Product tools · Handover stage
BetaMRB traceability verification: check the evidence links inside the manufacturing record book
MRB Traceability Verification checks the links between records inside your manufacturing record book, not just whether they exist. It follows tag to part to heat to certificate, weld to WPS, PQR and welder, test to instrument to calibration, and ITP step to record to approval. You get every broken or conflicting chain, quoted, for quality teams.
MRB Traceability Verification is in beta. Request access and we onboard each team ourselves: we run your first real documents with you and check the results together.
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What goes in and what you get out
What goes in
- Record book (required, several files)
- Tag list (optional)
- Weld map (optional)
- ITP (optional)
What it checks
- Verify tag → part → heat → MTR
- Verify weld → WPS → PQR → welder
- Verify test → instrument → calibration
- Verify ITP step → record → approval
What you get out
- Each traceability chain the record book should hold, with its links
- Every broken, conflicting or ambiguous link, with the records on both sides
- A quote from each record behind a finding
- CSV or JSON export for your MRB close-out
Who uses it: Quality engineers, QA/QC managers, Document controllers, Third-party inspection coordinators.
20 questions about the MRB Traceability Verification
What is traceability in a manufacturing record book?
Traceability means you can follow a clear chain of records from the finished equipment back to its evidence. For example, a tag number leads to a part, the part to a heat number, and the heat number to its material certificate. A weld leads to the procedure and welder qualified for it. Each link must be written in the records, not assumed.
What does MRB Traceability Verification do?
It checks the relationships between records in the record book. It follows four chains: tag to part to heat to material certificate, weld to WPS to PQR to welder, test to instrument to calibration certificate, and ITP step to record to approval. It reports every chain that is broken, conflicting or unclear, with a quote from each record involved.
How is this different from the MRB Readiness Check?
The MRB Readiness Check asks whether each required document is present, approved and at the right revision. MRB Traceability Verification asks whether the documents agree with each other. A book can have every document and still fail, for example when a weld record names a welder whose qualification is not in the book. You usually need both checks.
Which documents do I upload?
Only the record book is required, as one large file or many separate files. You can add the tag list, the weld map and the ITP. These help the check know which tags, welds and ITP steps should appear, so it can spot ones with no records at all. It reads PDF, Word, Excel and CSV files.
What is a heat number and why does it matter?
A heat number identifies one batch of metal from a single melt. It is marked on the material and printed on its material certificate. It is the link between a physical part and the test results that prove its chemistry and strength. If the heat number on a part record does not match any certificate in the book, the part cannot be proven.
What are WPS, PQR and WPQ?
A welding procedure specification (WPS) sets out how a weld should be made. A procedure qualification record (PQR) records the test weld that proved the procedure works. A welder performance qualification (WPQ, also called WQTR) proves a welder can make that kind of weld. Each production weld should trace to a WPS, its PQR and a qualified welder.
How do you check MRB traceability by hand?
Reviewers pick each tag, weld and test and follow its chain through the book. They check that the heat number on the part matches a certificate, that the weld record names a WPS and a qualified welder, that each test names an instrument with a valid certificate, and that ITP steps are signed. On a large book this takes days.
What are the most common traceability breaks?
Common breaks are a part with no material certificate, a certificate whose grade doesn't match the part, a weld that cites a WPS or welder qualification not in the book, a test gauge with no certificate or one that expired before the test, an ITP hold point that is not signed, and a serial number that differs between records.
Does it catch a test gauge that expired before the test?
Yes, when the records show it. The check follows each test report to the instrument it names, finds that instrument's calibration certificate, and compares the calibration dates with the test date. If the certificate had expired by the test date, or no certificate is found, the chain is reported as broken. The Calibration Validity Check covers this in more depth.
Does it guess links between records that look similar?
No. A link counts only when the records state it, for example the same heat number on the part record and the certificate. Similar-looking numbers are not treated as a match. If a number seems to have a typo, such as two digits swapped, the link is reported for a person to check rather than accepted.
What does the customer or inspector expect from MRB traceability?
They expect to pick any item in the book and follow it to its evidence without gaps. Customer reviewers and third-party inspectors often sample a few tags or welds and trace them end to end. One broken chain can lead them to question the rest of the book, so it pays to find breaks before they do.
Can it work on a very large record book?
Yes. Record books often run to hundreds of pages, and you can upload the book as several files. Scanned certificates can only be checked as well as they can be read, so poor scans may need a manual check. We check how your record books read with each team during onboarding.
Why does a serial number mismatch matter?
The serial number ties the records to one specific piece of equipment. If the test report shows one serial number and the nameplate record or certificate shows another, it is no longer clear which equipment was tested. Customers usually reject records that don't agree. The check reports serial number conflicts between records as broken chains.
What do I get back from MRB Traceability Verification?
You get the chains the record book should contain and every broken, conflicting or unclear link. Each finding names the records on both sides of the link and quotes the text from each. Findings are grouped by chain type: material, welding, test and calibration, and ITP. You can export the results as CSV or JSON.
Does it check that the materials or welds meet the specification?
Not directly. It checks that the records link up correctly, such as whether a part has a certificate and the grades agree. It does not check every chemical or mechanical value against the specification, or the welding ranges in detail. The Material Certificate Review and Welding Qualification Review cover those checks earlier in the order.
Does it fix the record book or approve it?
No. It points to the broken links and the records involved. Your quality team decides how to fix each one, for example by finding the right certificate or correcting a record. It does not edit documents, approve the book or send it to the customer. Treat its findings as a careful review that shows exactly where to look.
What are the limits of MRB Traceability Verification?
It only checks the records you upload. A certificate kept outside the book will show as missing. It reads text and tables, not drawing geometry, so a weld map works best as a list of weld numbers. It can't confirm what is physically marked on the equipment. The tool is in beta, so we review each team's first runs with them.
When should I run MRB Traceability Verification?
Run it once the record book is mostly assembled, before you send it to the customer. Running it earlier on part of the book, such as the material section, can catch problems while the people who made the records can still fix them. Breaks found after shipping are much harder to close.
Is MRB Traceability Verification available now?
MRB Traceability Verification is in beta. You can request access, and we onboard each team ourselves: we agree a real record book to start with, run it with you, and check the results together. That way you see how it handles your records before you rely on it. Document Review, our production tool, is generally available.
Which tools come before and after MRB Traceability Verification?
Before it, the MRB Readiness Check confirms each required document is present, approved and at the right revision. After it, the MRB Compiler maps your approved records to the customer's index and produces the compilation manifest for the final package. Earlier, the Material Traceability Check covers the same material chain during manufacturing.
Where it sits in the order lifecycle
Related standards, guides and templates
Try the MRB Traceability Verification on your own documents
Tell us which documents you want to check first. We set up your workspace and run the first package with you.