Process Engineering and Planning

Solumina is designed for companies that manufacture or service complex products with multiple levels of sub-assemblies, and that are subject to frequent engineering changes.

Paperless Publishing

The transition to a complete paperless system for operations process management will yield the following immediate benefits:

• Elimination of clerical work needed to update, distribute and replace documents
• Fast deployment of Engineering changes to the shop
• Consistent job performance using the correct and latest versions of drawings, instructions, and parts

Complete Information Kit for the Operator

Solumina work orders are more than just travelers. They include work instructions with all the required information for the job displayed online at an operator's fingertips.

Work orders are created from work plans containing the prescribed manufacturing, inspection or maintenance process. Work plans are authored by Process Engineers and Quality Engineers bringing together operation sequence, work instructions, inspection plans, bills of parts and materials, drawings, 3D models, videos, specifications, tooling, time standards.

Requirements for data collection are authored right into the work instruction text or illustrations. You can specify which operations require additional quality or customer buyoff signatures. Requirements for operator skills or certifications are also verified at work order execution.

Illustrated Interactive Work Instructions

Solumina offers a rich set of presentation tools for display of instructions and data. Work instructions can be simple, containing only text, or text with illustrations- or can be more sophisticated containing slideshows with marked up drawings, 3d model animations, or videos. Dynamic slide shows stop at specific points of the movie or animation with instructions and data collection requirements.

Work instructions include hyperlinks to supplementary documents such as drawings and standard operating procedures. Linked documents can reside in an external repository such as a PDM system. Links to supplementary documents can include bookmark information to take the user to a specific place or view within the document.

Smart Media

Work instructions are assembled from database objects and presented to the user as a single scrollable document resembling the former paper document. Objects and subsections have their own privileges and rules for view and update. Only authorized users can make changes to specific subsections and only at specific stages in the work flow sequence. Change history is recorded for each object and subsection.

In contrast, work instruction solutions that are based on word processing and file management software cannot achieve the same level of detail control over different elements of a work instruction, and require integration of several software programs.

Standard Text

Reusable instruction segments are managed in the Standard Text library. Standard text can be copied into work instructions or inserted as a reference. Historical integrity is maintained for referenced standard text objects. Revisions to standard text are propagated and incorporated into new revisions of work plans.

Operation Flow Diagrams

Work orders are not limited to a linear sequence routing. The Operation Flow Diagram allows definition of complex operation sequences that can include parallel sequences, alternate sequences, and loop-back nodes. Alternate operation sequences can be planned into the workflow to allow the shop to take a different path based on criteria such as work center capacity or test results. Operation sequences for standard repairs can also be launched off decision points following inspection operations.

Change Control

Configuration and change control can be daunting tasks when planning the manufacturing, maintenance or overhaul of complex products with intricate processes. Solumina streamlines and expedites this process facilitating the deployment of instruction revisions to the shop floor including retrofit instructions for units in process.

Planning work packages, work plan revisions and work order alterations are tied to the original Engineering authorization (e.g., anEngineering Order).

The workflow configuration controls the number and order of functional groups involved in the authoring, review and approval processes. Communications between functional groups preserve review discussions and recommendations.

A complete history of "who," "what," and "when" is recorded for each changed object in each work plan revision and work order alteration.

Task Management

Authoring and approval tasks are prioritized and assigned within each Planning Work Package. The task dispatch list provides visibility of who is assigned and active on each task.

Change Release and Deployment

Work plan revisions are tied to future work orders based on the effectivities assigned to the revision. The effectivity range can be specified as dates, serial numbers, lot numbers, or end unit numbers (e.g., fuselage numbers).

Units in process can be at various stages of production. Depending on the urgency of the change and the work already completed, the process planner can supercede work instructions entirely, retrofit the unit, or allow the unit to be completed to earlier specifications. Work orders can be updated to the latest work plan revision with a single supersede command, as long as the specific changes do not impact completed work.

In-process units might require supplemental instructions to retrofit the unit to the latest engineering changes. Visibility of the work order status and the ability to place in-process units on hold facilitate the task for the process planner.

The integration of process planning and execution is complete. Units are placed on hold for Work Order Alterations. Work instructions can be copied from the latest work plan revision, and changes can be propagated to other work orders with a single command.