Special Purpose Machines - What type of documentation and records are required?

[Andrews]

We have a shop that has three special purpose machines. These machines are designed with sensors to DETECT the defective and stop the machine or in some cases removes the defective components.

my question is : In such a shop what type of documentation and records are required and what process control can be adopted ?

[Bill Ryan - 2007]

Just my "quick" thoughts:

Process Control - Testing the "Poke-Yoke" detection sensors at a "comfortable" frequency to insure the sensors are doing what they are supposed to do is all I see would be needed (perhaps a PM instruction).

Records - 1) One idea is a "p" chart and/or a Pareto chart of the defective parts (categorized). 2) What actions (if any) were taken to reduce frequencies of defects.

Documentation - I'm not sure what you are looking for here as the "Records" might be all the documentation you need. I document our "Poke-Yokes" in the PFMEA and Control Plan.

Our die cast machines and all of our "dedicated" machining centers have these types of "bells & whistles" installed and we basically follow what I've described above.

Hope this is what you were looking for. Without more detail I can't get much more specific.

Bill