Part Numbering System Modifications HELP ??? 1

[MonicaLee]

We are a Valve Manufacturing company, we make small motor/ pressure relief/control valves, level indicators, and chemical injection pumps. In the last 5 years, we acquired 2 other companies with same line of products. The new acquisitions introduce new parts with their existing Part Identification Numbers (PIN). That means we are having 3 different PIN System within 1 manufacturing plant. There are about 10,000 parts so it gets very confused to learn from different part numbering system.
We are trying to update to a new PIN system, the most difficult task is that what is the right way to do it. I would like to ask if anyone ever experience such tasks and wants to help us. Thank you so much for reading this post.

 

[MadMango]

Our company has acquired a few competitors products in the past. What we do is simply assign new parts numbers to this compoents and in the general notes area reference the old original part numbers. We use non-sigificant part numbers though. If you use significant or intelligent part numbers it might be a harder task to accomplish.

[green]"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."[/green]
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[mcorker]

Hi Monica

Part Numbers are always a contentious issue.

You can check out a white paper on this topic at:

http://www.seradex.com/ERP_WhitePapers/Part_Numbering_WhitePaper.pdf

If you have any comments or further question just let me know.

Mark Corker

http://www.seradex.com

 

[PSE]

I have worked with both "intelligent" and "blind" part numbering schemes and as mcorker also indicates, have yet to see one that seems to satisfy everyone. If you check with every department that uses the part numbers, you will likely get a different answer from each one as to what they feel they want or need. That said, it would be worth doing anyway. You will also have to consider the "legacy" part numbers from the acquired companies. Customers may be used to ordering/working under the "old" part number so a cross reference is a must to facilitate continued orders. Part number length is of concern to both the inventory system and the people who need to transact the parts. Long numbers take a lot of time to manually enter and the chances of errors increase. If you barcode, it becomes a bit less of a concern.

If your project is to incorporate the aquired companies parts into the parent companies scheme, then it is a matter of just slogging through them one by one. The cross referencing becomes vital at that point. If you find a part that is a form, fit, function match to one of your existing parts, give it the same number.

Regards and good luck,

 

[MonicaLee]

MadMango: Thank you but it doesn't help much. Could you please be more specific.
mcorker: Thank you, your recommended article is an excellent source.
PSE: Thank you for covering the part number philosophy and its legacy. Please advise me more about bar code, how much money and time to create that.

I think this is an extremely important subject, I look forward to further discuss with any other details. Thank you.

Monica Lee.

 

[MonicaLee]

Maybe I need to further ask you: How do you relate Part number (P/N) to Drawing Number (D/N). Do I just create a spreadsheet and enter P/N and D/N in the description to let people know that P/N's drawing is available? Should I include D/N as part of P/N? Should I avoid using P/N with letter "S" (it looks like number 5) or "I" (it looks like number 1)? Please help!!!

 

[MadMango]

At the places I have worked the drawing/document number is the same as the part number.

Don't you have some form of an EPR or MRP system that will manage this point for you?

[green]"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."[/green]
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[BML]

If it's convenient to have each part on its own drawing, that's certainly an easy way to go. But many people prefer to use tabulated drawings for similar parts with multiple sizes, so you do have to find a way to relate the two. Depending on what sort of systems you have in place now, this can be done with a product data management (PDM) system, MRP/ERP system, or just a plain old spreadsheet.

As far as which characters not to use, it depends. Generally you should avoid letters that look like numbers, but if there is a situation where one of those letters is meaningful and obvious, then go ahead.

As far as your original question, I agree with PSE. Regardless of how you set up your new part number logic, the cross-reference sheet is extremely vital. Some of the newer systems (we're implementing Oracle now) have forms for this sort of thing, and can even automatically convert from one part number to another (i.e. customer still orders part number A, even though you've changed it to part number B).

Good luck!

 

[mcorker]

You will have more flexibility if you maintain separate part & drawing numbers. Each should also have a revision code. (The rationale for incrementing revisions is a whole topic itself). Your MRP system should have fields for both.

If you are using laser printers or thermal label printers you shouldn't have confusion between "S" and "5".

An additonal note is that the MRP system should also allow you to associate Part Numbers and Vendor Part Numbers to items you sell or buy.

M. Corker

http://www.seradex.com

 

[BillPSU]

I've been involved in just what you are doing. Normally The new part numbers are input into your system just as they are, assuming your system can handle the part numbers. Normally the legacy part numbering system is the base system. Engineering then has to convert the outside part numbers to your in-house system. Duplicates are weeded out. Work is done normally when revisions are required and/or when management deems updating is necessary. You will find duplicate fastener numbers, seals, bearings and the like throughout the products. It becomes a lot of busy work for the people updating drawings but it is necessary for your purchasing department and plant to get best pricing on the product and reduced inventory dollars and space in the plant.

Cross references with new part number and old part numbers will have to be maintained for service parts.

Update your designs based on the dollar volume for the different assemblies. Simplify and combine the designs if possible and fix any parts which present special problems to make or buy.

Good Luck
Bill

 

[MonicaLee]

Bill: Wow, I am surprised to hear someone else going to the same trouble. Could you be more specific about how you create assembly and subassembly. Let's said for the O-Rings, I have 1 O-Ring that goes to 10 different valves, but I don't want to break up logical groups of parts into categories. That means I currently have 1 O-Ring with different P/N because that O-Ring is applicable to different categories (products).

MadMango, what is EPR, MRP?
BML: Oracle is too expensive for us, we are currently using a very old database that needs to improve.
mCorker: Do I use to use ASME Y14.5?

Thank you again everyone.

 

[BillPSU]

The valve you are talking about is an assembly. My experience is that not all of your 10 valves are still in production. Your engineering department will have to change the acquired valves and utilize o-ring part numbers which you currently buy not the old company's part number. You want to focus on the assemblies still in production not the obsolete valves. Someone will have to cross reference the old part numbers to the new part numbers.

If you can get a where used from the old company it will help in finding where replaced part numbers need to be worked on.

I've never worked in a company which has different part numbers for the same part because of different categories.

 

[PSE]

MonicaLee,

You will likely have some components used across various end product assemblies or sub-assemblies, for those I would recommend using one base family part number. For example:

"Intelligent" # (base #)-(material code)-(dia)-(thickness)

"non intelligent" (base #)- (addendum #)

Your sub assemblies comprise a set of parts commonly built together and used in a higher level or final assembly. Drawings here should have an associated parts list or "Bill of Materials" An intelligent numbering system might use part of the final assembly number within part numbers of unique components or sub-assemblies, non-intelligent would be just some base # and possibly an addendum #

It does not sound like your place of employment has invested in an ERP (Enterprise Requirements/Resource Planning) or MRP (Materials Requirements/Resource Planning) software. As such there may be no current limit to your part number characters. I would recommend using no more than 15 should you get an ERP or MRP system in the future.

Regards,

 

[MonicaLee]

PSE: This company is DIRT CHEAP, they are not investing anything. I appreciate so much for your advice and carry on.
Bill: Thank you as well.

Monica Lee.