Patent ID: 7991499

Claim:
A factory for manufacturing a workpiece comprising: an at least one finishing apparatus “A” for an at least one finishing operation; an at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery “B” other than the at least one finishing apparatus “A”; an at least one piece of metrology equipment; an at least one processor; an at least one processor readable memory device; an at least one operative computerized network connecting the at least one processor, the at least one processor readable memory device, the at least one finishing apparatus “A”, and the at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery “B”; an at least one operative sensor for sensing an in situ finishing information; and wherein the at least one processor readable memory device includes information in memory comprising (i) at least in part an at least one cost of manufacture model including at least in part an at least one current in-process cost of manufacture information at least in part related to the at least one finishing operation, (ii) the in situ finishing information, (iii) an at least one process model at least in part related to the at least one finishing operation, (iv) an information from the at least one piece of metrology equipment at least in part related to the at least one finishing operation, (v) an information at least in part related to the at least one finishing apparatus “A”, and (vi) an information at least in part related to the at least one workpiece fabrication machinery “B” and at least in part related to the at least one finishing operation; and an at least one operative controller for controlling manufacturing operatively connected at least in part to the at least one processor readable memory device.