Specify a Quality Variable

Before you begin

  • If you do not have the permission to perform this task, request your administrator to provide the permission using Security.
  • Clock on an operation for which you want to provide data for quality variables.

About this task

Quality variables include details about the data that you must collect while performing an operation. These variables are defined in Plant Applications Administrator. The values that you provide for these variables help verify that the parameters that are critical to the quality and manufacturing processes are within the acceptable limits. You can use this data to review the performance of a production line and production unit and compare the quality of the products produced in each unit with projections for an operation.

For example, suppose you have been assigned the testing operation in a motor manufacturing unit. Quality variables can include the torque and rpm of the motor shaft. When you test each motor, you must enter the torque and rpm values for the corresponding serial number. A quality supervisor can then verify that the torque and rpm fall within the acceptable range.

Procedure

  1. In the Unit Operations page, in the Machines drop-down list box, select a machine.
    The Open page appears, displaying a list of operations for the selected machine.
  2. In the respective application page, select an operation in progress.
    The Documents section appears, displaying the documents associated with the operation. You can refer to the documents that appear in the Documents section for instructions or any other reference material.
  3. Select Quality.
    The Quality page appears, displaying the variables defined for the selected operation.
    Tip:
    • By default, all the quality variables appear. If you want to access only mandatory variables, select Mandatory Variables in the drop-down list box.
    • To add a Manual Historian Variable, see Add a Manual Historian Variable.
    • If you want to view the lowest, highest, lower quartile, upper quartile, and median values for each variable, select . If you want to view the same values plotted on a chart, select .
  4. For each variable, enter data in the SPEC column.
    Tip: If you want to plot the value on a chart, select .
    If acceptable limits have been specified for the variable, the box in the SPEC column displays a color, indicating whether the value that you have entered is within the acceptable range.
    Note: If the variable has electronic signature enabled, an Electronic Signature window appears whenever you insert or edit a test value for a variable. The icon near the text box indicates that the variable is entitled to electronic signature for any modifications. For more information about electronic signature, refer Modify the Value of an Electronic Signature Autolog Variable.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each serial number in the operation.

Results

The data for the quality variables is saved.

What to do next

If a part contains a defect, create a non-conformance. Otherwise, complete the operation.
Important: If any of the quality variables are out of specification, you cannot complete a serial/lot, you must create a Non-conformance for that serial/lot using Create Non Conformance in the Quality or NCR tab. If you try to complete a serial/lot that has at least one variable that is out of specification limits and a Non-conformance is not created with a proper disposition for the serial/lot (that is, there is no Closed/Active defect on it), the following error message will be displayed.

"No serial lots are eligible to complete as mandatory BOM (or) Quality are pending (or) at least one variable is out of specification."

Furthermore, the non-conformance/defect will need to be disposed from the Non Conformance application. Once a defect has been created, the quality variable that was out of specification will become disabled and you cannot modify or update the value.