Design and Prove-Out of a Material Tracking System With a Pad Printer and Laser Etcher System

摘要

A Material Tracking System and Bar-coding System was procured and installed at Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (KSAAP) as part of the Flexible Load, Assembly, and Pack (LAP) facility contract. The material tracking system uses a software program called Inventory Management, Process and Control Tracking System (IMPACTS) to provide paperless control of material on a production line. The bar-coding system consists of pad printers that apply 'blocks' of paint on the projectiles for the serial numbers and barcodes. The pad printers also apply warning labels and explosive marking to the projectiles. The bar-coding equipment is used in conjunction with a laser etcher that etches serial numbers and barcodes onto the projectiles and then scans them into the system using the IMPACTS software. The purpose of designing and implementing this system was to establish a tracking system for flexible LAP facilities within the United States industrial base. This report discusses the tracking and bar-coding system, testing of the integrated systems, and the final prove-out, which were successfully completed on the 60-mm mortar line at KSAAP.