Structured Indexing of Process Capability Data

Process capability data can aid a design through ensuring the part tolerances are achievable with the current manufacturing capability. Many companies want to store process capability data in databases to make it available to all engineers. The success of a process capability database is highly dependent on the design of its structure and a method to index data for ease of input and retrieval. In this paper, the authors describe a new method of representing characteristics of a manufactured component using the attributes of feature, geometry, material, and process. This representation enables better storage and retrieval of process capability data. In addition, the authors describe a method for rapidly and robustly indexing components’ characteristics for entry into a process capability database.