Do I need First Articles for my USB Project?

What are First Articles?

FAI or First Article Inspection is a validation process for verifying that product or production process will yield a product or service that will effectively and efficiently solve the issue attempting to be solved. It is the initial process for testing a product prior to sourcing and full production. First article USB drives are a great solution to make sure that your USB drives have the required documentation (RoHS, CE, REACH, etc). First Articles also can eliminate problems arising from incompatible chipsets or firmware, read/write speeds or physical size limitations.



Defining the Who, What, Why and Hows of First Article Testing

Who Benefits from FAIs?


First articles on USB Drives are a tremendous benefit to the purchaser and the producer. They help eliminate unforeseen costs due to sourcing of non-conforming product. For successful FAI testing it is essential that all variables are removed to increase the chances for a successful testing.


Who should be involved in the Process?


  • Software Engineers
  • Project Managers
  • Supply Chain Managers
  • Purchasing Managers
  • Value Add Partners
  • OEM Manufactuers

    • How long does FAI testing take?

    Budgeting at least 1 month should leave plenty of time for USB Drive sourcing and the testing of a few workflow and process iterations.


    What do FAIs on a USB Flash Drive project look like?


  • 1. Discussing project goals
  • 2. Determining the best USB Flash Drive Solution
  • 3. Sourcing USB Drives
  • 4. Sending blank drives to engineering team for master creation
  • 5. Cloning master to verify production workflow and process
  • 6. Sending Clones to Engineering for validation
  • 7. Engineering sending USB Flash Drives to End User for solution validation
  • 8. Purchasing/Project Manager Sign Off and release of Production Purchase Order.


    • Why do FAI testing on a USB Drive Project?

    FAI can be a vital process for especially challenging USB Flash Drive Projects.


    If you project requires a locked BOM (bill of materials), specific read/write speeds or is being used for a bootable product (legacy or UEFI) it’s probably a good idea to engage in FAI testing prior to placing a large order.


    What types of projects are FAI tested USB Drives a good solution for?

    Typically these projects involve Flash Drives that are being used either as embedded software or to update software (Bootable USB Flash Drives).


    USB Drives can be a great solution for these types of projects because they are an extremely fast way to get software to field agents without introducing the risk of a supply chain attack vector consistent with cloud based solutions. The data or software can be loaded manually on computers that are air gapped from the internet and offer a clear chain of custody between the customer, the producer and the field agent.


    Plan Execution

    Even the best plans are nothing without a great team to execute on them.


    I'm Ready to start FAI testing

    We’d love to speak with you about your next complex USB Flash Drive of HDD related project and discuss how our expertise can help save you time and money. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 612-782-8200 and start the discussion today.

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