FDM quality verification asks whether a printed part meets the requirements agreed for that job. The inspection plan should therefore start with the intended use and acceptance criteria, rather than a generic promise of “high quality.”
A visual model, an assembly fixture and a functional test part may need different checks. Establish the required evidence before printing so the team can price, plan and perform the work consistently.
Define what acceptance means
Confirm the accepted revision, material, finish and quantity. Identify the dimensions or features that matter to fit and function, and record the relevant tolerances. If the customer expects a functional test, agree the method and acceptance condition before treating that test as part of the order.
Separate appearance requirements from dimensions. A visible layer line may be acceptable on one job and a rejection on another. A part that looks smooth may still fail a critical fit requirement.
Keep these decisions associated with the manufacturing specification. Phasio's part-specification record provides a place to preserve manufacturing requirements across orders.
Control the production record
Inspection is easier to interpret when the team knows what was made. Associate the result with the part revision, production run and the applicable manufacturing instructions. Record changes to the build method so an unexplained difference does not become the starting point for the next repeat order.
FDM orientation and support strategy can affect the result and the work needed after printing. Use the appropriate supplier guidance when developing the method; Stratasys' FDM design guidance provides an example of process-specific preparation considerations. Validate the actual application rather than assigning one universal accuracy or strength value to all FDM parts.
Use checks suited to the requirement
Visual inspection can identify visible defects and finish problems. Dimensional inspection addresses specified geometry. Functional testing addresses the particular behavior defined in the test. None automatically substitutes for the others.
Choose measurement equipment and methods appropriate to the feature, tolerance and access. Record what was checked and the result. A scan or an automated inspection routine still needs a defined method, suitable capability and a decision rule; its presence alone does not establish conformity for every feature.
For a simple illustrative inspection record, include:
- Identity; Example of what to record: Part, revision and production run
- Requirement; Example of what to record: Drawing feature or agreed acceptance criterion
- Method; Example of what to record: Measurement or test procedure used
- Result; Example of what to record: Measured value or defined observation
- Decision; Example of what to record: Accepted, held, rework or scrap
- Responsibility; Example of what to record: Inspector and review date
The examples describe record structure, not a universal inspection standard. Set sampling and test requirements according to the job and your quality process.
Inspect after the relevant finishing step
Support removal and finishing can change the delivered part. Perform the checks at the stage that reflects the final requirement. Where an earlier measurement is useful for process feedback, distinguish it from final acceptance.
Select support removal and finishing methods for the specific material and system. The Stratasys support-material guidance illustrates why support treatment is material-dependent. Do not assume that a cosmetic treatment preserves every dimension or improves every mechanical property.
Make failures actionable
If a part fails, keep it identifiable and record the reason. Decide whether the disposition is rework, replacement, customer review or scrap. Do not let a general “completed” status hide an unresolved acceptance decision.
Phasio's scrap and trace guide explains how scrap reasons and production movements are recorded. That operational record supports coordination; the inspection tools and qualified team determine whether the physical part meets the requirement.
Review repeated failures against the production record, investigate the cause and validate changes before applying them to repeat work. Connect the inspection step to the wider FDM production workflow so accepted quantities and outstanding replacements remain visible through fulfillment.
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