Editing Traceability (section)

===Materials===
In regard to [[Materials science|materials]], traceability refers to the capability to associate a finished part with destructive test results performed on material from the same ingot with the same heat treatment, or to associate a finished part with results of a test performed on a sample from the same melt identified by the unique lot number of the material. Destructive tests typically include chemical composition and mechanical strength tests. A [[heat number]] is usually marked on the part or raw material which identifies the ingot it came from, and a lot number may identify the group of parts that experienced the same heat treatment (i.e., were in the same oven at the same time). Material traceability is important to the aerospace, nuclear, and process industry because they frequently make use of high strength materials that look identical to commercial low strength versions. In these industries, a part made of the wrong material is called "counterfeit", even if the substitution was accidental.

This same practice extends throughout industries using military hardware, including the [[fastener]] industry.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why Traceability Matters|url=http://www.bbem.com/military-hardware-traceability|website=B&B Electro-Mechanical|access-date=2016-12-30|archive-date=2019-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414085852/http://www.bbem.com/military-hardware-traceability|url-status=live}}</ref>