Quality management and intelligent manufacturing with labels and smart tags in event-based product manufacturing

A method for collecting, storing, and reporting machine productivity, waste, and delay information on an event basis in a manufacturing system, the method comprising:

• monitoring an event via a process sensor;
• detecting an event trigger in response to the monitoring;
• obtaining data in response to the detecting, the data comprising a process variable from a control system, a measure of the waste, delay, or quality loss associated with the event, and operator input;
• automatically validating the obtained data;
• formatting and recording the validated data;
• and
• generating a report based on the recorded data.

A method in an event-based manufacturing system, the method comprising:

• receiving a vendor identifier from a manufacturer;
• receiving an order for a material from the manufacturer;
• producing the material;
• creating a batch code for the produced material;
• measuring a material property of the produced material;
• storing the measured material property as material property data in a material property database for access by the manufacturer;
• applying a label including an identifier to the produced material, the identifier comprising the vendor identifier and the created batch code;
• shipping the produced material and its applied label to the manufacturer;
• producing a product using the produced material as a raw material in a process having a control system configured to record waste and delay events as event data in an event database comprising event records;
• and
• correlating event data to the material property data in the material property database.

A method to capture and store material history in an event-based manufacturing system, the method comprising:

• implementing a common database format among a plurality of vendors;
• receiving data in the common database format from each of the plurality of vendors, the data representing event data collected for a material during a process;
• and
• storing the received data in a database for access during a subsequent process, the second process being adapted to be automatically modified responsive the received data.

A method for automated tracking of positions of components used in a process and correlating portions of a component with production problems, the method comprising:

• embedding a plurality of identification devices in a material;
• monitoring the plurality of identification devices as the material passes through a component to obtain material position data indicating a position of the material with respect to the component;
• storing the material position data in a database comprising or operatively associated with event-based data for the process;
• and
• correlating the stored material position data with a quality control issue to identify corrective action.

An improved inventory management system in an event-based manufacturing system, the improved inventory management system comprising computer-executable instructions for:

• monitoring at least one identification device associated with an inventory item from a first process;
• determining a physical location of the inventory item in response to the monitoring to use the inventory item in a second process;
• and
• associating the physical location of the inventory item with event-based data from the manufacture of the inventory item pertaining to the quality of the inventory item.