Machining & CNC
Machining & CNC: production orders and BOM, stock and warehouse, quality and reporting.
Challenges
- Machine cycle time is never measured, so cost per part is unknown.
- Cutting-tool life and cost are not charged to the job.
- Tolerance measurements are not recorded against the part, so a rejected batch cannot be investigated.
- First article approval is undocumented, so surprises show up in series production.
Workflows
From first article to series
- The work order is opened with the drawing and tolerance values.
- The first article is produced and submitted for approval with an inspection report.
- After approval, series production starts on the same work order.
From machine to cost
- Machine cycle time and tool usage are posted to the work order.
- Measurement results are logged on the part record and out-of-tolerance pieces are set aside.
- Cost per part is calculated from time, tooling and material.
Documents
- Drawing and tolerance sheet
- First article inspection report
- CNC work order
- Inspection and quality control report
Reports
- Machine utilisation and time variance
- Tool life and tooling cost
- Out-of-tolerance part rate
- Unit cost by part
Metrics
- Machining time per part
- Tooling cost ratio
- First-pass yield
- Machine utilisation rate
Compliance
- ISO 9001 quality management records
- IATF 16949 and PPAP file for automotive supply
- Hazardous waste disposal declaration for cutting oil and emulsion
Glossary
- First article approval
- The sample quality record that unlocks series production
- Tool life
- A cutting-tool cost item tracked by a usage counter
- Tolerance
- The technical field compared against in the inspection report
- Machine time
- The operation time measured at the work centre
FAQ
Can I calculate cost per part?
Yes — machine time, tool usage and material are accumulated on the work order and divided by the piece count.
Can I track tool life?
Yes — each cutting tool is tracked by a usage counter and raises an alert when its life is spent.
Can I store measurement results?
Yes — an inspection report with tolerance comparison is attached to the part record.
Can I make first article approval mandatory?
Yes — the series production step stays locked until the sample is approved.
Can I see machine utilisation?
Yes — open work orders appear on the machine calendar and free capacity is visible.
