From Drawing to FAI Report in Minutes, Not Days
Identifying and documenting dimensions and GD&T characteristics is the most time-consuming step in First Article Inspection. Net-Inspect's Balloon Tool automates that step with purpose-built engineering OCR, then populates AS9102 Forms 1, 2, and 3 with one click, all inside your existing FAI workflow.
Integrated FAI Workflow
“I still have to export data and re-enter it into our FAI system.”
From Drawing to FAIR, Without Leaving Net-Inspect
Every standalone ballooning tool creates the same downstream problem: you still need to move the data into your FAI system. Net-Inspect eliminates that step entirely. Ballooning and FAI documentation live in one platform, and data flows between them automatically.
- One-click population of AS9102 Forms 1, 2, and 3 directly from completed balloon annotations
- Real-time synchronization between ballooned drawings and FAIR data throughout the quality workflow
- Submit completed FAIRs to customers for buy-off, all within the same platform your team already uses
Zero exports, re-entries, or tool switches between ballooning and FAIR submission
Supply Chain Integration
“Every supplier re-balloons the same drawing from scratch.”
Standardize Balloon Methodology Across Your Entire Supply Chain
Copy ballooned documents directly to suppliers. They submit their FAI Reports using the same balloon numbering, on the same platform, with no re-ballooning required. When you adjust balloon numbers, cross-document renumbering keeps all related documents synchronized automatically.
- Copy ballooned drawings directly to sub-tier suppliers for consistent, standardized FAI submissions
- Cross-document renumbering: balloon adjustments update all linked documents automatically upon save
- Multi-tier visibility as ballooned requirements cascade down the supply chain in a secure environment
200+ suppliers connectable on a single secure platform, with no per-seat licensing
Built-In Validation
“Form 3 errors reach the customer before we catch them.”
Catch Errors Before Your Customer Does
Visual validation warnings appear in real-time as your team works. Missing tolerances, incomplete specifications, and Form 3 errors are flagged before you save, not after the customer rejects the FAIR. The system catches what humans miss.
- Yellow triangle indicators flag missing specification data on individual characteristics in the Bill of Characteristics grid
- Validation summary lists every affected balloon number and the specific field that requires attention
- Affected fields are highlighted in the right panel for immediate, precise identification and correction
Fewer FAIR rejections from incomplete or missing Form 3 data, caught before submission
Advanced Drawing Annotation
“Complex sub-assemblies and multi-sheet drawings break our workflow.”
Purpose-Built OCR for Aerospace Engineering Drawings
Not every drawing is straightforward. Net-Inspect handles bi-lateral and unilateral tolerances, GD&T symbols, quantity-based callouts (e.g., 4X Ø.250), and complex sub-assembly hierarchies that general-purpose tools miss. Precision units including µin and µm are fully supported.
- Sub-balloon and sub-sub-balloon support for complex assemblies, with leader lines associating balloons to drawing features
- Customizable balloon properties (shape, fill color, font color, and size) for compliance-specific color-coding workflows
- Multi-document upload: balloon primary drawings and supplemental specification documents in a single FAIR
1-click population of AS9102 Forms 1, 2, and 3 from completed balloons, however complex the drawing
