{"id":7952,"date":"2026-10-12T17:18:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T17:18:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/?p=7952"},"modified":"2026-10-12T17:18:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T17:18:32","slug":"casting-first-article-inspection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/blog\/casting-first-article-inspection\/","title":{"rendered":"Casting First Article Inspection: What an FAI Report Must Prove"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"sc-article\" style=\"max-width: 820px; margin: 0 auto; font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #7e7e7e; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.7;\">\n<div class=\"sc-intro\" style=\"background: #F5F5F5; border-radius: 20px; padding: 22px 24px; font-style: italic; color: #3a3a3a; margin: 0 0 26px; line-height: 1.6;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">The sample part looks perfect. It fits the assembly, the machined faces are clean, and the price is right. Then production starts and 300 pieces arrive with a boss that sits 4 mm off location. That is exactly the failure a <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">casting first article inspection<\/strong> is supposed to catch \u2014 before you release the tooling, not after you have machined a pallet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">This guide is written for buyers who sign off castings, not for auditors. It lists what a <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">casting first article inspection<\/strong> package must contain, how much measurement is actually required, the five places it usually goes wrong, and the arithmetic behind why a $900 report protects a $73,000 order. Standards referenced include AS9102, AIAG PPAP, EN 10204 and the ASTM test methods that show up on foundry reports \u2014 and they sit on top of the basics in our <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/metal-casting-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">metal casting guide<\/a>. General process background is available from the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afsinc.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Foundry Society (AFS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin: 24px 0;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; display: block; border-radius: 4px;\" src=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p230-fai-1.webp\" alt=\"casting first article inspection dimensional layout of an aluminum cast housing on a CMM surface plate with ballooned drawing\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #7e7e7e; text-align: center; margin-top: 8px;\">A dimensional layout: every ballooned feature on the drawing gets an actual reading, a nominal value and a deviation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">What Casting First Article Inspection Actually Covers<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">A casting first article inspection (FAI) is a complete, documented verification of <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">every<\/strong> characteristic on the drawing, performed on parts made with the production tooling, the production process and the production material. It is not a spot check, it is not a visual sign-off, and it is not the same thing as the routine inspection that runs during production.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Three conditions have to hold for the result to mean anything:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Production tooling.<\/strong> The part must come off the production pattern, die or mold \u2014 the same <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/casting-molds-making\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tooling built for the production run<\/a>, not a 3D printed pattern, not a soft tool, not a hand-modified sample. A sample made by <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/3d-printing-vs-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a different route than the production route<\/a> tells you nothing about the process you are buying.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Production process.<\/strong> Same melt practice, same inoculation, same heat treatment cycle, same machining fixtures. Change any of them and you owe yourself a new first article.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Full characteristic coverage.<\/strong> AS9102 Form 3 requires a value for every ballooned characteristic. A report that covers 12 of 47 dimensions is a partial inspection dressed up as a full one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">FAI, production inspection and PPAP are three different things<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Buyers often use the three terms interchangeably, and that is how requirements get lost in a purchase order. The casting first article inspection is the dimensional and material core; PPAP wraps process evidence around it.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 18px 0 24px; font-size: 15px; color: #333333;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Activity<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">When it happens<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Coverage<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Typical output<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">First article inspection<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Once, before production release<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">100% of drawing characteristics, 1\u20133 parts<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">AS9102 Form 1\/2\/3 or customer dimensional report<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Production \/ receiving inspection<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Every lot<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Critical few characteristics, sampled<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Inspection record, AQL sheet per ISO 2859-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">PPAP \/ ISIR submission<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Once per part number, per program<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Dimensional + material + process documentation<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">AIAG PPAP 18 elements, or VDA ISIR \/ Formel Q pack<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">What a Casting First Article Inspection Report Must Contain<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">A usable package has eight blocks. If a supplier sends you a one-page dimensional sheet with no material record, they have not done a <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">casting first article inspection<\/strong> \u2014 they have measured a part.