The call for the much-cited batch size 1 and the innovation trigger Industry 4.0 are challenging companies more than ever when it comes to restructuring and designing their production processes. Added to this is the pressure from customers with regard to quality assurance, product liability and traceability of the goods produced. In the automotive industry in particular, the requirements for seamless traceability are enormous. A new form of transparency is needed that enables manufacturers to answer the following questions at any time: When, where, by whom, under what conditions and using what materials was the product manufactured? The answer lies in software-supported traceability solutions which, in addition to the traceability of materials, products and workpieces, also focus on the ongoing optimization of production processes.

When it comes to optimizing and increasing the efficiency of production processes, manufacturing execution systems (MES) - such as cronetwork from software provider Industrie Informatik - are the indispensable focal point in the IT infrastructure of manufacturing companies. Interfaces to both the commercial ERP system and the machinery provide the necessary transparency along the entire value chain.

At the beginning is the serial number

In the automotive industry in particular, the pressure for traceability is constantly increasing: both suppliers and OEMs must be able to trace the route that the individual part has taken through production.

© Industry Informatics

Unrestricted traceability within production processes is becoming increasingly important in this context. With regard to these strict traceability requirements, the pressure is constantly increasing, especially in the automotive industry. Both suppliers and OEMs must be able to trace the route that the individual part has taken through production, whether all the necessary steps in the production process have been taken and whether the framework conditions have been met, such as plausibility checks, QM or higher data accuracy for analysis. The aim here is complete transparency from the raw part through the production process to the end product - ideally down to individual part level.

This is made possible, for example, by a logic within the production-optimizing software that links individual parts in production orders with unique serial numbers and stores the process and plausibility data generated in the production process for the individual part. The technology used for this plays a subordinate role. Barcodes, data matrix codes or an RFID chip are conceivable options, for example. The focus is only on the unique identifiability of each individual part. Once these basic logistical requirements have been met, the following applications are possible:

• Minimum version: Pure data acquisition for traceability of the individual part through the production process;
• Maximum version: Control and automate the reporting process based on the serial number (decision on interlocking systems and processes directly in the process; plausibility check; ejection of rejected parts).

A step towards batch size 1

The logical consequence of this is a fully automated reporting system along the production process. Whereas an employee previously had to manually register an operation on their equipment, this is now done automatically based on the unique serial number. In addition to saving time for the worker, potential errors caused by manual entries are now a thing of the past.

Individual part traceability also provides a new level of flexibility in production. The data and information supplied with the product form the basis for further processing. In simple terms, workstations can be aligned to the requirements of the individual product - provided the machine changeover is fully automatic. Batch size 1 is therefore becoming less of an unattainable myth and more of a reality on the shop floor.

An important contribution can also be made here in terms of production quality. Concrete use case: Process data from a work step is recorded, transmitted to the MES and transferred to the next workstation via an OPC UA server based on the unique assignment to the workpiece. The machine settings required there are based on the previously recorded process data. Slight deviations can therefore be corrected in good time if necessary. This raises production quality to a new level. The aforementioned automatic recording of process values for individual parts also results in performance-enhancing relief for terminals due to the elimination of manual input. Threshold values can also be defined and combined. This allows an 'in-order' or 'out-of-order' qualification to be carried out at an early stage of production.

Traceability as a basic requirement

End-to-end traceability plays an important role in quality assurance, particularly in the automotive industry. Companies here are subject to high pressure from customers in terms of product liability and the obligation to provide information. However, sectors such as mechanical engineering, the wood industry, pharmaceuticals and the food industry are also affected by the issue of traceability. Thanks to individual part traceability, products contain extensive information on the manufacturing process and the materials, tools and machines used in the process. Manufacturers can therefore fully prove that a product has passed through all production steps in compliance with specified values. Conversely, the producer has all the important information about a faulty product and can use this information to derive corrective measures for the future.

An MES solution such as cronetwork as an information hub in the production environment creates the necessary transparency that is required as part of Industry 4.0 measures. The focus here is on digital transformation, increased efficiency and ongoing optimization of production quality. Individual part tracking makes a further valuable contribution on the way to the smart factory.

Author:
Tino Böhler is a freelance journalist from Dresden.