Definition
A manufacturing route describes the ordered sequence of operations, machines, setups and times a part goes through from raw stock to finished part. It is largely synonymous with routing, though 'manufacturing route' is sometimes used at a higher, more descriptive level while 'routing' refers to the specific record in an ERP or MES system.
Why the term matters less than what it contains
Whichever term is used locally, the underlying content is what actually drives cost: the number of operations, setups and machine assignments, not the label used to describe it. See routing and process planning.
Where a manufacturing route lives
Not on the drawing; it is an output of process planning, recorded in a factory's ERP or MES system rather than on the part's technical documentation.
Common mistakes
Treating 'manufacturing route' and 'routing' as necessarily different things across every context; in most shops the terms are used interchangeably for the same underlying record.
Whichever term is used locally, the underlying content is what actually drives cost: the number of operations, setups and machine assignments, not the label used to describe it. See routing and process planning.
See how Blake reviews a partFrequently asked questions
Is a manufacturing route different from a routing?
Usually not in substance; both describe the ordered sequence of operations a part goes through, though the term used can vary by shop or software.
Who creates a manufacturing route?
Typically a work preparer or process planner, informed by process planning and, where available, a CAPP system.
Does a manufacturing route change over time?
It can, if a factory's capability, tooling or a part's revision changes what the best sequence of operations is.