BETA Technologies

BETA Technologies is developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft — a category where manufacturing quality standards are effectively set by the FAA certification process itself. Even in pre-production phases, battery packs and electric motors must be built with the same rigor as flight-certified hardware, since regulatory bodies require demonstrated process control capability, not just end-product testing. Without a formal traceability system, BETA faced the prospect of being unable to prove — to the FAA or internally — which specific components went into each assembly, or whether every critical fastener had been torqued to spec. Manual data entry introduced error risk that was unacceptable in a certification context.

BETA Technologies implemented Plex Systems Manufacturing Execution Software (MES), part of Rockwell Automation's FactoryTalk Operations Suite, to build a traceability backbone across motor and battery pack production. The MES was integrated with CAD software to automate workflow visibility spanning purchasing, manufacturing, and quality functions — replacing disconnected manual processes with a unified digital thread. Critically, the deployment leveraged the Plex MES Automation and Orchestration module to connect directly with physical torque drivers and battery pack testing equipment, capturing tool and test data automatically at the point of operation. This eliminated reliance on operators manually recording results, closing the gap between physical assembly actions and the digital quality record required for regulatory compliance.

BETA achieved end-to-end part traceability across its most critical manufacturing processes, with complete visibility into component genealogy — what went into each assembly and where every part originated. Key outcomes include:

• Eliminated operator data-entry errors in torque and test result recording by connecting tools and test equipment directly to the MES
• Unified cross-departmental visibility across purchasing, manufacturing, and quality without separate reporting workflows
• Built a compliant quality data record meeting FAA documentation requirements for process control, positioning BETA to demonstrate manufacturing capability during certification audits

The foundation established during development phases means traceability scales with production rather than requiring a future retrofit.

• Start traceability infrastructure before you need it — FAA certification requires demonstrated process control history, which cannot be reconstructed after the fact.
• Integrate MES with physical tooling, not just upstream systems; automated data capture at the point of use is the only reliable way to eliminate manual entry errors in safety-critical assembly.
• A unified digital thread across purchasing, manufacturing, and quality reduces audit burden and makes non-conformance investigation tractable as production scales.
• MES deployment in development-phase manufacturing builds operator familiarity and process stability before volume production demands are added.
• Early investment in compliant manufacturing infrastructure compresses the timeline to certification readiness.