Smartmes Quality Module
The Smartmes Quality module consists of eight separate modules, which are described in the diagram below. The modules have four interfaces to external data systems, and in addition, the module retrieves data from the production machines either automatically or from the worker via an interface.
The figure shows a diagram of all the functions included in the Smartmes Quality module.
External connections
The complete quality control system has four interfaces to the so-called office systems. Especially in smaller-scale production, not all of these may be needed. However, when choosing a system, it is important to consider which of these are needed. If the company does not have an external information system to handle this data, but the interface is essential for production, its functionality can be implemented in the Smartmes software.
In addition, the quality control system collects information about the production line. In practice, this can be either automatic data transfer from production machines, line controllers, or data entered by workers via the user interface.
The interfaces are described in more detail below.
Operations Definitions
This interface is used to retrieve information about products and what quality control means for each product. This includes instructions on what and how to check and measure a product, what tolerances are allowed, etc. In other words, all the information that is needed to carry out quality control. This information can be exported to the employee performing the quality control, or if the quality control is performed automatically, this information is used internally within the program.
Operations Capability
This interface provides the external system with real-time information on the number of quality control personnel or equipment and their availability.
Operations Request
This is used to inform the quality control system what quality control activities, if any, are required in an external system.
Operations Response
This refers to information on what has been done. In its simplest form, it is a notification to the ERP system that quality control has been performed and what the results were.
Interface to the production line
This is used to retrieve measurement results or other quality control information from the production line. A wide range of information can be retrieved automatically from intelligent machines, or the software can ask the workers for the information via the user interface.
Modules of the program
The software shown in the diagram consists of eight modules covering all the functions required for a factory quality control system. Practical systems often do not need all these modules, but only those that are needed are selected.
Definition Management
This module handles information about the products to be manufactured and the measurements or other methods used to determine their conformity to specifications. The practical operation of this module varies greatly according to production and products. The module retrieves the necessary information from an external information system and delivers it at the right time to the workstation or machine where the products are manufactured.
Resource Management
This module manages the resources available in real-time to quality control personnel and equipment and matches them to the activities to be performed. The module is linked to the fine-tuning and performance of quality control and can also be used to export information on the available capacity to external systems.
Detailed Scheduling
This module is used to define who performs the quality control for each product and production batch and with which equipment.
Dispatching
This module handles the real-time commanding of quality control. In practice, this means that this module serves quality control personnel and equipment, telling them what to do next and how to do it.
The information retrieved by the module is from fine load , definition management and resource management. Information about the start and finish of the job is also exported to the monitoring module.
Execution Management
This module manages the performance of quality control work at each workstation in the plant. It tells either the operator or the machine what operations have to be performed on the product and production batch in question and exports the results to the data collection system.
Data collection
The most common task of the Data Collection module is to collect information about the completion of the quality control of the desired part or order and to export that information to the Command module so that it can inform the workstation what it needs to do next. In addition, this database stores the measurement data and other results of the quality control.
Tracking
The purpose of this module is to monitor the progress of the quality control activities of a job and report its completion to the ERP system.
Analysis
This module generates reports on the quality control results and, if necessary, reports deviations to the relevant parties.