Organizing Part and Drawings 1

[AeroNucDef]

Hi all,

Just wondering how other SW users organize their part and drawing files. I just wanting to know the best and most efficient way of doing this.

I was looking at a website which mentions smart numbers, it seems OK, but I'm not sure how easy it is to identify a part with just a number and no name. Do they have a drawing/part register?

Here's the link I was looking at.

http://www.solidsmack.com/solidwork...re-dumb-solidworks-guidelines-for-file-names/

 

[JMirisola]

Unless you're in a brand new company, you should already have a part number system in place, be it smart or, hopefully, not. You part and assembly files should match whatever that system is. Your drawing files should match whatever part or assembly they're created from. By doing it this way, it's easier to keep track of things between purchasing, engineering and sales.



Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
Design Manager/Senior Designer
M9 Defense
My Blog

 

[gwubs]

Do numbered file names in numbered folders is my advice. Parts/Assy's drawings can have the same number as the drawing. 12345sldprt. -> 12345slddrw.

 

[Eltron]

It really depends upon your intent. If it is just you then do whatever you want. Folders and subfolders would be fine. If you are working for a company that sells thousands of widgets then you have to be more strict, and maybe a random numbering system makes the most sense. It really just depends.

Dan

http://www.eltronresearch.com

Dan's Blog

 

[ctopher]

I agree with the others about numbering.
I tried several methods of managing files. I find it easier to manage files if they are all in one folder and used with PDMWorks.

Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[fcsuper]

This is a complex topic, as you can tell by the variety of answers. Part numbers should be as simple as possible. Categories of parts need not match a code within the part number. The link between category and part number is a common misconception and mistake that need not be.

If you have a PLM or PDM, use ONE folder for everything. Revisions are tracted within the PDM. If you do not have PDM or PLM, then get one. Seriously. The cheapest to get yourself started is Workgroup PDM with comes with SolidWorks Professional.

If you cannot get a PDM or PLM, then use folders for down revs, but still keep current revisions in a common folder. Do not put the revision within the file name. No matter what system you use, this will create far too many problems.

Matt Lorono
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources & SolidWorks Legion

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solidworks & http://twitter.com/fcsuper

 

[SnowCrash]

You ask what are we doing and what is best; two different things. My system has evolved from several different companies and their policies. It is not 'best', or even 'good', it just 'is'.
Each project goes in a folder labeled with the project name. Each machine has a two letter prefix and a four digit number, assemblies start with a '0' and machine parts start at 1001 for each assembly (and here is the bad part) with a descriptive text string as part of the file number. I use -001 for the original configuration, and increment variations -002, -003 etc.,
Drawing files usually are the part base number, configuration, rev level, and date code. i.e.,
GA-1001-001-REV-A_2010_10_22
I save drawings as pdfs for the rev level archive. Someday I may complete a project and I will save out the assembly as a parasolids file and the drawings as pdfs. I'll pack all the SW files into a zip that hopefully someone can find someday.
I have worked purely in a small development environment since 1996. This approach would be terrible in a production manufacturing operation.
"not good but it works for us"

--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2010 SP 2.1
HP Pavillion Elite HPE

 

[rbartz]

I've had seen 3 companies go through this subject. The largest one with over 200,000 tools and part drawings, another just starting out with 3D CAD.

My experience is with intenal tooling numbers, (not customer numbers like air cylinder numbers which makes sence for extrenal customers to double check to know they are ordering the correct product.)

For internal tooling parts/assemblies and components- every file should have a unique serial number identifying that file that is not linked to a specific property. This number should never have the chance of being repeated or you have duplicate files.

Company One. Company that names its files with a 2 or 3 digit prefix signifying what the tool is.
DD-12345
SD-12345
The first tool is a draw die and the next is a set die.
the original intent was to never have a repeating number, so dozens of pressroom operators search the drawings by the number so they get two results and use the wrong tool.
15 years later- 60 prefies half of which even designers working 20 years has dislexified, dropped, changed, etc. The worst one was MP for manufactured part, and PP for purchased part. If you started buying the MP instead of making it, you had to generate a whole new number and update every department causing lots of non-value added work and confusion with the X reference. With the introduction of a new business MRP system which almost forced you to have a raw number they jurry rigged it with dashes prefixe and suffixes and every week saw instances where they were sorry they did.

Company Two: In ancient days parts named from paper sheets they were drawn on from drafting board, number continued into 3D CAD causing problems
A-12345 (any part/assembly drawn on A size sheet)
B-12345 (any part/assembly drawn on B size sheet)
With 3D CAD many of the drawings changed that they needed a different paper size. Some parts have A-12345,B-12345,and C-12345 as the part got more complex it was put on a larger paper size and the old one not deleted or renamed. With one seqential number you have no choice but to overwrite.

