Manufacturing Software

TransCollaborative Manufacturing software (TCM) is involved in virtually all events flowing from receipt of CAD and BOM data, to procurement of components, to conversion into useful information, and finally to the production of actual product

Consider a possible New Product Introduction via TCM software as applied in a sample CEM environment: First, CAD and BOM data is received by program management. The CAD file is sent to process engineering and the BOM is sent to configuration management. In configuration management, clerical personnel import the BOM into the system, clean common errors, and send XML BOM data for on-line quotation and procurement. Simultaneously, and perhaps in another part of the world, process engineers use the CAD to design a process flow, develop automatic documentation, and generate machine programs. They use the system to automatically create the entire gamut of manufacturing outputs required to properly produce the product.

When the clerical person assigns the product to a position in the revision and product tree, they post it for approval. Perhaps at nearly the same time, the process information is similarly posted for approval by the process engineer. The TCM system then notifies people around the enterprise via pagers and/or email that a project requires their approval. Each person follows a hyperlink to their normal Internet browsers, reviews the BOM and process information dynamically, and either declines or approves.

The TCM system manages the iterative process of rejection/approval and channels the flow of suggestions for improvement back to the project originators. When BOM and process are both fully approved, the TCM system then offers the production management (maybe in a factory on the other side of the world) a final approval to confirm the product is producible in their factory. When complete, the product is then ready to be attached to a work order.

When a work order is issued, the product is dynamically scheduled for the plant-floor browsers directly to the appropriate lines. The browsers on the floor guide the operators through engineer-developed pre-production checklists and then allow the job to initiate. At this time, machine programs are transferred and run, boards are tracked, quality monitored, the on-line quality manual and visual aids are available, and a host of other productivity enhancements are offered through the factory-floor browsers. Beyond the product production process, auditors can review process, revision, and manufacturing documentation data remotely via their browsers, just as customers of the CEM can view their production and product data remotely.

The entire process is fast, tightly controlled, and requires little or no direct personnel interaction. It occurs over the Internet and in a completely collaborative manner. The ability of the TCM system to allow multiple parties to conduct their work in tandem without interaction greatly speeds the transformation of data into controlled manufacturing information.

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