---
pdfexport: true
alias: tutorials-materialdefects
timetoread: true
tutorial: full
description: "The documentation outlines configuring and using a system for tracking and managing material defects within a manufacturing process, including defect"
---

# Material Defects

**Material Defects** in manufacturing occur when a **Product** is improperly manufactured and departs from its intended design. It is something or a lack of something that results in incompleteness, inadequacy, or imperfection (example: a flaw in a **Product** that creates an unreasonable risk of harm in its normal use).

A **Material Defect** in any item, whether tangible or intangible, is something that substantially prevents the item from operating or functioning according to its specifications.

**Material Defects** can result from the manipulation and fabrication processes of **Materials**, and in manufacturing, a defect, is one that the manufacturer did not intend.

Defects in **Materials** are known to have a negative effect on the device performance. Removing or decreasing the number of such defects is a common challenge for every industry.

Moreover, if you consider Product Policy, which ensures consistency and alignment across all stages of the lifecycle of the **Product**, it is important to mention that in some industries, such as the Medical Industry, some defects for specific critical **Products** are not acceptable, so even the possibility of managing these defects is not doable.

This document will guide you through the required configurations for the [[user-guide-material-defects-index]] functionality.

## Overview

The **Material Defects** functionality is intended to support the inspection processes in the capture of defects in a **Material** and by managing the lifecycle of those defects. The defects need to be recorded so that they can later be handled in a rework/repair/classification station. The concepts and functionalities of the Critical Manufacturing **Material Defects** functionalities will be described in more detail over the next sections.

### Defect Lifecycle

The defect lifecycle depends on the value of the system configuration entry: `/Cmf/System/Configuration/MaterialTracking/Defects/ConfirmationRequired`. The diagrams below illustrate how the lifecycle differs depending on whether repair confirmation is required.

=== "Repair Confirmation Required = `true`"

    ![Material defect lifecycle when repair confirmation is required](
    ../../../userguide/business-data/material/diagrams/material_defects_lifecycle_with_confirmed_state.drawio.svg
    )

    When repair confirmation is required, a defect can be handled as follows:

    - Marked as [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-confirmed|Confirmed]];
    - Marked as [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-false|False]];
    - Marked as [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-accepted|Accepted]];
    - [[user-guide-material-defects-repair|Fixed]] after the defect has been marked as [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-confirmed|Confirmed]] (for example, by replacing a part);
    - Marked as [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-not-fixable|Not Fixable]], in which case the **Material** is scrapped.

=== "Repair Confirmation Required = `false`"

    ![Material defect lifecycle when repair confirmation is not required](
    ../../../userguide/business-data/material/diagrams/material_defects.drawio_withoutconfirmedstate.drawio.svg
    )

    When repair confirmation is not required, a defect can be handled as follows:

    - Marked as [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-false|False]];
    - Marked as [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-accepted|Accepted]];
    - [[user-guide-material-defects-repair|Fixed]] by performing a repair action (for example, replacing a part);
    - Marked as [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-not-fixable|Not Fixable]], in which case the **Material** is scrapped.

!!! info
    The handling of defects and their reclassification can have an impact on the First Pass Yield. For example, for a Product with 100 Materials of one unit each, if one Material is marked as having a defect, is then classified as repaired, and is in fact repaired, the Yield outcome of this Product is 100%, but the First Pass Yield is only 99%.

## Setting up Material Defects-Related Entities

To enable the **Material Defects** functionalities, you have to set up specific Critical Manufacturing MES entities.

