Industry
Traceability for precision machining and export work
Export customers ask for material certificates, dimensional records and the machine a part was made on. The parts are often bare metal, so identity has to survive handling, wash and heat.
The situation this is for
A CMM check finds a dimension drifting. You need every part that machine cut between the last good check and now — before the container ships.
What gets captured
- Material lot and heat numberTied to the raw bar or casting at first operation
- Dimensional readingsCaptured from the gauge with the limit that applied
- Machine and toolWhich machine cut it, which lets you trace by machine and time window
- Surface treatment batchPlating or coating batch as a lot link
- Direct part markData Matrix marked on the raw part, read back before it advances
A route for this product
Routes are configuration, so this is a starting point rather than a fixed template. Yours is built from your operations at the walkthrough.
- 10 · Raw part marking — Data Matrix applied and verified
- 20 · Machining — machine identity and tool recorded
- 30 · In-process gauge — dimensions captured against limits
- 40 · Surface treatment — batch recorded as a lot link
- 50 · Final inspection — dimensional record retained
Questions from this industry
A printed label will not survive our process. What then?
That is exactly what direct part marking is for. A Data Matrix is marked onto the raw part at the first operation and read back before the unit advances, so identity survives wash, heat and handling. Stations downstream need a DPM-capable imager with the right illumination — budget for that at the start rather than discovering it at commissioning.
Can we trace which machine made a part?
Yes, and you can query it in reverse: give Trace a machine and a time window and it returns every unit that machine touched. That is the query that bounds a containment when a machine drifts.
Talk about traceability for precision machining and export engineering
We walk one line, list what each operation should capture, and tell you plainly which of your machines can be read. You get that list whether or not you buy anything.
Keep reading
- Marking and labelsLoad your existing label design as-is. Trace generates ZPL natively to the printer, drives a laser marker for direct part marking, and records every attempt.
- Auto components and Tier 1/2Your OEM customer can ask for the build record of a single part number from eight months ago and expects it the same week. Trace keeps that record per unit, in a form that holds up when it is challenged.
- Pumps and valvesA pump that leaks in the field is traced back to one gasket lot or one under-torqued flange. Trace keeps the values that tell you which, per unit.
Not sure a full MES is the right answer? Read how to choose between MES and standalone traceability.