About the Solumina Suite

Solumina is an Operations Process Management (OPM) software suite that manages work and quality processes for the manufacturing and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) of highly engineered products. Solumina functional modules include Process Planning (CAPP), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Quality Management System (QMS, CAPA), Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA), and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) in one integrated system.

Solumina is uniquely designed to manage the product lifecycle, beginning with product and process quality specifications into the supply chain, continuing with the manufacture of component parts, the assembly of product, and the aftermarket service of each product unit until retirement. For more information on Solumina’s operation process management, see the whitepaper, “True Product Lifecycle Management Begins When Design Ends.”

Solumina streamlines procedures required to comply with process and quality management requirements in regulated industries including Aerospace, Defense, Nuclear Products, and Medical Devices, which are regulated by the FAA, DOD, DOE, and FDA, respectively. Solumina provides complete quality management and a complete Device History Record (DHR) that starts with component inspection at the supplier, and continues through manufacturing, inspection, and aftermarket service.

Solumina encompasses procedures for definition and change management of work and inspection processes, online execution of those processes at the shop floor, and handling of discrepancies and deviations to the planned processes in the following three areas:

Solumina for Supplier Quality

• Quality Requirements and Inspection Planning provides tools to manage the definition of inspection and verification plans to ensure compliance to specifications mandated by engineering requirements, contracts and industry process standards. Inspections of key product characteristics are cross referenced back to the engineering models to facilitate change management. Solumina enables more inspection requirements to move earlier to the source. Requirements for both source and receiving inspections can be mixed as desired for different types of parts and suppliers. Verification requirements can be managed at the part level or modified for specific suppliers. Mechanisms like sampling plans and escalation rules at the characteristic level allow fine tuning of inspection requirements.

• Supplier Quality Execution dispatches oversight inspection orders for suppliers that are tied to purchase orders. It enables recording of inspections and verifications at the supplier site via the web or at receiving inspection. Based on the rules configured, oversight efforts focus on areas (parts, processes and suppliers) with lower performance, and relax for better performing areas. Special requirements are also configured to handle first article inspections. Solumina enables full compliance with FAA and AS9100 regulations.

• Supplier Quality Correction processes provide mechanisms for analyzing quality performance, responding to discrepancies discovered during inspection execution, and tracking continuous process improvement efforts as Corrective Actions with suppliers.

Solumina for Manufacturing

• Manufacturing Process Planning encompasses procedures to define and manage change of detailed online work instructions for production, inspection and testing of highly engineered products. In addition to textual narratives, work instructions can contain illustrations, 3D models, drawings, videos, and requirements for certifications, data collections, and signatures. Data collections and signature points can be imbedded directly on graphics and 3D models. Work instructions also contain lists of required material, parts, and resources such as tools and skills. Process planners specify critical work sequences and inspection points in the work process.
 
• Manufacturing Process Execution enables paperless procedures for the shop floor. Technicians sign on to jobs, follow clear online work instructions, and perform required data collections without wasting time searching for information. Inspectors consult the automated callboard, verify and buyoff work online. Supervisory tools include dashboards, reports, graphical management of job dispatch priorities and assignment of resources with real-time visibility of constraints and hold conditions.

• Manufacturing Process Quality provides mechanisms for responding to unplanned events and discrepancies discovered during execution of the process instructions, and procedures for analyzing and tracking continuous process improvement. Defects and non-conformances are recorded as Discrepancies and tracked to serial or lot-controlled products whose history is inherited by higher level assemblies. Discrepancies are instantly routed to the appropriate personnel for disposition. Disposition instructions can be inserted into the original work order or into a supplemental work order. Analytical quality metrics and corrective action provide continuous improvement processes.

• Tooling Management functionality includes tooling manufacturing, and management of tools and gages that require periodic service and calibration. The integration to Process Execution guarantees that the correct gages are specified and tooling out-of-calibration is not used for recorded measurements.

Solumina for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO)

• MRO Requirements and Process Planning encompasses procedures to define and manage change of detailed online work instructions for inspection, maintenance, repair, overhaul, and testing of highly engineered products. In addition to textual narratives, work instructions can contain illustrations, 3D models, drawings, videos, and requirements for certifications, data collections, and buyoff signatures. Work instructions also contain lists of required material, parts, and resources such as tools and skills. Process planners specify critical work sequences and inspection points in the work process. Master service and repair plans contain task groups that are pre-planned, authorized and ready for execution should they be required.

• MRO Process Execution enables paperless procedures for the shop floor. Technicians sign on to jobs, follow clear online work instructions, and perform required data collections without wasting time searching for information. Inspectors consult the automated callboard, verify and buyoff work online. Solumina activates tasks and their associated parts lists as finding occur during inspection. Supervisory tools include dashboards, reports, graphical management of job dispatch priorities and assignment of resources with real-time visibility of constraints and hold conditions.

• MRO Non-Routine Disposition provides mechanisms for responding to non-routine and additional issues discovered during inspection and service execution requiring approval of additional work scope. Additional work scope can be authorized as sub-Work Orders. Issues arising from internal service quality problems can also be tracked and tied to Corrective Actions for continuous process improvement.

• Tooling Management functionality includes tooling manufacturing, and management of tools and gages that require periodic service and calibration. The integration to Process Execution guarantees that the correct gages are specified and tooling out-of-calibration is not used for recorded measurements.

Solumina complements and easily integrates with systems for Product and Manufacturing Engineering (e.g. CAD and PLM), and systems for procurement, inventory, scheduling and financial control (e.g. ERP). iBASEt is dedicated to the development and promotion of OAGi and ISA95 standards. Solumina standard XML interfaces for the discrete industries are developed following OAGIS standards.

For more information on the benefits of Solumina, please see the Solumina 3-minute Introductory Video.