08 / Inspection
Sheet Metal Quality Inspection Service
Inspection follows the controlled drawing, approved sample and project-specific acceptance plan through first-piece, in-process, assembly and pre-shipment checks. The photo below is one real surface and workmanship checkpoint; the complete inspection scope is defined by each buyer drawing.
Scope
Why “Full Inspection” Is Not a Specification
A generic statement such as “full inspection” is not enough for an OEM project. The buyer should identify critical dimensions, appearance requirements, material documents, functional interfaces and the evidence needed at each release point. Fulei Metal then aligns the practical inspection record with that agreed scope.
Real production video
In-Process Measurement on Our Shop Floor
These short clips show actual work at Fulei Metal. They support the process explanation; the controlled drawing and written quotation still define the final route.
Documentation
What Your Inspection Report Actually Contains
A report that only says “inspected” cannot be checked later. This is the record that leaves the factory with the parts.
A dimensional report for a fabricated part typically carries ten to thirty characteristics: overall lengths and widths, material thickness, bend angles and hole-to-edge distances. Each row pairs the requirement taken from the drawing — 165° ± 2°, 9.5 ± 0.13 mm, 80.0 ± 0.8 mm — with the value actually measured, one result column per sample part, and a verdict. Nothing is recorded as “checked” without a number beside it.
The header fields matter as much as the measurements, because they are what lets your quality team make sense of the record months later.
| Part number and drawing revision | A report is only valid for the revision it was measured against. A later revision needs a new first article. |
|---|---|
| Sample quantity against batch quantity | Five inspected parts say little about a batch of five hundred unless the sample rule and the batch size are both stated on the same form. |
| Requirement beside each measurement | A number without the tolerance it is compared to cannot be judged by anyone else afterwards — including us. |
| Method used per characteristic | A ±0.05 mm callout released with a tape measure is not evidence. Calipers, height gauges, gauges and radius gauges are named row by row. |
| Inspector, date and seal | Someone is accountable for the result and the record can be tied to a shift and a date. |
| Conclusion and disposition | OK or NG, plus what happens to any non-conforming part: rework, acceptance by concession, 100% sort, or scrap. |
Nothing is rounded into a pass. Where a measured value falls outside the requirement, the part goes to a non-conformance record and the decision is taken with you before anything ships. If one failing dimension suggests the process has shifted, we widen the check to the rest of the batch rather than sending a report that happens to look clean.
The same discipline runs through incoming material, first article, in-process and final release. For how these records are structured, see inspection report documentation; for the first-piece case specifically, first article inspection; and for how sample sizes are chosen, AQL sampling standards. The wider acceptance plan is set out in the quality inspection checklist for sheet metal enclosures.
Specifications
Inspection Specifications and Capabilities
| Inspection stages | Incoming material, first article, in-process and outgoing inspection |
|---|---|
| Measuring tools | Calipers, height gauges, gauges, radius gauges and thread gauges |
| Coating checks | Coating thickness measurement and salt-spray testing to ISO 9227 where specified |
| Critical dimensions | Held to ±0.1 mm where identified as critical on your drawing |
| Sampling | Per drawing or to an agreed AQL sampling plan for batch orders |
| Documentation | Dimensional report and inspection records against the drawing revision |
| Third-party inspection | Buyer-arranged or third-party inspection can be supported at your request |
| Minimum order quantity | 10 pcs (large parts) / 50 pcs (medium parts) / 1,000 pcs (small parts) |
Manufacturing route
Where Each Checkpoint Sits in the Process
- 01
Confirm the inspection basis and current revision
- 02
Verify the first piece at the process where risk occurs
- 03
Record agreed in-process checks
- 04
Inspect assembly fit, appearance and accessory count
- 05
Release the shipment with required documents or photos
Engineering checkpoints
What Has to Be Agreed Before the First Piece Is Measured
Each point below is settled before the first piece is measured, because what is not agreed up front cannot be judged afterwards — by your quality team or by us.
Material identity
Grade, thickness and any requested certificate need to remain linked to the project.
Process checkpoints
Problems are cheaper to correct before coating or final assembly hides the cause.
Functional interfaces
Door gaps, mounting points, connector openings and mating surfaces deserve priority over noncritical dimensions.
Evidence scope
Reports, photos and samples are agreed by project; they should not be promised as a vague blanket package.
Buyer input
What to Send With an Inspection Enquiry
These are the items that turn the word inspection into an agreed scope with a number beside every characteristic.
- Critical dimensions and drawing datums
- General and project-specific tolerances
- Cosmetic acceptance references
- Material and finish document requirements
- First-article and pre-shipment record format
FAQ
Inspection Questions Buyers Ask Before Ordering
What do you need to define an inspection scope?
The drawing revision, the critical dimensions and the datums they are measured from, the general and project-specific tolerances, a reference for cosmetic acceptance, and the material or finish documents the project needs. Say what evidence is required at first article and at shipment — those are usually different.
Is the first article inspected on the same basis as the batch?
Yes. The first piece is verified at the process where the risk occurs and measured against the current drawing revision; the batch follows the agreed sampling plan. A report is only valid for the revision it was measured against, so a later revision needs a new first article.
Which characteristics can you actually measure?
Calipers, height gauges, gauges, radius gauges and thread gauges cover the dimensional work, and critical dimensions are held to ±0.1 mm where your drawing identifies them as critical. Coating thickness is measured, and salt-spray testing to ISO 9227 is carried out where the drawing calls for it. Sampling follows your drawing or an agreed AQL plan.
Can the report be tied to a revision and a batch?
