Custom batch traceability software for metal products
Appfront builds software for metalworking companies that want to know, for every product, which material it was made from. On receipt, every plate, tube or bar is given its batch number and material certificate. When sawing, cutting and welding, provenance stays attached to the parts and to the offcuts. In this way you can trace from a finished product back to the batches it contains, and from a batch forward to the products made with it.
What is batch traceability software for metal products?
In metalworking, material arrives with a batch number: the number of the lot it was made from, often with a material certificate from the producer. Clients, standards and certification increasingly ask you to demonstrate which material is in a product. For structures under NEN-EN 1090, traceability belongs in production control, and clients in sectors such as offshore or food processing request the certificates on delivery.
In practice, the batch number is written on a plate on receipt, and it is lost during sawing or cutting. Offcuts go back on the rack without a number. When a client asks a question, the folder of certificates is searched and it is guessed which plate was used for which order. And when there is a problem with a batch, nobody knows which products it went into.
We build custom solutions because metalworking companies differ: which materials you process, how receipt and storage work, which operations you perform, and which systems you use for orders, nesting and production. The standards, your certification and your clients determine what traceability your products require; the software ensures you can deliver it.
From batch to product
Every plate, pipe or bar with its batch number, and the parts cut from it, linked to the order.
Certificate with the batch
The material certificate for the batch, supplied with the products that contain it.
Offcuts remain identifiable
Offcuts keep their batch number, so they can be traced when they are reused later.
How we build your batch traceability software for metal products
We start with your workshop: which materials you use, how receiving and storage work, which operations you carry out, and where the origin is most often lost. This is often during sawing or cutting, and with offcuts. That is where we set up scanning so that it fits into the workshop's flow, so it doesn't get skipped when things are busy.
Your materials, receiving, storage, operations and systems.
Material with batch, quality and certificate, plus a label.
Consumption per order and operation, and offcuts with their origin.
Tracing in both directions, certificates on delivery, and management.
What batch traceability software for metal products actually does
The components below feature in almost every metal business that needs traceability. Which ones you need depends on your products.
Receipt
Material with batch and quality.
Certificates
Material certificate per batch.
Labels
A code for each plate, tube or bar.
Consumption
Batches per order and operation.
Offcuts
Remnants returned to the rack with their origin.
Tracing
From product to batch and back.
Who we build batch traceability software for metal products for
The software is intended for metal businesses that need to demonstrate origin.
Structural steelwork
Production under EN 1090. Traceability is at the heart of it.
Sheet metal fabricators
A lot of offcuts. The origin of remnants matters most.
Subcontractors
Customers ask for certificates. Supplying them with the delivery is essential.
Offshore and food
Strict requirements for materials. Being able to trace back is central.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about material traceability in the metal sector. For metalworking in general, see our page on metalworking software; for production control, our page on an FPC file for NEN-EN 1090; and for a custom ERP, our page on a custom ERP system. You can read about our approach at building software.
Why Appfront for your batch traceability software for metal products?
A batch number that disappears during sawing makes a product impossible to prove. That is what we build on: origin from batch to product, certificates with the batch, and offcuts that remain identifiable.
Proof on delivery
Certificates travel with the product.
Fast retrieval
From product to batch in a few clicks.
Less waste
Offcuts are reused in a traceable way.
Security and privacy for batch traceability software for metal products
The software holds orders, customers, materials and certificates. Access is set up by role, and a customer can view only the certificates for their own deliveries in a portal.
The software runs in a European data centre, with encrypted storage, daily back-ups and two-factor sign-in. Scanning also works if the connection on the shop floor drops out.
Frequently asked questions about batch traceability software for metal products
Questions metal companies ask before getting started.
It records incoming material with batch number and certificate, tracks consumption per order and operation, keeps a record of where offcuts came from, links parts to the batches used, and lets you trace in both directions.
That depends on your products. For structures under NEN-EN 1090, traceability belongs in production control, depending on the execution class. Customers and sectors also often ask for it. What applies to you is something to confirm with your certification body or consultant.
On receipt, each piece is given a coded label. When sawing, cutting or welding, the piece being used is scanned and the parts carry their origin with them. Offcuts receive a new label with the same batch number.
Yes, provided it offers an export or integration. Which sheet was used for which parts then comes from the nesting, so the operator only has to scan which sheet is on the machine.
When a delivery goes out, the software gathers the certificates for the batches contained in the products and adds them to the delivery documents or makes them available to the customer in a portal.
You search for the batch and see which parts, orders and deliveries it appears in. That lets you inform customers in a targeted way or recall products, rather than having to check everything.
Ask that first. Some ERP packages already track batch numbers, and that may be enough. Custom development makes sense if origin is lost during sawing or with offcuts, or if you want certificates to be delivered automatically.
Knowing what each product was made from?
Tell us which materials you process, how receipt and storage work, and where origin is currently lost. We will show you what receipt, consumption and tracing look like in practice.