TRACK:  Track Orders in Production

TRACE: Traceability of Product Defects

CONTROL: Production Control

Closed-Loop Control: Automated TTC System

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To survive and prosper in today's economy, leading manufacturers must assemble high-quality products at the lowest possible cost. Total manufacturing costs must take into account the complete product life cycle including warranties, recalls, and repairs.Trace, Trace, and Control (TTC) systems are an essential element of success in achieving these strategic goals. These systems are designed to achieve optimal use of materials and resources throughout the manufacturing process.
First, a TTC system provides real-time tracking of all work in progress and materials on the factory floor. Second, a TTC system eliminates the risk of human error associated with material handling and equipment setup. Finally, a TTC provides a complete history of the product life cycle allowing for accurate troubleshooting and to minimize the number of products that need to be returned if a recall occurs.

In the cost structure of most manufactured products, materials account for 50 percent of the total cost. For complex products, such as electronic circuit boards, individual components can account for up to 80 percent of the cost of the finished product. A good TTC system will eliminate all wasted time and materials, allowing for savings of up to 10 percent of the total product cost, resulting in maximum profit for the manufacturer.

TRACK

Every manufacturer requires some level of tracking of work processes on the shop floor. This can be managed through paper procedures. This solution can work, but it is not optimal. Production data is not available in real time. In addition, the underlying production data is not digitized, making it impossible to perform any performance and quality analysis, and/or create traceability records.

Tracking automated running processes provides real-time visibility of all orders in progress. In its simplest form, this can be done at the job or work order level simply by scanning barcode labels at each operation. The highest accuracy can be achieved by tracking individual production units if they are serialized with 1D or 2D symbols or RFID tags.

In addition to basic product tracking, all associated production materials required for a particular job can be identified by ID barcode labels or RFID tags. Scanning these parts as they move from location to location provides real-time visibility of all production documents on and off the assembly line. In some factories, a significant amount of time is spent each day searching for components or parts. Everyone knows they are somewhere, but no one knows exactly where.

In addition to the direct cost of human resources, this has a direct impact on productivity. In some cases, entire assembly lines are stopped while someone tries to find a missing component. In other cases, the entire line must be changed to a different product because the required material cannot be located and additional parts must be ordered. This can result in longer production times and delays in delivery.

Knowing and controlling the exact location of all running processes and materials on the production floor allows control of critical parameters such as lead time, cost, and quality. Additionally, once the data collection infrastructure is in place, additional software applications can be easily implemented for easy upgrades.

TRACE

The topic of traceability is often not related to a specific return on investment because the requirement is driven by the end customer, by specific industry standards, or by legislation. In these cases, a traceability system is a business imperative. The cost of finding a defect increases tenfold at each step in the product lifecycle. The actual cost of a product recall can be very high, even causing damage to brand perception and the associated impact on future sales. Some compare a traceability system to an insurance policy. It is a small investment but can make a huge difference when something goes wrong.
There are different levels of traceability that can be achieved, from production lot or date codes to serialized units, and from production location and date-only to full process and raw material information. The challenge for each manufacturer is to determine which level is most appropriate for the particular situation. It becomes a matter of balancing the actual cost of collecting and maintaining traceability data against the potential cost of a recall.

In the TTC historical database, it is possible to determine exactly when and where a product defect occurred simply by scanning the serial number. It is possible to trace back all the parts that were used to produce specific finished products. If the defect is related to a batch of defective parts, it is possible to identify a list of all the products that were built using the defective parts. Therefore, any product recalls are minimized.
The actual cost of a traceability system may be less than expected. If traceability is considered in the context of a complete TTC system, full process and material traceability will be a natural result of the TTC system.

CONTROL (Output Control)

Production control is the third but not least important aspect of TTC software. The word “control” refers to all aspects of error checking. It is important to have real-time visibility into progress and materials and to be able to track historical data, but it is even more important to place the product exactly where it should be. If the TTC system is primarily intended to collect traceability data, the control functions will ensure that the operator is using the correct product and material and is scanning the correct production information into the historical database, ensuring 100% accuracy of the traceability data. Machine vision can also be used to reduce the possibility of human error. In the case of product tracking, it is logical and beneficial to link each scan point to a previous assembly line. In this case, the TTC software will compare the actual status and location of the product with the required location. An alert is generated if the product has skipped any operations. Additional product-related information such as quality data or inspection and test results can be captured quickly and efficiently as the product is scanned from one operation to the next.

When tracking products sequentially, basic cycle time information can become a powerful database for monitoring operational efficiency. Real-time information can be compared with calculated throughput and even alerts and warnings can be generated when the process slows below a certain threshold. This type of control leads to better machine utilization and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Similarly, while tracking materials on an assembly line, TTC software can verify that the correct parts are set up in the correct locations to build a specific product. Again, alerts and warnings can be generated during initial machine setup to avoid the risk of human error and waste of time and materials. Status lights and physical latches can also be tied to the TTC software to provide more visible and audible alerts and stop the production line in the event of a critical error. Tracking materials on and off the assembly line also enables the following applications:
- Offline setup verification to speed up changeovers.
- eKanban to pull parts before they run out.
- Material storage/kit management.
- Perishable material tracking to avoid using expired materials.
This results in more efficient material usage as well as improved machine utilization/OEE.

Closed-Loop Control
Automation of the production floor prevents errors by eliminating human intervention as much as possible. This can be achieved in TTC systems by replacing handheld barcode readers with fixed readers integrated into machines, workstations, and conveyors. Different types of interlocks can be connected to the readers and TTC software to stop the assembly process in the event of a misread or when a product is out of sequence. In some cases, replacing barcodes with RFID tags can also enable data collection. RFID technology is often used to create smart systems, where tags are attached to various pieces of equipment, materials, or pallets, and RFID antennas/readers are integrated into machines.

Overall Benefits of TTC • Reduce Inventory • Reduce the Risk of Costly Product Recalls • Identify and Eliminate Bottlenecks • Avoid Parts Shortages • Improve First-Line Productivity and Minimize Defects • Shorten Lead Time • Improve Lead Time • Increase Productivity and Reduce Line Downtime • Reduce Labor Costs • Increase Inventory Accuracy and Visibility • Eliminate Kitting Errors • Eliminate Machine Setup Errors • Eliminate Inventory Counts (Cycle Counts) • Monitor and Improve Material Flow and Workflow • Improve Quality

Quantitative Benefits of TTC • Reduced production cycle time (35-45 %) • Reduced production lead time (30%) • Reduced machine/line changeover time (50%) • Reduced data entry time (36-75%) • Reduced work in progress (17-32 %) • Reduced paperwork between shifts (56-67 %) • Reduced inventory (4-6 %) • Increased product quality (+18 %)

Conclusion
A good TTC software package should be highly modular and scalable, as most manufacturers want to solve a specific problem by implementing a small project in a short period of time. A typical TTC project typically costs between $15,000 and $50,000 and can be implemented in just a few days, providing a quick return on investment. A basic TTC system can be expanded in phases, increasing the benefits and return on investment in each phase.
Authors: François Monette, Cogiscan Inc. and Matt Van Bogart, Microscan Systems, Inc.