Quality & Metrology worked example

First Article Inspection Time at 14% setup and fixturing allowance: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop setup and fixturing allowance to 14%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate first article inspection time from the number of characteristics to verify, the verification rate, and a setup allowance.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Characteristics to verify: 60 characteristics (held at the documented default)
  • Verification rate per feature: 3 characteristics / min (held at the documented default)
  • Setup and fixturing allowance: 14 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 20)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Base first article inspection time = characteristics to verify รท verification rate.
  • Required first article inspection time works out to 22.8 min at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Base first article inspection time works out to 20 min at these inputs.
  • Setup and fixturing allowance applied works out to 14 % at these inputs.
  • Verification rate works out to 3 pieces / min at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where setup and fixturing allowance sits at 20% and the headline result is 24 min, this scenario comes in 5% below the baseline at 22.8 min.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to setup and fixturing allowance, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. A single verification rate averages fast linear dimensions with slow GD&T and CMM callouts, so a part heavy in true-position or profile tolerances will run longer than the flat rate implies.

Results at a glance

  • Required first article inspection time: 22.8 min (headline result)
  • Base first article inspection time: 20 min
  • Setup and fixturing allowance applied: 14 %
  • Verification rate: 3 pieces / min

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live First Article Inspection Time calculator, set setup and fixturing allowance to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.