Automate Your Flat Part Inspection and FAIR Documentation
Flat parts often form the foundation of complex assemblies in sheet metal fabrication, from electronic enclosures to medical equipment and industrial housings. These parts may look simple, but precision is everything. A hole slightly out of alignment or a bend just off spec can trigger a cascade of problems down the line.
Add to that the documentation burden of First Article Inspection Reports (FAIRs), especially for regulated industries like medical, aerospace, or defense, and it's easy to see how inspection can quickly become a bottleneck.
Fortunately, automation is transforming traditional inspection workflows, turning what used to take several hours into highly accurate, data-driven reports generated in just minutes.
What Is Flat Part Inspection and FAIR Documentation?
When introducing a new product, your flat sheet metal part must meet tight tolerances, pass inspection, and comply with customer quality documentation requirements, all before additional fabrication begins.
Flat part inspection verifies that a laser cut or punched sheet metal part meets its design requirements. It checks features like hole locations, edge geometry, and part flatness before the part moves to forming, bending, or assembly.
First Article Inspection Reports (FAIRs) formally document dimensions and verifies the part matches all engineering specification before it moves to full production. Reports can require measuring and verifying 150+ individual dimensions, and logging the results, in clear traceable documentation. They're needed by many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and essential for regulatory compliance in industries like aerospace and medical.
These quality checks are essential for:
Catching errors early
Avoiding downstream rework
Meeting customer and regulatory standards
Accelerating time-to-production
But when handled manually, these steps are time-consuming, error-prone, and expensive.
How Automation Is Changing Flat Part Inspection and FAIR Reporting
Traditional flat part inspection involves calipers, gauges, micrometers, coordinate measuring machines (cmm), and hours of manual measurement vulnerable to human error and inconsistent results between operators. FAIRs require spreadsheets, transcription, and document formatting, often consuming hundreds of labor hours for complex assemblies.
But with tools like laser scanning and automated CAD comparison, the entire process can now happen in real time. At HPM, for example, we use the Virtek LaserQC to scan parts and verify every dimension against the original CAD file in seconds. This system flags any deviations instantly and feeds that data directly into FAIR documentation tools, dramatically reducing both inspection time and administrative effort.
How Automated Flat Part Inspection Works
We use the Virtek LaserQC inspection system to scan and validate flat parts immediately after cutting. Here’s how it works:
A laser is projected onto the flat part’s surface.
Thousands of measurement points are captured in just seconds.
These measurements are automatically compared to the CAD model.
Real-time color-coded feedback (green = in tolerance, red = out) highlights deviations immediately.
The operator gets immediate feedback for corrections, or authorization to move forward.
This process removes guesswork and allows for instant confirmation that critical dimensions, like hole placements, cutout profiles, and overall geometry, match the print before advancing to the next stage.
Digital FAIR Documentation in Real Time
Once a part passes inspection, the same system automatically generates the necessary documentation:
Measurements are digitally recorded and tagged by part, time, and operator
FAIR data is auto-populated with no manual transcription required
Color-verified visual maps are included for easy traceability and audit compliance
This means fewer errors, faster turnaround, and full compliance from the start.
Benefits of Automation in Flat Part Inspection & FAIR Documentation
In practical terms, using automation means we can validate complex flat parts with hundreds of features and dimensions in a fraction of the time required for manual inspection all while achieving greater accuracy. And by integrating our laser scanning technology with digital documentation systems, FAIRs are generated just as easily. This process replaces manual “point-to-point” measuring and documenting, giving you:
Comprehensive verification: Rather than sampling a few key dimensions, laser scanning validates the entire part geometry.
Dramatic time savings: What once took hours of meticulous measurement can now be completed in minutes.
Real-time feedback: Deviations are instantly highlighted, allowing for immediate corrective action.
Enhanced accuracy: Digital measurements are directly transferred to documentation without manual transcription.
Full traceability: Every measurement is digitally recorded with a timestamp and operator information.
Visual verification: Inspection reports include color-coded visualizations showing conformance across the entire part.
Improved audit readiness: Digital records are easily searchable and accessible for customer or regulatory reviews.
For our customers, this translates to faster new product introduction, reduced validation costs, and accelerated time-to-market without compromising quality. In a recent project we completed, a medical device manufacturer was spending over 400 hours and $60,000 per project on manual inspection and documentation. After partnering with HPM, their FAIR process time reduced to 40 hours (a 90% reduction) and costs dropped to less than $6,000 (an 85% reduction) thanks, in part, to automated inspection and reporting processes.
How We Build Automation Into the Entire Process
At Herold Precision Metals, inspection is a built-in advantage from the moment a part enters our system. Our New Product Introduction (NPI) and Design for Manufacturability (DFM) processes lay the foundation for smarter, faster, and more cost-effective quality control.
Before any metal is cut, our engineering team works directly with you to:
Identify dimension-critical features and establish key inspection points
Analyze tolerance stack-ups and optimize geometry for better manufacturability
Ensure your designs are not only buildable, but also easily inspectable
Use real measurement data from our inspection systems to accelerate prototyping
Once a part moves into production, automated inspection and FAIR documentation is fully integrated into our workflow:
Virtek LaserQC scanning verifies part geometry against the CAD file in seconds
CAD-to-part comparison highlights deviations in real time
Digital FAIR integration streamlines documentation and compliance
Secure data records support traceability for audits and regulatory review
ISO 9001:2015-certified protocols ensure every step meets quality standards
In-house engineering support keeps your project on track from design through inspection
This closed-loop approach allows us to continuously improve designs, reduce inspection time, and help our customers move from prototype to production without costly backtracking.
The Future of Sheet Metal Quality Assurance
As production timelines shrink and quality demands rise, automated inspection and FAIR documentation offer a critical competitive advantage. By embracing automation today, manufacturers can:
Launch faster with fewer delays
Lower quality control costs through prevention
Build customer confidence with complete traceability
Free up engineers to focus on innovation, not inspection
We’re committed to raising the standard of what’s possible in precision fabrication. Our automated inspection and FAIR documentation capabilities are just one way we help our partners deliver better results faster. Contact our team to learn how we can help streamline your inspection process and get your next project off the ground with confidence.
