SAIL - Quality and Part Audit System
Serial Numbers and Tracking
SAIL provides part serial numbering and, with SAIL monitoring, records the machine path (fixture, pallet, and machines) of each part. SAIL reports provide serial number query by machine, pallet, and part number.
Quality Plan
The quality plan contains the list of process steps, the part feature, the tool(s) used to create the feature, and tolerances. Formal method and templates are provided that define inspection types and their dependencies. These dependencies are used in inspection signals and resetting counts of dependent inspection type's once one type is signaled for inspection.
Once a part has been signaled for inspection, the gage data is electronically or manually collected and retained in a data base. This data is collected by inspection step. This allows the data to be cross referenced by part number and tool. Methods are provided that relates control chart data of gage results to tool life.
Inspection Types and Frequency
Use SAIL triggers to define inspection types. An inspection type is a subset of the entire auditing process of a part. These types might relate to part features, tool groups, or dimensional characteristics. With each inspection type, SAIL can set a trigger level by count or percent. If percent, the SAIL uses a random number process to determine individual signals. SAIL tracks parts on each path, counts the occurrences of each, and triggers in inspection using these counts. SAIL provides optional rules for resetting path counts that ignore part numbers, pallet numbers, or machine numbers. This resetting options allow for inspection by machine only, pallet only, part number only, machine and part number, machine and pallet number, pallet and part number, or path (machine, pallet and machine).
Adjust Inspection Frequency
An algorithm determines a Tool Life State for the collection of tools in an inspection type. This state ranges in value from 0 to 100 with 100 indicating all new tools and 0 indicating all tools have accumulated wear exceeding tool life. When the Tool Life State is 100, the count must exceed two times the frequency to trigger. When the Tool Life State is 50, the count to trigger equals the frequency. When the Tool Life State is 0, the count to trigger is 1 (100% inspection).
First Piece Inspection Signal
When a tool replacement is detected, its accumulated use is set to 0 and counts to trigger are set to 1 (100% inspection) for all inspection types that include this tool. Once one inspection is completed, inspection type dependencies will be used to reset counts and Tool Life State will be updated.