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">1. A ballooned drawing with numbered characteristics<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Every feature that will be controlled gets a balloon number. This is the index the rest of the report refers to, and it is where most disputes start: if a feature is not ballooned, it will never be measured, and nobody will notice until the assembly does not fit. Under <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/casting-tolerances-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ISO 8062-3<\/a>, a general tolerance note on the drawing still creates a requirement \u2014 so general tolerances need balloons too, at least on representative features. Missing balloons are the most common reason a casting first article inspection looks complete and is not.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">2. Dimensional results, feature by feature<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Each balloon gets nominal, tolerance, actual and deviation. Measured values, not pass\/fail ticks. When a feature is measured on a CMM, ask for the program name and revision; when it is measured with hand tools, ask which tool and what resolution. A 0.02 mm deviation reported by a vernier caliper with 0.02 mm resolution is noise. A casting first article inspection is a measurement record, not a check sheet.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">3. Material test report traceable to the heat<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Chemistry from the actual heat (not a mill certificate from the scrap supplier), plus mechanical results from test coupons poured with the same heat. The acceptance document is normally EN 10204 type 3.1 \u2014 signed by the manufacturer&#8217;s inspection representative, specific to the heat. Type 3.2 adds third-party witness; type 2.2 is a non-specific statement and is not adequate for a structural casting. Test methods are the usual set: <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.astm.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ASTM<\/a> E8\/E8M for tension, E10 for Brinell hardness, E23 for Charpy impact, and chemistry by OES or wet analysis <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/how-to-choose-casting-alloy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alloy selection<\/a> against the material specification \u2014 A48 for <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/solutions\/iron-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gray iron<\/a>, A536 for ductile iron, A216 for <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/solutions\/steel-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">carbon steel castings<\/a>, A148 for low-alloy steel, B26 or B108 for <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/solutions\/aluminum-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aluminum<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Note the coupon caveat: a separately cast keel block cools at a different rate than a 12 mm wall in the real part. That is why <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/gray-iron-vs-ductile-iron\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gray iron and ductile iron<\/a> strength is routinely quoted on the test bar and then verified by hardness on the casting itself. If the drawing calls out a minimum hardness on the casting, that hardness belongs in the FAI, not just the coupon tensile.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">4. Heat treatment record<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Furnace chart or load record showing setpoint, actual temperature, time at temperature and quench medium. For the casting first article inspection this is not optional paperwork. For A356-T6 that means solution treatment around 540 \u00b0C, quench, then artificial aging \u2014 the cycle detail in <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/casting-heat-treatment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">heat treatment for castings<\/a> is what the mechanical numbers depend on. A report with tensile results but no furnace chart is unverifiable \u2014 charts are the only proof the cycle actually ran, and they are the same record format we keep on <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/heat-treatment-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">heat treatment services<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">5. NDT results with a defined acceptance level<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">&#8220;Radiographically sound&#8221; is not a specification. Name the standard and the severity: ASTM E446 Category A through G with severity levels 1 to 5 for sections up to 51 mm, E186 for 51\u2013114 mm, E280 above that. Same for surface methods \u2014 E165\/E1417 for penetrant, E709\/E1444 for magnetic particle. The five methods and their limits are covered in <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/casting-inspection-methods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">casting inspection methods<\/a>; what matters for the FAI is that the report says which method, which area, and what level was acceptable and what was found. Without that detail the casting first article inspection cannot be repeated by anyone else. Internal soundness findings trace back to <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/sand-casting-porosity-and-shrinkage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">porosity and shrinkage<\/a>, and the report should let you connect the two.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">6. Special processes and coatings<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Impregnation for pressure-tight parts, <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/surface-treatment-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">plating or painting<\/a>, anodizing \u2014 each needs its own record and its own sub-supplier certificate. A leak-tested housing without the impregnation batch record has a gap you will discover at warranty.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">7. Sample parts and a master sample<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Keep at least two parts identified as the approved first article, tagged with part number, revision, heat number and approval date. Every future dispute about what &#8220;looked right&#8221; gets settled against those parts, and every future casting first article inspection gets compared against them.