Yes. The record carries the part number and drawing revision, sample quantity against batch quantity, the requirement beside each measured value, the method used per characteristic, and the inspector, date and disposition. Nothing is written as “checked” without a number beside it. Material documents are handled separately under certification and traceability.
Can you provide first-article inspection reports?
Yes. For a new part or a new revision we inspect the first article against the drawing and provide the dimensional result, including the critical dimensions we agreed at quotation stage. Subsequent batches are checked in process and before packing.
What happens if an inspected part is out of tolerance?
The part is quarantined, the cause is identified at the process step that produced it, and the correction is made before the batch continues. We tell you what happened and what was changed rather than shipping the deviation silently.
What does an inspection report look like?
One table per drawing revision: part number, purchase order, batch quantity and inspected quantity, then every controlled characteristic with its requirement, the measured values, the method used and a verdict, closing with a conclusion, disposition, inspector, date and seal. A blank copy of the template can be shared before the order so your quality team can confirm it carries the fields they expect.
Can the measurement data be supplied as a spreadsheet?
Yes. Reports are issued as a signed PDF against the drawing revision, and where a buyer imports readings into their own supplier-quality system we also provide the measurement table as a spreadsheet so the values can be charted rather than retyped.
Send your drawings to our engineering team and we will return a DFM review together with the quotation. Request a quote, or see the full range on custom sheet metal fabrication.
Discuss a real project
Send the Revision and the Characteristics That Matter
Send the drawing revision and the characteristics that matter. We will agree where each check sits, what is recorded and what leaves the factory with the parts.
Payment Terms
How a project is paid for is agreed before production starts, and the structure that applies to your order is stated on the quotation and on the order confirmation, so there is no ambiguity later.
- 30% advance payment with the order and the 70% balance before shipment — our standard structure.
- 70% advance payment with the order and the 30% balance before shipment — used for some projects.
- 100% payment in advance before production starts — used for some projects.
If your finance team works to a fixed structure, say so in the first enquiry and we will confirm what applies to your order before you commit. Request a quotation.
Questions buyers ask before sending drawings
The nine questions that come up most often before a project starts, answered the way we answer them by email.
What do you need from me to quote a part?
2D drawings as PDF, DWG or DXF, or 3D files as STEP, IGES or SolidWorks, together with material grade, sheet thickness, surface finish, quantity and destination country. If the drawing is not finished yet, send a photo, a sketch or the existing part instead — we review what can be measured from it and reply with the questions that still need answering.
How long does a quotation take?
Enquiries are answered within one business day. Quotation time depends on the part. Simple components we can price straight from the drawing — laser-cut and bent sheet metal, brackets, panels, covers, machine guards — are quoted within 24 hours. Complex work such as assembled kiosks, welded frames and multi-part structures is quoted after the drawing review and process confirmation, because the scope cannot be judged from the drawing alone; the date is confirmed in our reply.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
Prototypes are made from a single piece, and small batches of 10–50 pieces are routine. Prototype, first batch and repeat volume are quoted in one staged quotation so the numbers stay consistent as the project scales. See low MOQ sheet metal fabrication.
Can you work from a sample or a photo if I have no drawing?
Yes. Send the part itself, clear photographs with a rule or caliper in frame, or a dimensioned sketch. We measure what can be measured, list the features that are still undefined, and confirm them with you before production rather than assuming them.
Will you sign an NDA before I send drawings?
Yes. If your process requires one, say so in the first message and we will confirm what we can sign before any file is transmitted. Customer drawings are treated as confidential and used only for the project they were sent for. See our NDA page.
What payment and trade terms do you work with?
The standard structure is 30% advance payment with the order and the 70% balance before shipment. Some projects run on 70% advance payment with the 30% balance before shipment, and some on 100% payment in advance before production. Quotations are issued under EXW, FOB Ningbo, CIF or DDP, whichever your logistics team already works with.
What quality documents come with the parts?
Inspection documents are agreed with the order. Reports are provided on request, and material certificates and traceability can be supplied for the grades we purchase. Tell us in the enquiry which documents your own quality system requires, and we will confirm what we can provide before you order rather than after.
Who will handle my project?
One contact from drawing review through to shipment. Violet, our sales manager, coordinates drawings, DFM questions, quotation, samples, production updates and shipping documents, so you are not handed to a different person between quotation and delivery.
Can you scale from prototype to repeat production?
Yes. Prototype quantity and expected annual volume are quoted together, so tooling, nesting and packaging are planned once and the sample and production prices stay consistent. See prototype to production quotation and sheet metal DFM engineering review.
Trade Terms and Delivery
We quote under the standard Incoterms your logistics team already works with, and build the packing and documentation around the one you choose.
- EXW — you collect from our Ningbo facility and run export clearance through your own forwarder.
- FOB Ningbo — we deliver to the vessel at Ningbo port and handle export clearance.
- CIF — we cover carriage and insurance to your named destination port.
- DDP — we handle carriage, insurance, import clearance and duties through to your door.
Send your destination country, target delivery date and preferred trade term together with the drawing. Request a quotation.
Quotation Time
We quote from your drawings. How long that takes depends on what the part asks for:
- Simple parts — quoted within 24 hours. Laser-cut blanks and bent components, supplied with complete 2D or 3D drawings. Mon–Fri, GMT+8.
- Complex assemblies — quoted after the drawing review. Payment kiosks, multi-part welded frames, enclosures with purchased hardware, or anything needing a coating or assembly trial. We confirm a quotation date once the scope is clear.
Production lead time is quoted separately, after drawing review and process confirmation. Send your drawings.
Get a quote for this part
Send a drawing, or just the size and quantity. A sales engineer replies within 24 hours, Monday to Friday (China time).