Customer is requiring native design files

[timsch]

My company has a customer that requires us to provide them the native PVElite design files that I used to run calculations on an assembly designed to ASME BPVC SEC. VIII, DIV.2.

This is the 1st time that I've run across this situation and am reluctant to provide them. I have already provided them with full, signed & stamped reports.

Just as a survey, do you receive such requirements and how do you handle them?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[davefitz]

In the past it was normal to allow the customer to visit the design offices and review the orignal calculations, but copies were not to be allowed. Likewise for some of the detailed design drawings that were considered to be proprietary.

"...when logic, and proportion, have fallen, sloppy dead..." Grace Slick

 

[The Obturator]

Unless it was requested/agreed within the original contract, that type of information is proprietary to the supplier/manufacturer.

Might be an idea to include some type of clause in your future T&C's of Sale to cover this.

Per ISO-4126, only the term Safety Valve is used regardless of application or design.

 

[KevinNZ]

Generally if there is a requirement in our contract then we do supply the calculations. We try to keep copyright so the IP can only be used for managing the item purchased and not passed on to others or used for other projects.

 

[timsch]

Thanks for the replies. I am not part of the contract review, but those that are were surprised to find this wording in the contract once it was brought to their attention after the fact. It looks like we may be stuck this time.

 

[The Obturator]

In that case you may want to consider stamping over the documents with something like "Provided for the exclusive review of Contact No 12345 only - Other uses void & unwarranted" - get your contracts people to draw up a sentence like that. It'll protect you just in case.

Per ISO-4126, only the term Safety Valve is used regardless of application or design.

 

[DriveMeNuts]

Simply say no. It is like the way a professional photographer sells you the photo for one price, and quotes an additional fortune if you also want the negatives. Often the photographer refuses to sell them.
You put hours into creating those files and often the files contain your engineering judgement and intuition. If they want them, then they have to pay for your hours and insight into your intuition. They have to pay for the education contained in the files.
They only want them because they want to hand the files over to another fabricator in the future to save money.
Only issue the final report.
Never issue a spreadsheet, PVElite worksheet or ANSYS FEM project. They are your personal tools which contain a world of insight and education for anyone that gets access to them.

 

[SnTMan]

In the shell & tube world it is routine and expected to provide (paper / pdf) calculations and (paper / pdf) shop drawings for review and approval. Computer files never.

timsch, if the client will not relieve you of this you will have to make sure the computer files are understood to be proprietary, and ideally will be furnished read-only if possible.

Regards,

Mike



The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[DriveMeNuts]

It is the signed paper version which are the official copy.
Therefore you can remove anything such as personal or company names from the files.
Even remove any ingenious intuitive content.
Make them as vanilla as possible.

 

[timsch]

SnTMan, yes that has been customary in our world too. This is the 1st time it has happened in my years of experience. I did initially say "no", but I don't have the weight to push it through....

DriveMeNuts, yes, it's certainly possible that they just want to use the files to try to go around using us in the future. Fortunately, there are design features that cannot be gotten from looking at the files I have to provide. I'll try to make them as vanilla as possible.

 

[SnTMan]

timsch, sometimes you gotta just hold your nose and do it

Best of luck

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand