TEMPLATESINSPECTION PLANFree Excel (.xlsx) download

Inspection Plan Template

One sheet that says what to check on a part, at which stage, with which gauge, how often and what to do when it fails. The sheet works out the limits and flags any gauge too coarse for the tolerance.

Download Excel (.xlsx)Generate mine automatically →

New templates, charts and calculators for quality and manufacturing engineers, when they ship.

Who this template is for

Quality and manufacturing engineers planning inspection for a new or changed part, and inspectors and operators who carry out the checks.

When to use it

When releasing a new part or a drawing revision to production.
When a customer asks how a characteristic is verified.
After an escape, to add or tighten a check.
When writing or updating the control plan, as the inspection detail behind it.

Standards it supports

ISO 9001:2015 8.5.1 — Production is controlled, including monitoring and measurement at the appropriate stages to verify that acceptance criteria are met.
ISO 9001:2015 8.6 — Planned arrangements verify that requirements are met before product is released, with records of conformity and of who released it.
ISO 9001:2015 7.1.5.1 — Measuring resources must suit the measurement and be maintained to stay fit for purpose.
IATF 16949:2016 8.5.1.1 — A control plan covers the measurements, methods, sample sizes, frequencies and reaction plans for each manufacturing site and product.
IATF 16949:2016 8.6.2 — Layout inspection and functional verification are performed for each product as the control plan specifies.

How to use this template

List the characteristics — go through the drawing balloon by balloon and add one row per characteristic you will verify, plus material and labeling checks.
Enter nominal and tolerances — type the nominal and the minus and plus tolerance as positive numbers; the limits calculate.
Classify and stage — mark each row Critical, Major or Minor and choose where it is checked: receiving, in-process or final.
Choose the gauge — enter the method and gauge resolution and replace any gauge the sheet flags with "Check gauge".
Set sample, frequency and reaction — state how many parts, how often, what to do on a failure and where the result is recorded.

Tip: Write the reaction plan as actions, not "notify quality". The operator must know whether to stop, what to quarantine and back to which check.

What's inside the template

Header

Part number and revision, drawing, minimum tolerance-to-resolution ratio, prepared by and date

Characteristic

Balloon number, description, nominal and tolerances

Limits

Calculated lower and upper specification limits

Classification and stage

Critical, Major or Minor, and receiving, in-process or final

Method and gauge check

Gauge, resolution and the tolerance-to-resolution ratio with an OK or Check gauge flag

Sampling and reaction

Sample size, frequency, reaction plan and record

Example: a completed template

Example Plan for a turned spacer, part EX-3100 rev B, at Example Precision Co., a fictional machine shop. Every characteristic, tolerance and frequency is invented for illustration.

Inspection plan

#	Characteristic	Limits	Class	Stage	Gauge (resolution)	Ratio	Check	Sample / frequency
1	Outside diameter 20.00 −0.05/+0	19.95 – 20.00	Major	In-process	Micrometer (0.001)	50	OK	1 every 25 parts
2	Length 15.00 ±0.10	14.90 – 15.10	Major	In-process	Caliper (0.01)	20	OK	1 every 25 parts
3	Bore 8.00 +0.02/−0	8.00 – 8.02	Critical	In-process	Bore gauge (0.001)	20	OK	1 every 10 parts
4	Chamfer 0.5 ±0.2	0.3 – 0.7	Minor	Final	Chamfer gauge (0.1)	4	Check gauge	5 per box
5	Hardness 30 ±2 HRC	28 – 32	Major	Receiving	Hardness tester (0.1)	40	OK	3 per lot
6	Label and count	—	Minor	Final	Visual	—	—	Every box

Summary

Characteristics	6
Critical	1
Gauges to check	1
Receiving / in-process / final	1 / 3 / 2

The math in this Example

Row 1 limits: 20.00 − 0.05 and 20.00 + 0 = 19.95 to 20.00 mm
Row 1 ratio: (20.00 − 19.95) ÷ 0.001 = 50, at least 10, so OK
Row 3 ratio: (8.02 − 8.00) ÷ 0.001 = 20, OK
Row 4 ratio: (0.7 − 0.3) ÷ 0.1 = 4, below 10, so Check gauge

How to fill in each field

Field	What to enter	Example
Char #	The balloon number on the drawing, so the plan, the drawing and the inspection record line up.	3
Tol − / Tol +	Both as positive numbers. For a one-sided tolerance, enter 0 on the other side.	0 / 0.02
Class	Critical for safety, fit or function the customer has flagged; Major for function; Minor for cosmetic or non-functional.	Critical
Stage	Where the check happens: receiving, in-process or final. A characteristic can have rows at more than one stage.	In-process
Gauge resolution	The smallest step the gauge reads, in drawing units.	0.001
Tolerance ÷ resolution (calculated)	Tolerance width over resolution, compared with the ratio in the header (10 by default, a common rule of thumb).	20
Sample size / Frequency	How many parts and how often: per lot, per hour, every n parts, first and last piece.	1 / every 10 parts
Reaction plan	What the inspector or operator does on a failure: stop, contain back to the last good check, notify, record.	Stop, quarantine since last good check

Common mistakes

Inspecting everything the same way. Scale sample size and frequency to the class. Put effort on critical characteristics.
A gauge too coarse for the tolerance. Use the ratio check, and run a gauge R&R on gauges for critical characteristics.
No reaction plan. Every row needs a clear action on failure, including how far back to contain.
Not matching the control plan. Keep characteristics, methods and frequencies identical in both documents, or reference one from the other.
Frequencies that ignore process changes. Add checks after setups, tool changes and material lot changes, not only on a clock.
Forgetting non-dimensional checks. Include material certs, finish, labeling and packaging where they matter to the customer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an inspection plan and a control plan?

A control plan covers how the whole process is controlled, including process parameters. An inspection plan focuses on which product characteristics are checked, how and when. In many shops the inspection plan is the detail behind the control plan rows.

What is the 10:1 rule?

A rule of thumb that the gauge should resolve at least one tenth of the tolerance width. The sheet uses 10 by default; change the header if your customer sets another ratio.

How do I choose the sample size?

Base it on risk and process capability. Capable, stable processes need fewer checks; critical characteristics and new processes need more. Lot sampling plans such as AQL tables are one option for receiving and final inspection.

Should every drawing dimension be on the plan?

Every characteristic should be verified somewhere, at first article if not in production. The production plan focuses on characteristics that can vary from part to part.