Ballooning

Drawing Characteristic Ballooning (manufacturing-quality/as9102/ballooning)

Use when the task is ballooning the characteristics of an engineering drawing for an AS9102 first article inspection: unique balloon numbers, the D-list accountability matrix, and the verification method codes that feed form 3 characteristic accountability.

Domain quick reference

• Ballooning marks every design characteristic on the drawing with a unique balloon number; the same number appears on the D-list (the accountability matrix that ties each balloon to its characteristic, method, and classification) and on form 3 characteristic accountability.
• The verification method code maps how each characteristic is verified against the design definition (AS9102 method codes, summarized):
  • 1 = measuring / variable: a measured value compared with the tolerance.
  • 2 = attribute / go-no-go: a pass-fail check, typically with a gauge or fixture.
  • 3 = functional: a functional or operational test of the article.
  • 4 = visual: an inspection by eye, with or without magnification.
  • 5 = analytical: an analysis such as a calculation or simulation instead of a direct measurement.
• Characteristic classification follows the design definition: key characteristic (flagged by the customer or design authority as safety or fit/function critical), critical characteristic (safety or regulatory critical), or standard (all other characteristics).
• Every ballooned characteristic needs a method code and a classification; a balloon without either makes the accountability matrix incomplete.
• The balloon count must reconcile with form 3: the number of ballooned characteristics equals the form 3 line items, otherwise the characteristic accountability is not complete.

Workflow

1. Collect the drawing characteristics to balloon (identifier, kind, and verification method label).
2. Assign unique sequential balloon numbers with assign_balloon_numbers(characteristics), starting at 1 in drawing order.
3. Map every method label to its AS9102 code with verification_method_code(method_label).
4. Classify every characteristic with classify_characteristic(kind) as key characteristic, critical characteristic, or standard.
5. Build the D-list accountability matrix and verify it with accountability_matrix_verdict(balloons): every balloon must carry a valid method and classification.
6. Reconcile the balloon count against the form 3 line items with balloon_count_reconciliation(balloon_count, form_line_items) and resolve any mismatch before the FAI is accepted.

Pitfalls

• Numbering by hand out of drawing order: assign_balloon_numbers returns one sequential number per characteristic and rejects duplicates, so the matrix stays traceable to the drawing.
• Duplicating a balloon number across two characteristics: each balloon number must be unique; a duplicate breaks the D-list to form 3 trace.
• Writing a method code from memory: the code is 1 to 5 (measuring, attribute, functional, visual, analytical); an unknown label raises ValueError instead of silently passing.
• Leaving a balloon without a method or classification: the accountability matrix is incomplete until every balloon has both.
• Signing off form 3 with a balloon count that differs from the line items: the reconciliation verdict must be a match.
• Copying AS9102 text into the D-list template: the standard is proprietary, so the matrix wording is the organization's own paraphrase.

Behavior contract (gate 3)

The ballooning logic is exercised by the gate 3 contract test: scripts/test_ballooning.py against scripts/ballooning.py (stdlib unittest, offline). Run: python3 scripts/test_ballooning.py

Compliance

• Standards referenced, not reproduced: AS9102 text is proprietary (IAQG/SAE); the method codes and workflow above are a summary-only paraphrase per standards-map.yaml and brief 06.
• compliance: STANDARDS-REF, gated: false.