Applications

Traceability

When deploying a traceability system it is critical to identify each part or assembly at each work cell to ensure proper production and test procedures have been properly completed. Identification techniques include bar-coding and RF identification depending on how the part or the part container is labeled. With any traceability system it is critical to log the part ID information to a database and marry that data to a time/date stamp. This, in it self, will create a traceability log to keep track of each part as it arrives and departs each work cell.

The traditional way to move the ID and production information to a database is to write custom VB applications. Based on some event or trigger, the VB application will take the information that is decoded by the barcode scanner or RFID tag antenna and transport it to a traceability database. It is not unusual for the creation and deployment of the VB program to be the bulk of the time and effort.

• Part Traceability: I/Gear DTU enables the ability to drill down into a specific assembly and determine lot identifiers of parts used. I/Gear may be used to interface with the parts database, and query it for lot traceability purposes. For instance, if a customer complaint about a specific product is received, I/Gear can query the database for that product sequence number and then drill down into the part components of that assembly. This will enable the user to quarantine a minimal number of parts and reduce the risk and the cost of product recalls.
  
• Work Cell Data Collection: The I/Gear GearBOX can be used as a means to interface with the control system for the purpose of collecting data for traceability purposes, regardless of the degree of automation on a particular line or work cell. The GearBOX is a bolt-on, non-intrusive means of collecting production information without interfering with the machine control system. Since many controllers are not designed for the purpose of communicating production data to a database, the GearBOX makes it easy to collect production from the work cell by parasitically connecting to the work cell to collect the data. This data is then sent to I/Gear and ultimately the production database via Ethernet.
  
• Viewing Traceability Information: The Web Framework is a window into the manufacturing process, and allows users to drill down into specific batches, lots, sequence numbers, etc. with a visual web-based interface.
  
• Part and Lot Association: I/Gear has the ability to move data between and interface with a limitless amount of technologies and applications in order associate individual part numbers or part lots with a product serial number or lot or batch of finished goods. I/Gear will collect and store this information (no matter how voluminous) and drive it to plant intelligence packages for analysis and reporting purposes.
  
• Government Traceability Demands: If the NHTSA requires reports on product genealogy as a result of a TREAD-initiated investigation or inquiry, I/Gear DTU, GearBOX, and Web Framework form an IT infrastructure capable of meeting and exceeding this and other government induced traceability demands.