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 26px 0 8px; text-transform: capitalize;\">8. Deviations and dispositions<\/h3>\n<hr style=\"width: 100px; height: 4px; background: #EF890D; border: none; border-radius: 2px; margin: 0 0 14px; line-height: 0; opacity: 1;\" \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Any characteristic that is out of print must be listed with the actual value and a written disposition \u2014 accept as is, rework, or fix the tooling. A clean report with no deviations is possible, but a report with zero deviations on a complex casting with 47 ballooned dimensions is worth a second look. Honest deviations are what make a casting first article inspection worth the money.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin: 24px 0;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; display: block; border-radius: 4px;\" src=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p230-fai-2.webp\" alt=\"casting first article inspection material samples: gray iron cast valve bodies, sectioned wall sample, tensile test bar and Brinell hardness block\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #7e7e7e; text-align: center; margin-top: 8px;\">Material verification: cast sample parts, a sectioned wall, a machined tensile bar and a hardness block from the same heat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">How Many Parts, How Many Measurements?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">A casting first article inspection is normally run on one to three parts. For a dimensional FAI under AS9102, one part from the first production run is the baseline. Most industrial programs ask for three, because three exposes tool-to-tool and cavity-to-cavity variation that a single part hides \u2014 the kind of spread that separates <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/die-casting-vs-sand-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">die casting from sand casting<\/a> in practice. On a multi-cavity die or a two-on pattern, measure at least one part from every cavity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Capability is a separate exercise from the FAI. Guidance in the AIAG reference manuals points at roughly 25 subgroups for an initial study; casting practice usually lands on a 30\u201350 piece pre-production run measured for the five to ten characteristics that actually drive function. Worked example, a machined bore in a cast <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/aluminum-casting-alloys-a356-vs-a380\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A356 aluminum<\/a> housing:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">Feature: bore \u00d850 H7, so LSL 50.000 mm, USL 50.025 mm, band 0.025 mm wide.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">n = 30, mean x\u0304 = 50.012 mm, sample standard deviation s = 0.0038 mm.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">Cpk = min[(50.025 \u2212 50.012) \/ (3 \u00d7 0.0038), (50.012 \u2212 50.000) \/ (3 \u00d7 0.0038)] = min[1.14, 1.05] = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">1.05<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">1.05 is below the 1.33 most programs require. Re-centring alone will not fix it: at a perfectly centred mean of 50.0125 mm, Cpk is still only 1.10.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">Two real options. Cut variation: to reach 1.33 with the mean centred you need 3\u03c3 \u2264 0.0125 \/ 1.33 = 0.0094 mm, so \u03c3 must drop from 0.0038 to 0.0031 mm \u2014 roughly an 18% reduction, usually a boring insert, speed and fixture change. Or open the bore to H8 (50.000\u201350.039) and re-target the bar to mid-band 50.0195 mm, which gives Cpk = min[0.0195\/0.0114, 0.0195\/0.0114] = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">1.71<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Before trusting any of those numbers, check the gauge. AIAG MSA practice: under 10% GRR is acceptable, 10\u201330% may be acceptable depending on the application, above 30% the measurement system is not acceptable. A two-point bore gauge on a 50 mm bore commonly lands in the 8\u201315% band; a flexible caliper reading on a thin-wall casting can easily exceed 30%. If the gauge is bad, the Cpk calculation is decoration.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">For early parts where the process is not yet stable, report Ppk rather than Cpk \u2014 Ppk uses total variation including the drift between early pieces, Cpk assumes a stable process. Submitting a Cpk from an unstable first run is the most common form of accidental fraud in these packages.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">Where Casting First Article Inspection Usually Fails<\/h2>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 18px 0 24px; font-size: 15px; color: #333333;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Failure mode<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">How it happens<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">How to close it<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Wrong sample origin<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">FAI part comes off a prototype tool, a printed pattern or a hand-fettled sample<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Require the tool or cavity ID on Form 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Drawing revision mismatch<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">FAI run to revision B, production released to revision C<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Drawing number and revision on every page of the report<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Un-ballooned features<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Typical radii, wall thicknesses, lettering and datum targets never get numbered<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Buyer balloons the drawing before sending it out<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Generic material certificate<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Mill cert for the ingot or scrap, not the poured heat<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Heat number on the part matches heat number on EN 10204 3.