Organizer for purchased parts

[dogarila]

I use many purchased (off the shelf) parts in my design. If the part has not been used before by anyone in my department, I model it (for complex parts I look on the web first) and save it in a "library" folder. Each manufacturer/vendor has its own subfolder. We have hundreds of models of purchased parts saved there and it become difficult to determine if a specific one has already been modeled before. I am looking for a smart way to search through these parts, maybe a software package to help me organize them, also a way to eliminate duplication.

 

[SBaugh]

Why couldn't you sort them into Speical folders such as:

Clamps
Bolts
Screws
etc...

Then maybe change the file name of the part to what it is. You could setup a Custom Property to give the proper Part number if that's what you need in your BOM.

You can change the location and the name using SW Explorer and be able to maintain the references of the parts your moving and changing their names.

Once you open up a part in SW Explorer. Do a Edit\Copy document - Click Find where used - Change the name and location - Click Apply. This is the short version of what to do. Please see help for clarifiaction.

See SW Website on how they organized all the models that were sent to them. That's the way I'm thinking -

http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/subscription/modellibrary/index.html

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[DesignSmith]

If you have SW Office, you can use the `Add My Parts Wizard' function in Toolbox to put such purchased parts in separate folders organized within the Toolbox standards.

The Toolbox items are organized by Catalog - Chapter - Page, which in your case might be something like: Berg - PT items - roller chain sproket, and then finally stainless.
Since the organization is somewhat similar to the print or on-line catalog you may be getting the original dimensions from, it makes it less likely that you would have to search multiple folders to find your items.

When you use the `Add My Parts Wizard' function, you can add an entirely new Catalog for your purchased items or slip them into new chapters under one of the exisiting international standards.


DesignSmith

http://www.DesignSmith-Services.com

 

[Standing]

We use PDM Works to store our manufactures parts. The model name is the manufactures part number. The description is what would go into the BOM. Once in PDM under the manufactures number, duplications are less likely, if someone does not enter the wrong manufactures number (which can happen). Once the part is used in an assembly we give it our own internal part number. Then we use MK (Manufacturing Knowledge) database to control purchasing of parts.
I hope this helps.


Bradley

 

[EdDanzer]

Although it may not be the best method, back in 1996 we started using Excel as a method of tracking and finding parts. If an item has more than one name, of fits into more than one category, finding it can be difficult unless you point to the correct field.
I looked at moving to Access, but don’t think it will work any better for look ups. The ideal method would be an index, but I haven’t found an easy way to do that. This problem has been discussed in several forums as “part numbering”.