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Guides·6 min read·

Quick Start: Upload an Inbound MTC, Record Your Fabrication Operation, and Issue an Outgoing COC

This guide walks you through the complete fabricator workflow in TestCert — from receiving raw material with a mill test certificate, through your fabrication operation, to issuing a traceable certificate of conformance to your customer. Every step maintains an unbroken chain from the original heat number to the finished part.

Time estimate: 15 minutes for a single raw material cert with one fabrication operation and one approval level.

Prerequisites

Before you start, confirm the following:

  • You have a TestCert account with Inspector or Quality Manager role
  • You have the incoming mill test certificate (PDF) for the raw material
  • You know the operation type you performed (e.g., cut-to-length, bending, welding, machining) and the output serial or part number assigned in your shop
  • Your organization's QA approval workflow is configured

Step 1: Upload the Incoming MTC for Raw Material

Bring the mill cert into TestCert before touching the fabrication record.

  1. From the left navigation, click Inbound MTCs.
  2. Click Upload Certificate in the top-right corner.
  3. Drag the supplier's PDF onto the upload area, or click Browse to locate it.
    • TestCert's AI extraction engine starts immediately after upload.
    • Processing takes 15–30 seconds for most certs.
  4. When the status shows Ready for Review, click the cert row to open the split view.

What you will see:

  • The original PDF on the left.
  • Extracted fields on the right: heat number, grade, chemical composition, mechanical test results, and applicable standard.

Step 2: Validate and Approve the Inbound Cert

Confirm the raw material meets the standard before you cut into it.

  1. In the split view, scan the extracted fields on the right:
    • Green — value is within the ASTM/ASME/EN limit for this grade.
    • Red — value is outside the allowed limit. Compare the right-panel figure to the PDF on the left to confirm the extraction is accurate.
    • Amber — field requires attention (e.g., partially legible value or non-critical field gap).
  2. Correct any mis-extracted values by clicking the field and typing the right figure. Validation updates instantly.
  3. If a red field reflects a genuine out-of-spec result and you have engineering authorization to proceed, click Override Accept and enter a mandatory comment (e.g., "Approved per deviation request DR-2024-112").
  4. Click Submit for Approval. The cert moves to your approver's queue.
  5. As the approver (or once the approver acts), open the cert from Approval Queue, review it, and click Approve.
  6. Click Commit to Stock. The heat number, grade, chemistry, and quantity are now locked in the Stock Ledger and the supplier snapshot is frozen for traceability.

Step 3: Record Your Fabrication Operation

Link the raw material heat to your shop output.

This is the step that makes TestCert unique for fabricators: the Heat Operations record creates a permanent, auditable link between the incoming heat number and the part or assembly you produced.

  1. From the left navigation, go to Heat Operations and click New Operation.
  2. In the Source Material field, search for and select the heat number you just committed (from Step 2). TestCert will display the committed grade, chemistry, and standard.
  3. Fill in the operation details:
    • Operation Type — Select from the list (Cut to Length, Bending, Forming, Welding, Heat Treatment, Machining, Assembly, or a custom type your org admin configured).
    • Output Identifier — Enter the serial number, part number, or shop traveler number assigned to the finished item.
    • Quantity In / Quantity Out — Enter the raw material quantity consumed and the finished quantity produced. TestCert deducts the consumed quantity from the Stock Ledger.
    • Date of Operation — Defaults to today; change if recording a past operation.
    • Operator / Inspector — Select the person who performed or inspected the operation. This appears in the traceability chain.
  4. Add any additional notes, process parameters, or inspection results in the Notes field.
  5. Click Save Operation. TestCert creates a traceability node linking the source heat number to your output identifier.

If your part went through multiple operations (e.g., raw plate → cut blank → formed part → heat treated → finished component), repeat this step for each operation. Each subsequent operation can reference the output identifier from the previous step as its source, building a complete multi-stage chain.

Step 4: Generate the Outgoing COC

The traceability chain populates the COC automatically.

  1. From the left navigation, go to Outbound Certificates and click New COC.
  2. Select the Customer from the dropdown. If the customer is new, click Add Buyer to create their record and any custom spec mappings.
  3. In the Material / Parts section, search by your output identifier (the serial or part number from Step 3). Select the item.
    • TestCert resolves the full traceability chain automatically: your output identifier → the fabrication operation → the source heat number → the original inbound MTC.
  4. Choose the Template for this customer's COC format. Templates can include your company letterhead, signature block, and buyer-specific fields.
  5. Review the COC preview. Confirm that the heat number, grade, chemistry, mechanical properties, and fabrication operation details all appear correctly.
  6. Click Submit for Approval to route through your COC approval workflow, or click Approve & Finalize if you have single-step authority.

Step 5: Send the COC to Your Customer via Secure Link

Your customer receives a professional, tamper-evident certificate — no TestCert account needed.

  1. Once the outbound COC is approved and finalized, click Share with Customer.
  2. TestCert generates a secure review token — a unique, time-limited URL for this certificate only.
  3. Click Copy Link and paste it into your delivery documentation or customer email, or click Send via Email to have TestCert dispatch it directly.
  4. The customer opens the link in any browser to view, download, or print the COC as a PDF.
  5. The share event — including timestamp and recipient — is recorded in the Audit Trail and is available for your ISO or customer audit.

What's Next

You have completed the end-to-end fabricator workflow. To go deeper on each stage:

  • Incoming Material Inspection — Set up grade-level validation rules and manage override accept policies for your QA team.
  • Issue Outgoing Certificates — Advanced COC options: buyer-specific templates, digital signatures, multi-level approval, and XLSX export.
  • Certificate Approval Workflow — Configure multi-level approval chains, delegate approvers, and set escalation rules.
  • Heat Number Traceability — Build multi-stage fabrication chains, view the full traceability tree for any part, and export traceability reports for customer audits.

Related pages

Incoming Material Inspection: Process, Checklist, and Best PracticesIssuing Outgoing Test Certificates to Customers: Process and Best PracticesCertificate Review and Approval Workflow: Best Practices for Quality Teams