At Mecha, our manufacturing process consists of multiple phases or “routing steps” as we call them. Just a few examples of these “routing steps” are anything from cutting up the raw material that gets machined, a machining operation itself, or machined parts getting plated or painted. The picture above shows parts that have finished a machining operation/”routing step”, and are awaiting inspection, before moving on to the next phase of manufacturing or the next “routing step”. The paperwork that can be seen in this same picture and that’s sandwiched between the parts on the upper right is what we refer to as a “work traveler”. This “work traveler” accompanies the parts during the entire manufacturing process and contains all the “routing steps” necessary to manufacture the parts from beginning to end. Each “routing step” is clearly listed on the “work traveler” and serves as an instructional guideline for all the various Mecha employees involved with the manufacturing process of the part. Upon successful completion of each phase of the manufacturing process, each “routing step” is signed off by a relevant Mecha employee before moving on to the next step. Admittedly this is a very basic overview of a single facet of the manufacturing process but the importance of this can’t be understated. Adhering to this simple protocol and making sure each step is signed off before moving on to the next step helps to allow for trace-ability and helps prevent mistakes from snowballing deep into the manufacturing process before they are detected and corrected.