Manufacturing Process
Overview of PSI’s manufacturing operations from parts procurement through machine shipment.
Manufacturing Departments
| Dept | Code | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Machining | 102 | CNC machining, turning, milling |
| Welding | 104 | Welding, fabrication |
| Mechanical Assembly | 106 | Mechanical installation, fitting |
| Electrical Assembly | 108 | Wiring, panel builds |
| MVI | 120 | Machine verification, inspection |
| Field Service | 135 | Installation, commissioning |
Build Phases
Phase 1: Procurement
- BOM released from engineering
- Long-lead items ordered
- Standard parts pulled from stock
- Vendor parts received and inspected
- Materials staged for build
Phase 2: Fabrication
- Weldments fabricated
- Machined parts manufactured
- Sub-assemblies built
- Quality checks at each stage
Phase 3: Mechanical Assembly
- Base/frame assembly
- Major component installation
- Motion systems
- Enclosures and guarding
- Mechanical fit-up
Phase 4: Electrical Assembly
- Panel builds
- Conduit and cable routing
- Terminations
- Sensor installation
- Initial power-up
Phase 5: Testing & Runoff
- Component testing
- Motion verification
- Process testing
- Customer witness runoff
- Punch list resolution
Phase 6: Shipping
- Final inspection
- Preservation/packaging
- Documentation compiled
- Freight coordination
- Shipment
Detection Timing
Manufacturing stages map to detection timing for quality analysis:
| Build Phase | Timing Category | Days Before Ship |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement | Early | >90 days |
| Fabrication | Early/Mid | 60-90 days |
| Assembly | Mid-Build | 30-60 days |
| Testing | Late Build | <30 days |
| Runoff | Near/At Ship | ~0 days |
| Customer Site | Post-Ship | After ship |
Work Orders
Structure
Work orders organize production activities:
- Job number (project)
- Work order number (specific task)
- Operation codes
- Labor tracking
Operation Codes
| Code Range | Department |
|---|---|
| 10-95 | Machine shop |
| 100-145 | Assembly / paint / shipping / inspection |
| 999 | Stockroom (Stock Room Pick) |
| 1000-1299 | Outside processing (vendor ops — no PSI labor) |
| 2020-2162 | Engineering |
| 4100-5620 | Test / install / service |
Full shop table (source of truth: psi-analytics/eto/data/project_time_by_op.csv, mirrored in
psi-dispatch docs/op-codes.md). Notable: op 70 = bench welding, op 71 = floor welding — separate
person-capacity work centers (welder count), unlike the machine centers; ops 10/11/12 are the Haas VF-4
mills, 30 = EC-1600ZT, 31 = HS4R, 40/41/42 = ST30/SL30-BB/Mazak lathes.
| Op | Description | BC Project Task |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | VF4 | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 11 | VF4-TT | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 12 | VF4-APC | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 20 | 12VC | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 30 | EC-1600ZT | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 31 | HS4R | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 40 | ST30 | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 41 | SL30-BB | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 42 | MAZAK | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 45 | WATER JET | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 50 | CNC PROGRAMMING | 50 Mfg Engineering |
| 55 | MACH. PARTS INSPECT | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 60 | PROTOTYPE | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 62 | LASER MARK | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 70 | BENCH WELDING | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 71 | FLOOR WELDING | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 74 | INTL WELD INSPECT | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 80 | SAW | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 85 | SHEAR/BRAKE | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 86 | BEND | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 90 | PANEL BUILDING | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 95 | ELEC SUB ASSEMBLY | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 100 | ELECTRICAL ASSEMBLY | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 105 | MECH SUB ASSEMBLY | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 110 | MECH. ASSEMBLY | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 115 | LASER ALIGNMENT | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 120 | PAINTING | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 125 | PAINT PREP | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 130 | SHIPPING (MACH) | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 140 | MACHINE MECH INSPECT | 60 Build (production orders) |
| 145 | MACHINE ELEC INSPECT | 60 Build (production orders) |
The labor CSV only covers ops that charge PSI hours. Part routings also carry vendor and stockroom ops that never appear there (measured from live WIP, 2026-09-08): 61 Proto Inspect, 63 3d Print, 75 Extl Weld Inspect, 999 Stock Room Pick, and the 1000–1299 outside-processing band — 1000 Cyclone Lining, 1045 Urethane Pour, 1050 Harden, 1060/1070/1086/1087 heat treat, 1090/1095/1100/1115 coatings, 1130/1135/1202 Outside Mach (Psm/Psw/Vsm), 1131 Laser Cut (the single most common part op in WIP), 1133 Tube Laser, 1200 Outside Weld. Ops 5020/5050/5051 (Wj Cleaning, Ic Line, Ic Inspect) are Process Services.
See Data Brain for engineering (2xxx) and test/service (4xxx/5xxx) op mappings.
Quality Points
In-Process Inspection
Quality checks occur at multiple stages:
- Incoming inspection (vendor parts)
- First article inspection
- Dimensional verification
- Functional testing
MVI Testing
Machine Verification and Inspection (MVI, Dept 120):
- Process capability testing
- Motion system verification
- Safety system checks
- Customer runoff support
Documentation
- Test records
- Inspection reports
- Non-conformance documentation (NCN)
- Certificates of compliance
Common Issues by Phase
Fabrication
| Issue Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Drawing Error | Wrong dimension, missing feature |
| Material | Wrong material, surface finish |
| Process | Weld quality, machining tolerance |
Assembly
| Issue Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Fit-up | Interference, alignment |
| Wiring | Wrong connection, missing wire |
| Components | Wrong part, missing part |
Testing
| Issue Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Function | Doesn’t perform as designed |
| Integration | Systems don’t work together |
| Safety | Guard gap, E-stop issue |
Redbook Integration
When manufacturing issues trigger redbooks:
| Department | Common Root Causes |
|---|---|
| Machining (102) | Drawing error, material spec |
| Welding (104) | Drawing error, process |
| Mech Assembly (106) | Design function, assembly error |
| Elec Assembly (108) | Wiring error, drawing error |
| MVI (120) | Design function, vendor quality |
Department Flags
Redbooks include department assignment flags:
A110E: Assigned to Mech EngineeringA111E: Assigned to Controls EngineeringA106: Assigned to Mech AssemblyC106: Completed by Mech Assembly
Labor Tracking
Timesheet System
All labor is tracked via timesheets:
- Employee ID
- Date
- Job/Work Order
- Operation Code
- Hours
AI Hour Buckets
The Redbook Analysis system maps timesheet categories to AI estimation buckets:
| AI Bucket | Departments |
|---|---|
| Hours_Mech_Engineering | Dept 110 |
| Hours_Controls_Engineering | Dept 111 |
| Hours_Mech_Assembly | Dept 106 |
| Hours_Elec_Assembly | Dept 108 |
| Hours_Machine_Weld | Dept 102, 104 |
| Hours_MVI | Dept 120 |
| Hours_Service | Dept 135 |
Related Pages
- Terminology - Manufacturing terms
- Quality Process - NCN process
- Engineering Process - BOM/drawing handoff
- Data Brain - Timesheet and labor data
Last updated: February 2025