Follow the steps as described in the table below to set up the needed **Material Defects** entities:

| **Step Number** | **Step**                                            | **Description**                                         |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **1**           | **Create the necessary Reasons and Repair Actions** | Create the necessary Defect Reasons and Repair Actions. |
| **2**           | **Configure the Reasons in the Steps**              | Configure the Defect Reasons in the Steps.              |
| **3**           | **Configure the Products' drawings, if applicable** | Configure the drawings in the Products.                 |
| **4**           | **Configure the Product Repair Policy**                  | Define the [[user-guide-manage-repair-policy|Repair Policy]] of the Product if required. |

Table: Steps to set up the Material Defects-related Entities

The MES object model is displayed in the figure below:

```mermaid
graph LR
    A1[Step] --- N1[Defect Reason]
    A3[Product] --- N1
    N1 --- N2[Repair Action]
    A1 --- A2[Material]
    A2 --- A3
    A2 --- L1[Material Defect] --- N2
    A1 --- L2[Part Number] --- L1

classDef mermaid_title color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, font-weight:200;
classDef mermaid_start color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, color:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, visibility: hidden;
classDef mermaid_businessdata color:#000, fill:#65CDE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_nonbusinessdata color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#B7DEE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entity color:#000, fill:#FB9F53, stroke:#FB9F53, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entitylinked color:#000, fill:#FCD5B5, stroke:#FCD5B5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_context color:#000, fill:#B9CDE5, stroke:#B9CDE5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_optional color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:1px, font-size:100%, stroke-dasharray: 5 5;
class Main mermaid_entity
class A1,A2,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7,A8,A9,A10,A11,A12,A13,A14 mermaid_businessdata
class L1,L2,L3,L4,L5,L6,L7 mermaid_entitylinked
class C1,C2,C3,C4,C5,C6 mermaid_context
class N1,N2,N3,N4,N5,N6 mermaid_nonbusinessdata
```

!!! tip
    It may also be helpful to look at [[user-guide-import-product-information]] and [[user-guide-product-page]].

The next sub-sections will cover the required configuration steps in more detail.

### 1 - Reason

The classification of a defect in a **Material** is registered under the Entity Type **Reason** having the Type defined as `Defect`.

You can define a set of Repair Actions for a **Reason** that are operations which can be performed in the **Material** in order to fix a defect. For each Repair Action, you can also define if a replacement of a part can take place, as displayed in the image below:

![Defect Reasons](../../images/MD_image3.png)

As can be seen, the following Part Replacement Modes are available:

- Not Allowed: you cannot select a **Material** to replace the defective part.
- Allowed: you are allowed to select a **Material** to replace the defective part.
- Required: you must select a **Material** to replace the defective part.

### 2 - Step

After the creation of the Defect Reasons, these can be configured in the **Step** through the Manage Reasons wizard available in the **Reasons** section of the **Step** page, as displayed in the image below:

![Step Reasons](../../images/MD_image4.png)

### 3 - Product

When recording a defect it is possible to indicate the location of the defect in a CAD snapshot or a drawing. To enable this, you can configure a CAD (ECAD or MCAD) File and/or a Drawing and Schematic for the **Product**. Alternatively, a picture can also be provided at the time of recording the defect.

Furthermore, if a Default BOM is defined for the **Product**, it will be possible to replace defective parts.

## Using Material Defects

After setting up the required configurations mentioned in the previous sections, the **Material Defects** functionalities can be used, as described in the next sections.

### Record Defect

:lock: MaterialDefect.**Record**

If a **Material** is in a **Step** with Defect Reasons defined, it is possible to record a defect through the Record Material Defects wizard available in the Defects view of the **Material**.

There are three options to record a defect:

- Record Using no Drawing: you specify a Sub-Material (optional), a Reason (mandatory), Reference Designator (optional), Part Number (optional), and a Remark (optional) as shown in the image below:

    ![Record using no Drawing](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/MD_image5.png)

- Record Using CAD - depending on the **CAD Content Type** (ODB++ or STEP) of the **Product**, the following is possible:

    **ECAD:** you specify a Sub-Material (optional), a Reason (mandatory), Reference Designator (mandatory), Part Number (displayed upon selection of Reference Designator), Pin (optional), and a Remark (optional) as shown in the image below:

    ![Record using CAD 1](../../images/MD_image12.png)

    Alternatively, when the ECAD file is open, and only if it has defined Product Components, you can select the defective component, as displayed in the image below:

    ![Record using CAD 2](../../images/product_cad_bom_structure_select.png)

    **MCAD:** you search or select a component, select :material-plus: on the component, specify a Reason (mandatory), Remark (optional), and a Sub-Material (optional) as shown in the image below:

    ![record_material_defect_mcad](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/record_material_defect_mcad.png)

    When you select **Add**, the defect will appear in the **Defects** panel on the right.

