Polotovar

Polotovar, or semi-finished product, is a product that has undergone part of the manufacturing process and is intended for additional processing to become a finished item. It represents an intermediate stage between raw materials and final goods and is used in production planning and inventory management. A polotovar carries value added during its production but does not yet meet the specifications of a completed product.

Polotovars appear in many industries, including metallurgy, machine building, electronics, and food processing. Examples include metal billets, bars, sheets, castings, forgings, machined blanks, and assembled subassemblies awaiting finishing operations. In a production line, polotovars are moved as work-in-progress between shops or suppliers and serve as inputs to subsequent processing steps such as cutting, milling, forming, heat treatment, painting, or final assembly.

Quality and documentation: Each polotovar is produced according to a technical specification or process route. Its dimensions, tolerances, materials, and surface finish are defined, and subsequent operations must maintain compatibility with these requirements. Quality control may occur after a stage completion or before transfer to the next operation.

Terminology and context: The term is commonly used in Russian-speaking contexts and in some post-Soviet states, but the underlying concept exists under various names in other languages, such as semi-finished product or intermediate item. The concept helps organize production chains, reduce downtime, and enable specialization across different manufacturing stages.