A traceability information model for CNC manufacturing

This paper proposes an information model for tracing CNC manufacturing operations. The objective of the model is to assure that traceability data is comprehensive and available for every CNC machined product, independent of the relationship between the subcontractor and the contractor. The prominent feature of the model is a link between CNC report data for a product instance, the CAD design and the CAM data. This link enables users to browse the traceability data and understand the relationships between the manufacturing process, the CAD design and the CAM data. The link is independent of the systems used to build the CAD and CAM data, and allows the users to be sure the manufactured product contains the required characteristics. Then if a product instance fails, this linkage will make possible to analyze the trace data and identify any exceptions or unusual conditions in the manufacturing process. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.