An aerospace job shop needs work instructions that a new machinist can follow, that match the current drawing revision, and that leave a record an AS9100 auditor or a prime’s source inspector can trace back to the part. The pressure is less about volume of paperwork and more about proof: every critical step has to show who did it, with which tool, to which revision.
AS9100D builds on ISO 9001 and adds aerospace-specific requirements. For production, it expects work to be carried out under controlled conditions: the people doing it have the documented information they need, the equipment and programs they use are controlled, and the process is verified before the first production run. A CNC program or fixture is treated as part of the process, so a program edit without revision control is a documentation problem, not just a machining one. The AS9100 vs ISO 9001 comparison covers the additions in more detail.
Several themes appear in almost every aerospace audit: product safety (people know which features are critical and why), prevention of counterfeit parts (material comes from approved sources with certs), foreign object debris (FOD) control, and configuration management (the instruction, the drawing and the program all point to the same revision).
Primes and tier-one suppliers flow down their own quality clauses on the purchase order: approved special-process sources, record retention periods, notification of changes, and right of access for their inspectors. A job shop that runs work for several customers can end up with several sets of rules for the same operation, which is exactly where a generic instruction fails.
A first article inspection to AS9102 is usually required for a new part number, a drawing change, a new process or source, or a long production gap. The instruction should say when an FAI is triggered and who balloons the drawing. The AS9102 FAI template and the first article inspection guide walk through the three forms.
| Page | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| AS9100 work instruction template | Header fields for part number, revision, key characteristics and approvals already laid out. |
| AS9102 first article inspection template | Forms 1, 2 and 3 for new parts, revision changes and process changes. |
| AS9100 audit prep checklist | The documents an auditor will ask to see, organised by clause. |
| First piece inspection checklist | Proves each setup before the run, separate from the full FAI. |
| Calibration log | Ties every gauge used on the instruction to a current calibration. |
| GD&T symbols reference | Helps inspectors read feature control frames the same way. |
| True position calculator | Checks position results from CMM or height-gauge data. |
| NCR form | Records a nonconforming part with enough detail for the MRB or the customer. |
Example An excerpt from a work instruction at Northgate Precision, a fictional build-to-print job shop. The part, values and tools are example values; use your own drawing, customer requirements and approved methods.
| Document | WI-OP40-0117, Example |
|---|---|
| Revision | C, matches drawing 4471-220 Rev F |
| Scope | Operation 40, deburr and FOD check after final CNC operation |
| Key characteristics | KC1 bore diameter, KC2 edge break on mounting face |
| Approved by | Quality engineer and operations lead |
These are the kinds of findings auditors and customers commonly write in this industry, with a way to prevent each one in the instruction itself.
No. It requires the documented information people need to produce conforming product. Simple operations done by trained people may need little; critical, infrequent or customer-sensitive operations usually need a written instruction.
The traveler routes one job and records who did each operation. The work instruction explains how an operation is done and is reused across jobs. The traveler should point to the instruction and its revision.
AS9102 sets the triggers: a new part, a design change affecting fit, form or function, a change in process, source or location, or a production lapse your customer defines. Customers can add more, so check the purchase order.
Yes. Photos and marked-up drawings often work better than text for setups and inspection. They must be controlled like any other part of the instruction and updated when the part changes.
COPLAIN JOB AID BUILDER
Upload a drawing, traveler or setup sheet and Coplain’s Job Aid Builder drafts an AS9100-style work instruction with key characteristics, revision fields and sign-off steps already in place.