- Record Using Picture: you specify a Defect Reason in a Drawing, either in a snapshot of the CAD file or in an image. The image can either be provided by the Drawings linked to the **Product** of the **Material** or provided when recording the defect, as displayed in the image below:

    ![Record using Picture 1](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/MD_image1.png)

    In the Drawing, it is possible to select where the defect is found by using either a pre-defined shape, such as a square or circle, or you can draw a specific shape, as displayed in the image below:

    ![Record using Picture 2](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/MD_image2.png)

!!! info
    Depending on the Record Defect option, you may need to have the Default BOM set as well as the Product Components.

For more information, see [[user-guide-record-material-defects]].

### Modify Defect

:lock: MaterialDefect.**Edit**

If you want to change the information of the defect, it can be done through the Modify Material Defect wizard as displayed in the image below:

![Modify Material Defect](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/MD_image6.png)

### Mark as Confirmed

:lock: MaterialDefect.**MarkAsConfirmed**

This operation is available only when the `/Cmf/System/Configuration/MaterialTracking/Defects/ConfirmationRequired` system configuration entry is set to `true`. If this setting is enabled, you must mark the defect as confirmed before a repair operation can be performed. All other defect-handling operations remain available while the defect is in the Open state.

The defect can be confirmed using the [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-confirmed]] wizard, as displayed in the image below:

![Mark material defect as confirmed](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/MD_image10.png)

### Mark as False

:lock: MaterialDefect.**MarkAsFalse**

If a defect is identified as a false defect - that is, it has been opened in error, it can be closed through the [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-false]] wizard, as displayed in the image below:

![Mark Material Defect as False](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/MD_image7.png)

### Mark as Accepted

:lock: MaterialDefect.**MarkAsAccepted**

If you want to acknowledge and accept the defect as-is, it can be accepted using the [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-accepted]] wizard, as displayed in the image below:

![Mark Material Defect as Accepted](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/MD_image8.png)

### Repair Defect

:lock: MaterialDefect.**Repair**

If the `/Cmf/System/Configuration/MaterialTracking/Defects/ConfirmationRequired` system configuration entry is set to `true`, the defect must be [[tutorials-materialdefects#mark-as-confirmed|marked as confirmed]].

To fix a defect, you can access the [[user-guide-material-defects-repair|Repair Material Defect]] wizard and select a Repair Action, as displayed in the image below:

![Repair Material Defect](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/MD_image9.png)

Depending on the Parts Replacement Mode of the Repair Action, you can (or must) select a Replacement Material. The **Materials** available for selection must have the same **Product** as the Material Defect Part Number and they must be in the same **Facility** as the **Material** being fixed.

!!! info
    The Repair Actions available for selection are the ones defined in the Defect Reason of the defect.

### Mark as Not Fixable

:lock: MaterialDefect.**MarkAsNotFixable**

If the defect cannot be fixed, it can be marked as non-fixable using the [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-not-fixable]] wizard, as displayed in the image below.

!!! info
    If the defect applies to an existing Sub-Material Id, the loss will be applied to the Sub-Material only, and the Sub-Material will be terminated. If the defect applies to a virtual Sub-Material, a loss of one unit will be recorded on the Parent Material. For more information, see [[user-guide-material-defects-mark-as-not-fixable]].

![Mark Material as Not Fixable](../../../userguide/business-data/material/images/mark_material_defect_as_not_fixable.png)

!!! warning
    A Material with active defects can continue to be processed, but it cannot be shipped until all the defects have been duly reclassified.