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Undefined NDT acceptance<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">&#8220;Sound&#8221; or &#8220;no visible defects&#8221; instead of ASTM E446 category and severity<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Name standard, category, severity and sample size in the RFQ<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">No re-FAI trigger<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Pattern repaired, core box changed, or production lapsed and nobody re-qualified<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Write the triggers into the PO: tooling change, process change, new sub-tier source, 12-month lapse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Each of these turns a casting first article inspection into paperwork that nobody can act on. The re-FAI trigger is the one buyers forget most often. AS9102 names a two-year production lapse as a trigger; automotive programs usually shorten that to twelve months. A pattern that has been repaired, re-machined or stored through a humidity cycle is not the tool you qualified \u2014 and pattern geometry decisions made during <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/casting-mold-design-patterns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mold and pattern design<\/a> are exactly what the first article is meant to confirm.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">The Economics: What a Failed First Article Costs<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Take a real-shaped order: 1,200 gray iron <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/valve-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">valve and pump<\/a> housings at $61 per finished casting. Order value $73,200. A full <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">casting first article inspection<\/strong> package for a part of this size breaks down like this:<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 18px 0 24px; font-size: 15px; color: #333333;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Line item<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Basis<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Cost<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Dimensional layout, 47 characteristics<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">4.5 h at $95\/h CMM rate<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$427.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Material verification<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">OES chemistry $35, 2 tensile bars at $45, 3 Brinell at $12<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$161.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Surface NDT<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Penetrant inspection on 5 parts at $15<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$75.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Documentation and engineering review<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">3 h at $85\/h<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">$255.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Total FAI package<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">1.26% of a $73,200 order<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$918.50<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Now the alternative. Suppose the tooling puts a mounting boss 4 mm off and nobody catches it until 300 parts have been machined:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">300 castings at $61 = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$18,300<\/strong> already committed.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">Machining already spent, 300 \u00d7 $22 = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$6,600<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">Scrap recovery at $0.28\/kg on a 24 kg housing = $6.72 per part \u00d7 300 = $2,016 back.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">Net loss on the 300 pieces = $18,300 + $6,600 \u2212 $2,016 = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$22,884<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\">Pattern modification to move the boss = <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">$2,800<\/strong>, plus roughly three weeks while the tool is cut and a new sample is approved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Total exposure about $25,684 against a $918.50 report \u2014 roughly <strong style=\"color: #273171;\">28 to 1<\/strong>. Put the other way round: the report pays for itself if it catches a defect before about 12 parts have been machined ($918.50 \u00f7 $76.28 net loss per machined piece = 12.0). On any program that does not <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/cnc-machining-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">machine its castings<\/a> one at a time, that is essentially always. That ratio is why the casting first article inspection belongs in the budget rather than in the exceptions. It is the same logic that shows up in the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/casting-cost-breakdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cost breakdown<\/a> of any casting program: money spent upstream is cheap, money spent after machining is not.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">The same arithmetic sits behind the other quality checks buyers agonise over. A <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/casting-simulation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">solidification simulation<\/a> before the first pour, and a machined <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/casting-machining-allowance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">machining allowance<\/a> that actually cleans up, remove the two root causes that most often make a first article fail in the first place.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">FAI, ISIR and PPAP \u2014 Which Package Does Your Program Need?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Match the package to the industry, not to habit. A casting first article inspection satisfies most industrial buyers; regulated programs want more. A job-shop buying 40 valve bodies a year does not need 18 PPAP elements; an automotive tier sending parts to an assembly line does.