---
description: Configure and use Assembly Operator Cockpit to execute checklists, assemble materials, and monitor consumables in real time.
alias: userguide-features-assembly-operator-cockpit
---

# Assembly Operator Cockpit *(Preview)*

## Overview

The Assembly Operator Cockpit page simplifies explicit long-running assembly processes. It supports material assembly through barcode scanning and background equipment integration.

Integrated barcode scanning, prominent action controls, and minimal input requirements make operations simple, intuitive, and efficient.

The interface updates in real time. Assembled material information refreshes automatically based on events, without the need to refresh the page manually.

These capabilities help operators track and control assembly operations quickly and accurately at anypoint during the process.


!!! note
    This feature is provided as a *Beta Preview* version, which is not fully complete but is made available so that users can get access, provide feedback, or reuse some of the components in other custom user cockpits.



### Business Context

In fast-paced manufacturing operations, speed and accuracy are essential to maintain productivity. A streamlined interface that reduces manual effort and provides real-time feedback helps operations teams complete tasks with fewer mistakes.

Often, the consumable part scanning is done at a different time than the actual assembly, where users scan/pick all consumables in the beginning of the process, so that they can then do the manual assembly uninterrupted.

### Concept

Assembly Operator Cockpit provides a unified interface with these capabilities:

- **Checklist execution** - Execute checklist items directly in the interface, including manual tasks and required parameter entry.
- **Assembly operations** - Perform assemble operations by scanning a barcode or QR code with a camera, or by entering a barcode manually.
- **Real-time consumable tracking** - Monitor assembled and disassembled materials, including events captured from internal operations and external equipment integrations.

![Assembly Operator Cockpit main page with checklist, assembly actions, and consumable tracking panel.](features.images/operatorcockpit/operatorcockpit.png)

The Assembly process is decoupled from the checklist execution, allowing items to be scanned/consumed whenever is more convenient for the user, without being enforced to a specific checklist item.


## Setting Up Assembly Process


To be used in the Assembly Operator Cockpit, a **Checklist** and a **BOM Context** with type **Explicit Long Running** need to be configured for the Step context.

![Configuration page showing Checklist and BOM Context setup for Explicit Long Running processes.](features.images/operatorcockpit/configuration.png)

## Executing Assembly

### Access Assembly Operator Cockpit Through Barcode Identification

1. Go to **Barcode Identification**. This page is under **Manufacturing** in the navigation pane.
2. Scan or enter the barcode or name of the main process material.

    !!! note 
        The Material should be In Process at the Step, and only one material can be scanned at a time.

3. After the material is identified, select **Perform** to open Assembly Operator Cockpit for that material.

    ![Barcode Identification page showing available operations and the Perform action.](features.images/operatorcockpit/barcodeidentification.png)

### Perform Checklist in Assembly Operator Cockpit

To perform a long-running checklist in Assembly Operator Cockpit, complete each checklist item in sequence.

![Assembly Operator Cockpit checklist panel with checklist items ready for execution.](features.images/operatorcockpit/checklist.png)

### Perform Material Assembly in Assembly Operator Cockpit

1. Scan the consumable material barcode with a physical barcode-scanner, or alternatively use the camera icon, or enter the material name manually in the input field.

    ![Assembly section with camera action to scan a consumable barcode.](features.images/operatorcockpit/scanbarcode.png)
    ![Assembly section with manual barcode entry input.](features.images/operatorcockpit/insertbarcode.png){width=600}

2. In some conditions, additional information or quantity is required to be input manually after scanning a Material or Product name. In these cases, the **Assemble Item** prompt opens in order to:
    - Select/Reselect the appropriate material.
    - Enter the exact consumed quantity.
    - Fill out additional information field (if configured in the BOM item).
    - Select **Advanced Details** to input additional info when needed (e.g. to record consumable Material losses or specify locations).

    ![Assemble Material prompt with material selection, quantity, and advanced options.](features.images/operatorcockpit/assembleitem.png){width=600}

3. If **Auto Consume Max Quantity** is enabled, the system consumes the maximum possible quantity and skips the quantity input popup.

    ![Auto Consume Max Quantity option in the assembly panel.](features.images/operatorcockpit/autoconsume.png){width=300}

    !!! note
        If a material name is scanned directly and material quantity is 1 or **Auto Consume Max Quantity** is enabled, step 2 is not required.

4. The **Consumable Assembly** panel gives real-time visibility into material status for assembled and disassembled materials. 

    ![Consumable Information panel showing assembled and disassembled materials with visual status indicators.](features.images/operatorcockpit/consumableinfo.png)


## Administration

### Configure Auto-Refresh for Assemble or Disassemble

When assemble or disassemble operations run outside Assembly Operator Cockpit (for example, through IoT integrations, out-of-the-box operations, DEE actions, or services), the automatic refresh can be enabled so that page reflects those updates in real time.

**This feature is disabled by default**, to enable it:

1. Go to **Administration** > **Entity Types**.
2. Select **Material**.
3. Select **Operations** and click **Manage** in the subsection.

    ![Material entity type Operations panel in Administration.](features.images/operatorcockpit/operations.png)

4. Select **Assemble** or **Disassemble**, and enable **Publish Event On Completion**.

![Assemble operation with Publish Event On Completion enabled.](features.images/operatorcockpit/configureassemblepublishevent.png)

Assembly Operator Cockpit listens for these events. When an assemble or disassemble event is related to the consumable material on the page, the displayed quantity updates automatically.

### UI Defaults configuration

The default value for the **Auto Consume Max Quantity** can be configured in the *GUI Element Default Values* Smart Table.

![Configure GUI Element default for AutoConsumeMaxQuantity.](features.images/operatorcockpit/configautoconsumemaxquantity.png)


### Access points and Extensibility

Currently, the only way provided for the end-user to reach the Assembly Cockpit page is via the Manufacturing > Barcode Identification UI.
However, this can be extended by adding button links to the *IndEqOperatorCockpit* UI Page in custom or native dispatch list (like the Step View or Resource View), or in other pages like the Material Details. The only input required for the page is the main Material ID.

The [Consumables Assembly control](../../artifacts/widgets/consumables-assembly/) is also available as a UI Page Widget, so that in can be used integrated in other UI Pages for process-specific user cockpits.


## Assumptions and Restrictions

The Checklist portion of the *Preview* version of the Cockpit has some limitations, namely it **does NOT support**:

- Signature Items
- integrated Data Collection - Data Collection needs to be separately, or included as Checklist Parameters instead.
- integrated BOM Items - BOM assembly would be covered by the Assembly widget instead, decoupled from the Checklist items. 
- Checklist actions after assembly - even though the assembly component is updated automatically, in order to perform a checklist action after assembly, a manual refresh of the page is required.

These restrictions should be solved in the final version of the workspace, planned for MES v12.0. 
In the mean time, the Checklist Definition setup should take into account the restrictions above, in order to be used in this UI.


The Assembly widget portion currently also has some known limitations:

- Scanning Materials of substitute BOM Products not supported.
- Additional mapped barcodes (via Barcodes section of a Material/Product) are not considered: only barcodes based directly to the Material or Product Name are supported.