detailed specifications. All First Article Inspections will provide a comprehensive final report that details the findings including whether or not the manufacturing process meets design specifications, will be free of defects, and any recommendations to become 100% compliant with any applicable industry standards that govern tolerances or performance metrics. Our FAI services will give you the confidence you need to help bring your product to market and meet the highest standards and expectations.
Dimensional Inspection
Geometric Design and Technology is an A2LA ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited dimensional inspection laboratory with world-class equipment. These dimensional inspection capabilities allow us to capture precision measurements for final product designs in the aerospace, automotive, defense, electronic, machining, pharmaceutical, and injection molding industries. Conducted in our environmentally controlled laboratory, our dimensional inspection services are carefully planned and executed by highly trained and experienced metrologists with state-of-the-art technologies.
Part Sorting & Containment
At Geometric Design & Technology we offer our customers cost-effective customized solutions for part inspection, sorting, and secure containment. These services are designed to support overwhelmed quality control departments without the required labor or time to complete these detail-oriented projects. Our inspectors are experienced in working with plastic, casting, stamping, rubber, glass, machined surfaces, and other assemblies. We will provide client-specific reports with detailed written or visual work instructions as per your unique project requirements including identification of non-conforming features, manufacturing flaws, or other dimensional defects.
Dimensional Quality Consulting
As a leading provider of dimensional inspection of manufactured components, we’ve worked diligently to become experts in dimensional print interpretation and communicating our findings with our customers. Our dimensional quality consulting of complex and sophisticated part designs includes our blueprint dimensional review for design intent and inspectability, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing application consulting, and complete inspection method consulting designed to empower you to achieve your goals and manufacture precision components with highly repeatable results. Our goal is to help you avoid preventable errors and improve manufacturing processes that deliver premium results.
Dimensional Metrology
Dimensional metrology, also known as the science of precision measurement, has quickly become a critical need for manufacturers in nearly every sector. From handheld calipers to advanced 3D scanning equipment, our industry-leading expertise and technology in dimensional metrology services provide our customers with the confidence that their manufactured parts are produced with 100% adherence to strict manufacturing requirements and industry standards. We go beyond mere measurement services and can operate as an extension of your quality assurance team and help boost your credibility and customer satisfaction with authoritative expertise and personable customer service.
On-Site Quality & Dimensional Inspection
We can bring our expertise to your facility with comprehensive on-site quality and dimensional inspection for those bulky, heavy, or parts with privacy concerns. This process may be required to complete a thorough FAI report if the machined components are too large to ship to our laboratory. With a vast array of portable precision metrology and laser measuring equipment, we can complete precision dimensional inspection projects in person and even create digital CAD representations of these measured components after collecting all crucial data points. Through this site visit our experienced professionals can also calibrate or align equipment used in the manufacturing process to ensure it is perfectly balanced and reduces the chances of malfunction or error.
CT Scanning
This non-contact and non-destructive inspection method provides a comprehensive, detailed, and precise 3D representation of objects, including internal structures. Not limited to surface-level inspections, CT scanning is capable of identifying possible internal defects in components and offers the accuracy and repeatability metrics of standard CMM and other optical measurement systems.
Offline Programming for PolyWorks – PC-DMIS – Zone3
PolyWorks is an essential software solution that utilizes 3D measurement technologies for a considerable range of engineering and manufacturing applications. At Geometric Design and Technology, we can help alleviate the burden your in-house quality control department faces and provide added bandwidth to complete multiple projects on rigid deadlines. We can take your CAD models and engineering prints to perform the necessary programming sequences to expertly measure the parts and capture the required data with a detailed output inspection report.
Full Turn-Key Inspection Projects
After customers provide us with a print and CAD model of the parts they wish to inspect independently at their facility, we will complete an exhaustive procedure to determine the ideal inspection routine. This starts with identifying optimal orientations of the part for the inspection machine, designing and manufacturing fixtures, programming equipment, and qualifying inspection programs through MSA or GR&R processes. Our experts will deliver a final inspection program based on our findings and can even make in-person visits to help set up fixtures and complete necessary training to execute inspection programs that replicate our results.
PPAP
Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) is a standardized method used throughout the manufacturing sector to ensure machine components adhere to precision specifications and high-quality standards. Widely used in the aerospace and automotive industry, PPAP services through Geometric Design and Technology grant customers access to modernized equipment and requisite industry experience they can trust. PPAP ensures parts are made to correct engineering specifications and minimizes the risk of potential errors as well as future corrective actions that can delay manufacturing or add unexpected costs to the project.
GR&R
Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility, or GR&R, is a methodology used to define the amount of variation within a specific set of measurement data and subsequently compare it to the total variability observed. Using GR&R studies allows manufacturers to predict the percentage or probability of measurement error while also clearly identifying the source of the variation. This opens the door for GD&T to recommend appropriate actions and improvements that directly correlate to higher-quality data and fewer measurement errors.
Large Scale Metrology
Large-scale metrology (LSM) is a comprehensive service offered by GD&T for measuring and positioning large objects with complex geometries in space as part of the dimensional inspection process. With advanced laser scanning equipment, our experienced team has worked with clients in the aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, and marine industries to create digital representations of parts, features, surfaces, and other complex components with incredible accuracy.
Contact Us
Contact GD&T for Quote or Consultation
For any questions about our services, industry experience, or more information on our metrology expertise, send us a message and we will get in touch as soon as possible.
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