The Requirements Generic ERP Misses
Composites shops share some traits with machine shops but break standard assumptions in several places. Materials expire twice: a shelf life in the freezer and an out-time or mechanical life at room temperature. A roll is consumed in pieces, so inventory in square yards and in pounds both matter.
One cure cycle serves many work orders at once, so cost and traceability must split across them. Tools are assets with a cycle count and a repair history. And the part's quality record includes cure charts and bag sealing evidence, not just inspection results.
- Dual-clock material control: freezer shelf life and out-time used
- Roll to cut kit to ply traceability by lot and batch number
- Many-to-one cure loads with cost and record allocation
- Tool and mold usage counts with maintenance triggers
- Customer-specific materials and approved source lists
How Common ERPs Cope
Most small and mid-size composites firms run JobBOSS, E2 Shop System, Global Shop Solutions, Epicor Kinetic, NetSuite, Infor SyteLine or QuickBooks plus spreadsheets. Lot tracking is available in all but the entry level, and expiration dates exist in most. What is rare is a true out-time counter that accumulates exposure across multiple freezer pulls.
Shops usually cover the gap with a custom field, a separate tracking sheet or a barcode label printed at kit cut time. Cure loads are typically modeled as an operation on each work order, with the batch chart stored as an attachment. That works if people follow the process and fails quietly when they do not.
Routings, Kits and Work Orders for Layup
Design the routing around the real flow: material thaw, cut and kit, tool prep, layup, debulk, bag, cure, demold, trim, inspect, and ship. Make the kit a stocked or work-in-process item with its own lot so ply cutting can happen ahead of layup and the out-time clock is visible. Backflush only what is truly consumed; prepreg scrap and remnants need a transaction so costing stays true.
For infusion, RTM and filament winding the routing differs, with resin mixing batches replacing kits, but the same principle holds: model what you actually touch, and record the lot at the moment it is consumed.
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Quality and Compliance Hooks
Aerospace and defense composites work typically requires AS9100 and sometimes NADCAP accreditation for composites processes, with customer specifications that dictate material control, cure cycle limits and records retention. An ERP supports this through lot genealogy, certificate of conformance attachments, nonconformance and corrective action records, and controlled document revisions. Marine, wind, transportation and industrial FRP customers are lighter on paperwork but still want lot and batch history when a laminate delaminates in the field.
Decide which standard sets your minimum record, then check whether your ERP can produce a genealogy report from part serial number back to material lots in one query.
When Your Current ERP Is Enough
Replacing an ERP is rarely the right first move. If your system tracks lots and expirations, supports operation-level labor and lets you attach cure records, the fix is usually process discipline plus a small tool for out-time and kit tracking. Consider a new system when work orders cannot carry multi-part cure loads, when lot genealogy cannot be queried, or when finance and the floor keep separate numbers.
Also be honest about size: a ten-person custom shop with few traceability demands may be well served by a simple job shop ERP and good habits. Run a vendor evaluation against your own top three failure modes before any demo.
Frequently asked questions
What ERP is best for composites manufacturing?
There is no single best choice. Match the system to your traceability and cure load needs. Job shop systems such as JobBOSS, E2 and Global Shop work for many small shops, while Epicor Kinetic, Infor SyteLine or NetSuite suit larger or multi-site operations. Test any candidate on out-time tracking and many-to-one cure loads.
Can ERP track prepreg out-time?
Some can track expiration dates, but few accumulate out-time across multiple removals from the freezer. Most shops add a custom field, a kit label with a running clock or a separate tracker that posts to the ERP. Check how your system handles partial rolls before assuming it does.
Do composites shops need MES as well as ERP?
Not always. If operators can scan lots and clock operations at the work center and the ERP stores cure charts, an MES may add little. Add one when you need automatic cure data capture, electronic travelers or real-time out-time alarms across many tools and ovens.
If the data is in your ERP but hard to question, Netray adds a private natural-language layer so planners and quality staff can ask for lot genealogy, kit status or job cost without building reports.