Original Date: 07/13/1992
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

In May 1985, Watervliet Arsenal (WVA) recognized a serious problem with the complexity of handling forging data, and data integrity was identified as a major issue. After using a "five-card" system for many years, with 70 fields of data manually entered and maintained, a concerted effort was initiated to poll users of the system and its related data. As a result, a new Rotary Forge Data Collection system with 407 fields was implemented in September 1988 with a simplified flow process (Figure 3-2). One-third of this data is automatically collected. (Data collected prior to September 1988 is available but not on the system.) Once a year, historical files are made and there is at least one year of data kept on line. There are currently almost 63,000 records on the system.

This system collects traceability numbers, identification numbers (pedigree), and quality assurance test data. For example, a pre-form billet comes into WVA with its vendor identification number painted or chalked on its surface representing the initial entry into the data collection system. The shop number is assigned as the forging comes off the cooling rack and is used to initialize the shop traveler. Considerable attention is paid to the location of the forging on the cooling racks as the rack is labeled to ensure traceability is not lost between the pre-form number and the shop number. At present, the tensile and charpy test results are included in the system. (Further applications are planned to include forging, heat treat, and other processing data such as time, temperature, and flow rates of quenching waters.) As the finished gun leaves WVA, a serial number is assigned for traceability by customers.

This system has updated the processing of material data to ensure data integrity and user-friendliness with the potential of incorporating data associated with further technological advances.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.