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 18px 0 24px; font-size: 15px; color: #333333;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Program<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Usual requirement<\/th>\n<th style=\"background: #273171; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 14px; text-align: left; font-weight: 600; border: 1px solid #273171;\">Elapsed time<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">General industrial, pumps and valves<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Dimensional report + EN 10204 3.1 material cert + NDT record; often called just a first article or sample approval<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">3\u20137 working days after samples<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Aerospace and defence<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">AS9102 first article inspection, Form 1 \/ 2 \/ 3, full characteristic accountability<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">1\u20133 weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Automotive (IATF 16949 supply chain)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">AIAG PPAP, usually Level 3; German OEMs ask for VDA ISIR \/ Formel Q instead<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">2\u20134 weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #F5F5F5;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">Pressure-containing parts<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">FAI plus material cert plus hydrostatic or leak test record, sometimes third-party witness (EN 10204 3.2)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #E5E5E5; padding: 10px 14px;\">1\u20132 weeks plus witness scheduling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">PPAP submission levels run 1 to 5. Level 1 is a part submission warrant only; Level 3 \u2014 the default for most castings \u2014 adds dimensional results, material and performance test results, process flow, PFMEA and control plan; Level 4 adds requirements the customer specifies case by case; Level 5 is an on-site review with supporting data. Of the 18 elements, the ones that actually bite on a casting are the process flow diagram, the PFMEA, the control plan, the dimensional results, the material test results and the sample parts \u2014 and the detail in each scales with the process, whether the part is a <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/sand-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sand casting<\/a>, an <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/investment-casting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">investment casting<\/a> or a high-pressure die casting. Guidance and the current forms sit with <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aiag.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AIAG<\/a>; if you supply into an IATF 16949 chain, see <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/zinc-die-casting-ev-iatf16949\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what IATF 16949 asks of a casting supplier<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Automotive programs also usually want the material declared in IMDS, and a Ppk \u2265 1.67 on the initial study rather than the 1.33 that industrial buyers accept. Budget for that: a Level 3 package on a cast aluminum bracket realistically costs $2,800\u2013$4,500 in engineering time once the PFMEA and control plan are included, and it adds two to four weeks to the schedule before a part number is released \u2014 which is why it belongs in the <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/casting-lead-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lead time plan<\/a> from day one rather than bolted on at the end.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin: 24px 0;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; display: block; border-radius: 4px;\" src=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/p230-fai-3.webp\" alt=\"casting first article inspection CMM probe measuring a bore in a cast aluminum housing on a granite surface plate\" \/><figcaption style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #7e7e7e; text-align: center; margin-top: 8px;\">CMM verification: the probe path, the fixture and the measurement uncertainty all belong in the report.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">How to Specify Casting First Article Inspection in Your RFQ<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Most weak first article packages are the buyer&#8217;s fault: the purchase order said &#8220;provide first article report&#8221;, and a one-page dimensional sheet technically satisfies that. Write it as clauses instead. If the drawing already carries a defect-avoidance note, mirror it here \u2014 the conventions in <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/common-casting-defects-and-how-to-avoid-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">common casting defects<\/a> map directly onto which characteristics deserve a balloon.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0 0 18px; padding-left: 22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Scope.<\/strong> &#8220;First article inspection to AS9102 Form 1, 2 and 3, or customer equivalent. 100% of drawing characteristics, including general tolerances per ISO 8062-3 DCTG as noted.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Quantity and origin.<\/strong> &#8220;Three parts from the first production run, one from each cavity where a multi-cavity tool is used. Tool or cavity identification recorded on Form 1.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Material.<\/strong> &#8220;Material test report to EN 10204 type 3.1, chemistry and mechanical properties from the poured heat, heat number marked on the part and matching the certificate.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">NDT.<\/strong> &#8220;Radiographic acceptance to ASTM E446, Category B and C at severity level 2; penetrant inspection to ASTM E165 on 100% of the first 20 pieces, then 10% sampling.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Capability.<\/strong> &#8220;Initial process capability study on characteristics marked as critical: Ppk \u2265 1.33, report mean, sigma, sample size and measurement method.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Re-qualification.<\/strong> &#8220;Repeat the first article after any tooling modification, change of material source or melting practice, change of sub-tier processor, or production lapse longer than 12 months.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"><strong style=\"color: #273171;\">Release.<\/strong> &#8220;Production release is contingent on written approval of the first article. Shipment of production parts before approval is at supplier risk.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">That last clause is the one that changes behaviour. Without it, &#8220;first article&#8221; quietly becomes &#8220;first article, shipped alongside the production lot&#8221;, and you find out about the 4 mm boss when the pallet arrives.