Prilaborado

Prilaborado is a term used in some industrial engineering and manufacturing texts to describe a preparatory phase that precedes primary processing. The term is not universally standardized and may be defined differently across industries. In general, prilaborado encompasses activities that prepare materials, components, and environments for subsequent operations, reducing variability and improving throughput.

Etymology and scope of meaning vary by source, but prilaborado is commonly interpreted as a compound of pre- and laborado (labor/working), indicating pre-work for production. In practice, it refers to a set of preparatory tasks conducted before the main processing steps of a production line.

Typical prilaborado tasks include cleaning, sorting, grading, conditioning, metrology and sampling, documentation, packaging, and provisioning of tools and fixtures. It may also involve supplier prequalification, contamination control, and deburring of workpieces prior to main processing. Depending on the sector, prilaborado can cover material handling, environmental controls, and pre-assembly checks that aim to stabilize input conditions.

Industries implement prilaborado through defined standard operating procedures, checklists, and quality requisites. In lean manufacturing, prilaborado seeks to reduce set-up times, minimize scrap, and stabilize inflows, thereby enabling smoother downstream operations and more predictable performance.

Historically, references to prilaborado appeared in mid- to late-20th century quality manuals as part of pre-production planning. The term has gained broader usage in electronics, automotive, and pharmaceutical contexts where strict pre-processing controls are essential. Variants include prilaborado for materials and prilaborado for assemblies. Critics argue that over-application can add cost and complexity and that the concept overlaps with existing terms such as pre-processing and conditioning. See also: pre-processing, conditioning, quality control, lean manufacturing.