How in-process quality sampling with sub-lots works in FactoryLogix:

1. An operator initiates a Take a Sample activity.
   
   FactoryLogix identifies the specific production units to associate with the sampling activity. As a result, the AQL lot size for the sub-lot is established and the sample size is also established (based on the sampling plan and configured AQL levels).
   
   

2. Units are randomly chosen from the sub-lot and inspected until the sample size is met or the sub-lot fails.
   
   

• If the sub-lot passes, all units associated with the sub-lot are recorded as Passed at the sampled inspection operation and are permitted to proceed downstream.

• If the sub-lot fails, all units associated with the sub-lot are recorded as Failed and may be re-routed to an out-of-route operation or flow.
  
  
  

• (Optional) Any units produced at the Key Tracking Operation since the time that the sample was taken may also be included automatically as part of a Failed sub-lot and processed accordingly.

How to configure a process flow for sub-lot sampling

To use in-process quality sampling with sub-lots, you configure a process flow with two operations: Key Tracking and Sampled Inspection.

Key Tracking Operation

• This is the operation in the process flow from which sub-lots will be established.

• This must be an operation through which all production units are tracked.

• The Take a Sample activity typically takes place at the Key Tracking operation, but it is not required.

Sampled Inspection Operation

• This is the operation in a process flow where the inspection of sampled items will be performed.

• The operation will be configured as a Sampled Inspection operation and configured to inspect using sub-lots rather than the full batch.

• The operation must be at a point in the process flow after the related Key Tracking Operation.

Initiating the Take a Sample activity

You can add the Take a Sample activity to any step of an operation’s steps and activities.

• The operator can invoke the Take a Sample activity at any time (a unit doesn't need to be started in the Production environment).

• If sampling is to be done at a specific time interval, you specify the frequency at the step level.

• When the interval elapses, the activity is highlighted, indicating it is time for the Take a Sample activity to be performed.

All units completed at the Key Tracking Operation at the time when the Take a Sample activity was initiated and since the last time a sample was taken are automatically associated with the new sub-lot. 

Sampled inspection of sub-lots

Units in a sub-lot are inspected at a Sampled Inspection operation that is targeted in the configuration of the associated Take a Sample activity.

Initiate the sampled inspection

The operator initiates a sampled inspection by scanning one of the units previously associated with the sub-lot by the Take a Sample activity.  Based on that association, the appropriate sub-lot sample size, and number of remaining units needed to complete the sample is displayed to the operator in FactoryLogix.

The sampled inspection proceeds normally until the sub-lot passes or fails. If a sub-lot fails, all units in the sub-lot will be re-routed, scrapped, or 100% inspected (depending on your configuration).

How to handle non-serialized production units

• Non-serialized and hybrid process flows cannot start with a Sampled Inspection operation.

• The first tracked operation in a non-serialized or hybrid process flow must be non-sampling and cannot be part of an Any Order grouping or an Or grouping.

• With non-serialized batches, the system determines that quantity/units are active and introduced on the batch by reviewing the quantity (and any units serialized "on the fly") at the first operation.

Sub-lot sampled inspection

• In order for sub-lot based sampled inspection to function, all non-serialized production units are required to move through the Key Tracking and Sampled Inspection operations contained in serialized carriers. A single serialized carrier can contain any number of non-serialized production units that are traveling through the process together.

• Only non-serialized units contained in serialized carriers may be associated to sub-lots during the Take a Sample activity. Similarly, only non-serialized units contained within serialized carriers may be inspected during sub-lot based sampled inspection. 

• If a sub-lot fails, all non-serialized units associated with the sub-lot—and contained in the related carriers—will be processed (re-routed, scrapped, and so on) accordingly.

• If a sub-lot passes, you can configure the Sampled Inspection operation to unload all carriers related to the sub-lot automatically.