On Sunday, Feb 24, we released improvements to Plans and Inspections, and made many smaller improvements/fixes to SCAR notifications, NCR charts, and Inspection reports.
1. Calculated Specs:
You can now add a CALCULATED feature i.e. a feature derived from other measured features. 1factory supports the following calculations:
- Average: The average of two or more features
- Standard Deviation: The std. deviation of two or more features
- Average-Places: The average across multiple places of a single feature
- Ratio: A ratio of two features
The inputs for Average and Std. Deviation functions can be defined as a range of features (from:to), or a list of features (separated by commas).
- E.g. Func: Average; Inputs: 1:5 . This function calculates the average of all features between feature #1 and #5
- E.g. Func: Average; Inputs: 1,3,4 . This function calculates the average of features #1, #3 and #4.
Average-Places, on the other hand, accepts only a single balloon number as input.
- E.g. Func: Average-Places; Inputs: 1 . This function calculates the average across multiple places of feature 1.
The Ratio function accepts two values as inputs (X,Y). Example:
- E.g. Func: Ratio; Inputs: 1,2 . This function calculates the ratio of features #1 and #2, i.e. #1/#2.
2. Changes to Clone Functionality:
A number of customers expressed dissatisfaction with the "Group Clone" functionality. As a result, we've retired/deprecated that feature, and replaced it with a lighter "Clone" feature that allow the user to clone one feature at a time.
We've also removed the restriction that prevented multiple clone operations on the same spec. Now you can clone a feature as many times a required. Simply, select the feature, click on "Clone" and enter the new balloon number.
3. Changes to "Attachments Required" Functionality:
In the old design, you could set Attachments = Required at the individual feature level. However, multiple customers requested a solution to handle both single-feature-level and multiple-feature-level documents.
So we've simplified this design by moving the Attachments Required selection to the "Properties" tab on the QC Plan. Now, on the Properties tab, you can set Attachments = Required, and in the "Special Instructions" text box, you can specify which documents need to be attached.
The "Special Instructions" will show up on the "Lot" tab in the Inspection. All existing plans will be migrated to the new design, so your team can refer to the "Special Instructions field" to know which features need attachments.
And, as before, if you forget to attach at least one document, and you attempt to accept/reject the inspection (from the Lot tab), the system will remind you that a document is required.
4. Changes to SPC functionality:
With this release, you will have the ability to over-ride the default Target (i.e. the Center-Line), and the Control Limits (LCL and UCL) with custom target and control limits for each feature. You can also optionally activate the Western Electric (WECO) detection rules for each feature.
Simply click on the SPC button on the left-hand-navigation menu of the charts page to set control limits and activate one or more of the WECO rules.
5. Improvements to Run-Charts and Histograms (Visuals):
This release includes many improvements to the display (the layout, colors etc.) of the run-charts and the histograms.
6. Changes to Inspection Approval / Rejection:
In the old design, you could accept or reject an inspection under the Lot tab. That will change with this release. Inspections now have their own "Manage" tabs where they can be accepted or rejected. There is no change in the functionality - just a change in layout.
7. Making reference documents available on the Inspection page
A number of users asked us to make reference documents from the Plan available on the Inspection Summary page. A link has now been added so you can quickly access these documents from any page in the inspection. Look for the link to "DOCS" on the left-hand navigation menu.
With this release, you can "inactivate" a QC Plan for a Part Revision that is no longer in use. For example, the Part Rev A below is no longer in use and has been inactivated (See column "Active Yes/No"):
Now, when an inspector begins a new inspection, he can only select the Rev B part (i.e. the "Active" part). The Rev A part (i.e. the "Inactive Part") will no longer be visible.
9. Creating an Inspection:
In the old design, you could enter a Part Number or search on a portion of the Part Number to find a plan and begin an inspection. With this release, we've added the ability to search by Part Description while creating new Inspection.
You can now search by either a portion of the Part Number or search by a portion of the Part Description to find the Plan, and begin your inspection. In the example below, the user is looking for a Part with description "camshaft".