Company Three(least problems): Went with 6 digit sequential number generated using Access database. The job file is a 6 digit sequential PDMWorks Folder representing the specific job and all the job specific tooling goes in that folder. For example Job 125333 had tools 100000, 100001, 100005. Standard tool such as journals or bearing caps remain in the standard tooling project. Job 125333 is for customer acme and their PO is can be cross referenced to this internal project folder which generates all the tooling for that job. The customer print in PDF format is stored in there also.

With PDMWorks Workgroup or enterprise you can search by description, material, size, type, or whateer specific property you set up which makes makes tooling numbers consisting of codes for characteistics unecessary. Before the days of computers and multi-criteria searches this type of thing made sense to use.

By using a sequential number you can change any attribute of the part without changing the part number. The same is true for a project file. A huge customer can change its name and you don't have to update 600 prints to keep everything current.

Also, by using a sequential number you can ensure no duplicate numbers are created by using a very simple number generator like MS Access, a SW API VB Macro, or Excell which makes it very difficult to take out 2 of the same numbers.

Switching from AutoCAD to 3D CAd is a perfect time to institute the new numbering system because it also represents when you started the drawings in 3D CAD. For example I know my X-2-B34V2 was pencil or Autocad and my 122333 is Solidworks. I can even set up a xreference property in PDMWorks for the old number and search for that!

 

[SolidWorksEngineer]

it`s depends your needs.

If you want, you can to a monthly base system. And every month but all project into excel table, then you know when you to something.

example: YEAR_MONTH_PART NR(001,002)/ASSEMBLY NR(100,101)/DRAWING NR.

1010-001-1 -first part, etc
1010-100-1 - first assembly, etc

If you want to search then take the excel table, see what month you do what project, and you find it quite quikly.

Everyone use own system, and all what you need is a little bit logic, and you find quite quikly, which system is right for your needs.

Best Regard,

SolidWorksEngineer

http://solidworksengineer.com

 

[beachcomber]

IMO any system that uses project codes, job codes, drawing size etc in the document numbering is a PITA. - you will end up duplicating things because you will not want to use parts 'with the wrong project code'.
Believe me, because it happens here on a massive scale.
Every project has its own set of models and drawings even though 99% of the parts can be the same as a previous basis project. Customer logo's on drawings, project and job codes on drawings etc. They all conspire to duplicate work.

Use the simplest method possible - sequential numbers only.
The only addition should possibly be the revision number.

rbartz post is probably the best response I've ever seen to this problem.

bc.
2.4GHz Core2 Quad, 4GB RAM,
Quadro FX4600.

Where would we be without sat-nav?

 

[SnowCrash]

Having it all to do over, I would issue sequential part numbers from a central location, like a spreadsheet, but I would still include a text descriptor tagged on to the end of the part or assembly file name. Drawings I would still append the rev and date code to the file name.
That means I would drop the project identifier in the part file name. I'd keep the leading '0' for assemblies, though.

--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2010 SP 4.0
HP Pavillion Elite HPE
W7 Pro, Nvidia Quaddro FX580

 

[PeterStock]

I would caution against using a spreadsheet for your numbers. One place I worked that file got corrupt and wiped out 1/2 the numbers. My suggestion would be an Access database.

Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services

http://www.infotechpr.net

 

[SnowCrash]

+1 Peter, or a more stable backed up database.

--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2010 SP 4.0
HP Pavillion Elite HPE
W7 Pro, Nvidia Quaddro FX580

 

[evolDiesel]

Part numbers will never be smart enough to do what a database can do. In my experience the only functional requirement of a part number is that it be unique.

Good luck

- J

Jack Lapham
Engineering Systems Administrator (E20)
Leupold & Stevens, Inc.

http://www.leupold.com

Dell M6400 Covet
Intel Core 2 Duo T9800, 2.93GHz, 1066MHZ 6M L2 Cache
8.0GB, DDR3-1066 SDRAM, 2 DIMM
512Mb nVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M (8.17.12.5896)
160GB Hard Drive 9.5MM 7200RPM FFS
W7x64 | sw-01: 55.92
SolidWorks 2010 x64 sp4.0
Enterprise PDM 2010

 

[rgrayclamps]

Hi, All:

I completely agree with evolDiesel. Dumb sequential numbering is the way to go.

I proposed and setup a part no. system using P-00000001 to P-99999999 for parts, and A-00000001 to A-99999999 for assemblies. It has been working nicely since 2003. No troubles and no complaints from users.

LOL, this A- and P- part no. are not totally dumb numbers as prefixes "A-" and "P-" do indicate document types.

We do not create tabulated drawings. We make a model and/or drawing file for each and every item. We do not use configuration except Toolbox items. It is debatable, but I have been trying to stay away from configurations because it violates "normalization" requirement of items (parts and assemblies) in database.

Best regards,

Alex