Automatic manufacturing monitoring and tracking

The present invention relates to automatic systems for monitoring and tracking product manufacturing. A computerized system for tracking the activities of a manufacturing system. Identifiers for parts, subassemblies or assemblies produced or used by the manufacturing system are generated and stored by a data processing system. The data processing system performs multi-level tracking of the manufacture of parts, subassemblies made from parts and assemblies made from parts and subassemblies, to facilitate detailed tracking and reconstruction of the manufacturing process and components of any assembly. The system also facilitates quality control; when a part identifier is read from the part, the system verifies that the part associated with the read identifier is supposed to be used in the manufacturing step. Also, the system ensures that all manufactured parts are tracked. The system also stores inspection and process conditions and facilitates statistical process control or statistical quality control data for parts, subassemblies and assemblies. The system can determine that an assembly has been produced by a manufacturing step when identifiers for all required parts identified in manufacturing data for the process step have been read and verified. Alternatively, upon detecting cycles of the manufacturing system indicative of completion of a manufacturing step, the system can determine that an assembly or part has been produced. In either case, the system generates an identifier for the part or assembly produced by the manufacturing step.