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">One more practical point: ask for the ballooned drawing to come back with the report. If the supplier balloons it themselves, you get to see exactly which features they considered controlled \u2014 and which ones they quietly skipped. That drawing, reviewed for ten minutes, is worth more than the numbers underneath it.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 25px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; margin: 34px 0 14px; padding: 4px 0 4px 30px; background: linear-gradient(to right, #ff512f 0px, #dd2476 5px, transparent 5px);\">FAQ<\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">Is a first article inspection the same as PPAP?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">No. A first article inspection is the dimensional and material verification of the part itself. PPAP is a broader submission that contains an FAI as one of its elements alongside the process flow, PFMEA, control plan and capability study. You can require a casting first article inspection without PPAP; you cannot submit a PPAP without one.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">How many sample parts should a foundry send?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Three is a sensible default for industrial castings: enough to show cavity-to-cavity and part-to-part variation, few enough that a full layout stays affordable. Ask for one per cavity on multi-cavity tools, and keep two back as your approved master samples.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">Who pays for the first article package?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Usually the buyer, either as a separate line item for the casting first article inspection or amortised into tooling. On a $73,200 order it is about 1.3% of value, and almost every supplier will absorb it rather than argue. Treat it as a tooling cost, not a unit cost.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">Can the first article come from a prototype run?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Only if you explicitly accept it as a prototype qualification and plan a second first article once production tooling exists. A part made through a <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/metal-prototype-casting-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prototype casting route<\/a> or from a printed pattern tells you the geometry is achievable; it tells you nothing about the shrinkage, draft and surface of the tool you are actually buying.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">How long does a casting first article inspection take?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">Three to seven working days after sample parts exist for an industrial casting first article inspection. Add time for heat treatment cycles, third-party witness or a PPAP Level 3 submission \u2014 realistically two to four weeks for the full automotive package, and it belongs in the schedule from the start rather than bolted on at the end.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: 'Poppins',sans-serif; color: #273171; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.4; margin: 22px 0 8px;\">What happens if the first article fails?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 18px;\">The supplier issues a deviation with the actual value, and you choose between accepting as is, reworking, or modifying the tooling. If the cause is geometrical \u2014 shrinkage, a mislocated core, insufficient stock \u2014 the fix usually goes back to <a style=\"color: #086ad4; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/blog\/casting-riser-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">riser and feeding design<\/a> or to the pattern, and the corrected tool then needs a new first article.<\/p>\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"3550\" class=\"elementor elementor-3550\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-19b1acf1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"19b1acf1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;ekit_has_onepagescroll_dot&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-56e26ed6\" data-id=\"56e26ed6\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52c3d00c elementor-widget elementor-widget-elementskit-heading\" data-id=\"52c3d00c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_we_effect_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"elementskit-heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ekit-wid-con\" ><div class=\"ekit-heading elementskit-section-title-wraper text_left   ekit_heading_tablet-   ekit_heading_mobile-\"><h3 class=\"ekit-heading--title elementskit-section-title \">Looking for a reliable China metal foundry?<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24c75aa0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"24c75aa0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_we_effect_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>We can help you optimize product design and save costs.<\/li><li>We can help you with high quality high volume cast parts.<\/li><li>We can deliver on time and get more sales market opportunities.<\/li><li>You will benefit from Supro MFG metal casting service.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51a20937 elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-1143 elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"51a20937\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_we_effect_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm elementor-animation-grow\" href=\"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/contact\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Request a Factory-Direct Quote <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<p class=\"sc-note\" style=\"font-size: 13px; color: #9a9a9a; margin: 28px 0 0;\">*Data referenced from AS9102, AIAG PPAP and MSA references, ASTM and EN 10204 standards, AFS industry publications, and Supro MFG shop-floor records.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The sample part looks perfect. It fits the assembly, the machined faces are clean, and the price is right. Then [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7953,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[48,47,49,42],"class_list":["post-7952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quality-processes","tag-casting-comparison","tag-casting-process","tag-manufacturing-process","tag-metal-casting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7952"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7970,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7952\/revisions\/7970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinametalfoundry.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}