Specifications / Specs Overview

A Specification (Spec) is a detailed description of requirements that must be met during manufacturing to fulfill a specific quality standard.

Specs may derive from standards created and issued by government agencies, industrial trade groups, or manufacturers. They can be part of an agreement between a vendor and customer, or an internal method of quality control. Their purpose is to ensure predictable Part performance related to longevity, strength, appearance, or any number of other characteristics.

The fulfillment of Specs allows the issuance of Certifications (Certs), which are documents verifying the Spec requirements have been met.

The capability to fulfill Specs and issue Certs to your Customers can improve your shop's control and traceability, and ultimately increase profits. This Overview for using Specs provides links to related documents which provide instructions to follow, and an explanation of terminology used in Steelhead.

Related Videos

Certs and Specs Masterclass YouTube recording
Specifications in Steelhead
Spec Fields and Sensor Types
Spec Data Collection

Related Documents

Specs Configuration
Spec-driven Processing
Specs Management
Specs from Sensors
Certifications
Specs and Certs Troubleshooting

Terminology

• Spec Field: A Spec Field represents a metric, or type of data being recorded to fulfill a Specification requirement. Spec Fields are created independently of Specs.

  • One Spec can have multiple Spec Fields, and one Spec Field can be assigned to multiple Specs.
  • An example of a Spec Field is Powder Coat Thickness. This field is of the type "NUMBER" and may be used for many Specifications that reference a coating thickness for powder-coated Parts. Whether it is a Customer Spec, or internal processing Spec, they will reference this one Spec Field via Spec Field Assignment.

• Spec Field Type: A Spec Field can be set to collect one of seven Types of data: Number, Boolean (a binary choice such as pass/fail), Sensor (a time-stamped detected input such as temperature or pH level), Date/Time, Text, Timer (measure of duration), or Manual Timer.

  • Information on auto start/stop Spec timers, and Manual Timers, may be found in Specs Configuration.

• Spec Field Assignment: Linking a Spec Field to a Spec, creating a Spec Field Assignment, allows the attachment of specific Parameters such as acceptable thickness in mils, or temperature ranges. Assignment may be global or specific:

  • A Generic Spec Field Assignment results in any changes to its Params being automatically applied to every Treatment and Part Number which is prescribed the same Spec Field Assignment. Updates to a Generic Spec will cascade to all referenced Params under that Spec Field Assignment.
  • A non-Generic (Specific) Spec Field Assignment means that changes to its Params will be constrained to the Treatment or Part Number where they are entered.
  • A Spec Field Assignment could be Generic on one Spec, and non-Generic on another. They are created discretely.

• Parameters/Params are measurable factors forming a set that sets the conditions which define Spec Fields, and data are input in relation to each Param for every sample/inquiry.

• Parameter Configuration Terms

  • Input Required: Disables Part transfer if the number of prescribed inputs is not met.
  • Input Requested: Prompts operator for input but does not disable Part transfers.
  • Must be Passing: Disables Part transfer if the number of inputs is not met and/or they are not within Parameters. Parts so halted will display with alerts in the Quality Management Dashboard. The failing measurement must be Resolved and Archived, and a passing measurement must be entered to move the Parts. See Specs Management for instructions to Resolve failed measurements on multiple Parts at once.
  • Request Document: Operator is prompted for document upload. This may be a photo, a PDF from another source, or whatever your needs require.
  • One at a Time: Operator may input only one measurement at a time (rather than applying one input to many samples) for potentially varied inputs. As an example, this is commonly used for thickness measurements where multiple measurements per part may be required, and each raw value must be preserved.
  • Sampling Rate per Part: A ratio expressing what proportion of Parts are to be tested/measured:
    * A Sampling Rate of 1 means that every Part is measured.
    * A Sampling Rate of 0.1 means that 1 in 10, or 10% of the Parts, are measured.
    * A Sampling Rate of 10 requires that each Part be measured 10 times.
  • Sample Count per Batch: Can set a specific number of samples per Batch, regardless of total Part quantity.
  • Sample Interval: This setting is used when an input is recorded per time duration. For example, the temperature in a dip tank might be recorded once every two hours.
  • Non-linear Sampling Rate: You may create Sample Sets to automatically adjust sampling requirements based on Batch size. See Specs Configuration for more information.

• A Part Transfer Account (PTA) is an account (ID) that represents the unique state of a Part or group of Parts' movement through processing. Parts can be added to an existing PTA if their state is identical to that of the already existing PTA. The PTA is visible in certain views within Steelhead as a reference.
  • For example, it may become necessary to Split and Reallocate Parts to different Nodes or Processes depending on Spec results and/or the need to Rework some of them. The PTA allows a portion of the Parts from the original Work Order to be Certified separately from the others.
• Referenced Specs are Specs which form part of another Spec. In this way multiple Specs can be combined into one Spec assignment.
  • At sequential Process Nodes, Referenced and Referencer Specs can provide calculations of changes, for example a gain in thickness. See Specs Management for more information.
• Revising a Spec is to create a Copy of the original, with an irrevocably attached Revision Number. The Revision may be freely edited for current applicability. Using any Revision of the same Spec will not trigger warnings in Steelhead.
• Superseding a Spec means to replace an outdated version with a new one, usually (but not necessarily) as a superseding Revision. A Spec which has been superseded will trigger warnings wherever it's assigned to a job - in Part Numbers, Treatments, Quotes, and at order entry. A supersession warning allows the User to copy and replace the object (such as a Part Number) and update the Spec to the newest version in the replacement.

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