From Automated Testing to Full Product Traceability at Ellistown
FP McCann is combining automated pipe testing with app-based product traceability at its Ellistown facility, creating digital quality records that follow drainage products from production through to dispatch.
Quality assurance in precast drainage manufacturing is often described in terms of individual tests or inspections. At FP McCann’s Ellistown facility, the company has been developing a more connected model: linking automated verification, product identification, remedial-work records and final dispatch checks into a single traceability process.
The aim is to give production, quality, commercial and customer-service teams a clearer view of each product’s status as it progresses through the operation. For pipes, that starts with a purpose-built automated test line. For precast drainage products more broadly, the company’s traceability app records mandatory checks, photographs, locations and loading information against an individual product record.
An automated verification sequence for pipes
In the pipe process demonstrated at Ellistown, products remain in the curing chamber for around 24 hours before entering the automated test line. The line takes the pipe through a defined sequence of verification stages, beginning with a put-down position and then moving to computer-vision inspection, hydrostatic testing, laser measurement and automated marking.
At the computer-vision station, an AI-enabled camera system travels through the pipe to carry out a 3D body check and record dimensional information. The resulting scan data can be viewed through a live quality-inspection dashboard, which presents the internal scan, 3D topographical mapping and pass/fail information to the team overseeing the process.
The next stage is a hydrostatic water test, followed by laser measurement of the pipe spigot at five points. Once the line has completed its checks, a laser printer applies a unique identity number and a pass or fail outcome to the pipe. This makes the test result visible at the point of handling as well as linking the pipe to its digital quality record.
“What we’re trying to do is get every pipe uniquely identified and a unique quality record created for each pipe as it goes through our production processes, and make sure that only good pipes that have been successfully verified through all of our quality inspection processes leave our site and get to our customers.”
Declan Carey, Lead, Lean Manufacturing Initiative, FP McCann
Routing quality decisions into the workflow
The test result also determines what happens next. Pipes that pass are directed to stock, while products requiring remedial work are routed to a dedicated area. There, operators can use the app to identify the issue, record the remedial action, carry out any necessary repair and re-measure the product before it is returned to the stock process.
The same digital record supports a visible dispatch control. In the process shown, only pipes marked with a blue pass dot are eligible for loading. A final quality check includes photographic confirmation of the loaded vehicle, providing an additional record of the order and the condition of the products at the point of dispatch.
Traceability beyond the pipe line
The traceability app extends the principle of a product-level quality record beyond automated pipe testing. The workflow demonstrated for precast drainage products begins before casting, when the mould preparation is checked against production information and recorded in the app alongside photographs. After curing, each product receives a serialised label with a QR code, creating a digital link between the physical item and its associated record.
The app guides users through a sequence of mandatory steps. In the demonstration, these include the pre-pour check and photographs, the cast record, post-pour inspection, final-condition photographs and finished-goods confirmation. A product cannot progress through the digital workflow until the preceding required check has been completed.
The product record can include relevant order and production information, such as product reference, customer, site, order number, weight and cast date. This gives office-based staff a central database of quality images and records, while production teams have a practical mobile tool for recording checks where the work is taking place.
A digital handover to the yard and dispatch team
Traceability continues after a product has been approved. When it is moved into the yard, the QR code can be scanned and the product assigned to a specific storage location. At dispatch, forklift operators receive electronic loading information that identifies the required items, their locations and their quality-control status.
Scanning at the point of loading acts as a final check: the app is designed to prevent an incorrect item, or an item that has not completed the required quality process, from being added to the load. Final photographs of the loaded trailer are then added to the product record, providing visual confirmation that the consignment was complete and free from visible loading damage when it left the site.
“This investment has significantly improved visibility across the entire production lifecycle. Customers benefit from greater transparency and confidence in product quality, while our internal sales team can access accurate, real-time information to track products, monitor progress, and quickly identify and address any production discrepancies.”
Kim Waugh, Office Manager, FP McCann’s Ellistown facility
Together, the automated test line and the traceability app move quality management beyond a final inspection point. The process links the product, the test result, any remedial action, its yard location and its dispatch record. For a precast drainage manufacturer, this creates a clearer chain of evidence across the product lifecycle and a more informed basis for responding to operational and customer enquiries.
For more information on our range of precast drainage click here
To get a quote email sales@fpmccann.co.uk or call our ELLISTOWN Depot at 01530 240 000
