Effective manufacturing process planning is particularly important in the emergent high-tech market, such as in recent commercial aerospace industries, where manufacturers have unique characteristics and challenges related to their production processes. There are several reasons why the right approach to process planning is especially crucial for build and manufacturing engineers in emergent high-tech companies.
When done right, process planning helps manufacturing engineers design for manufacturing, develop processes that align with the design intent, meet quality requirements, and manage as-built configuration. Through process planning and manufacturing bill of materials (mBOM) management, build engineers can seamlessly and constantly communicate with various stakeholders to ensure the design intent is met, all while collaborating with people on the floor, procurement, quality, or production coordinators.
Build and manufacturing engineers in emergent high-tech firms are typically grappling with a series of key challenges that are crucial to the efficiency and success of their operations. One pressing issue is the need for improved tracking of as-build configurations, where accurately documenting the final product's specifications and configurations is paramount. With changes constantly and inevitably happening, this challenge requires streamlined and reliable systems to ensure that the as-build state aligns seamlessly with the design intent.
Additionally, engineers are faced with the imperative to standardize processes across manufacturing models. Standardization not only enhances efficiency but also reduces errors and ensures consistency in the final output. Furthermore, in highly regulated industries, there is a growing necessity to minimize constraints within the manufacturing process. Engineers seek effective solutions to identify and eliminate inventory issues and nonconformances, allowing for smoother and more agile production workflows.
Addressing the key challenges requires collaborative efforts and tailored manufacturing applications like those provided by Manufacturo – a solution tailored for the emergent high-tech manufacturers. Our cloud-based platform offers a Process Planning module that revolutionizes the work life for build and manufacturing engineers, addressing the intricate challenge of tracking as-built configurations.
With seamless integration of process plans and mBOM, the platform ensures precision that’s fundamental while building very complex products. Further, Manufacturo effectively allows for capturing actual install records and reconciling them between mBOM/process plan components against as-built. Additionally, procedure controls guarantee correct sequencing of installation processes, mitigating errors and reworks. The inclusion of quality gates for buyoffs, data collection, and nonconformance linkage further empowers engineers to enforce compliance and maintain high standards, all while driving continuous improvement.
Beyond tracking, Manufacturo enables engineers to standardize processes with user-friendly templates and streamlined workflows. By offering a structured framework, the platform minimizes variability, reduces constraints, and enhances operational efficiency. This adaptability not only prevents reworks but also provides the flexibility to respond to evolving requirements, ultimately ensuring greater control of manufacturing processes.
The adoption of manufacturing applications is a truly transformative step for emergent high-tech manufacturers. By creating effective process plans and leveraging advanced features, companies can better support their build and manufacturing engineers. Take a look at our partnership with Sierra Space to see how process planning done right can make a difference.
“Manufacturo is an all-in-one integrated solution for planning and building very complicated products across all integrated systems throughout the company, such as PLM, MES, ERP, and many other systems that they have tied into one, and that’s crucial when designing and building very complicated products,” said Trevor Thunell, Director of Build & Manufacturing Engineering on Dream Chaser at Sierra Space.
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