Unique part numbers 1

[TimHat]

Dear all,

I know this has been done to death before but I can't find a concice answer to this question...

We are a small company and using SolidWorks 2007 to design and also manage the BOM. Prior to now I haven't been giving anything a part number, we haven't really had enough parts to make it worth while. I'm starting to plan for the future though and I'm sure that a system implimented correctly now will pay dividends in the future. My question is:

When I store parts in the PDMWorks Vault I enter certain data as I am checking the part in. (Cost, lead time, supplier etc.) I would like to use the same system to enter a part number, is there a (simple) way to auto-incriment part numbers. For example, in the morning I check in a part, it's number is 00001. Later in the day I check in a second part, the part number box is automatically filled in as 00002.

Many thanks, Tim

 

[NL8]

If you are using PDMWorkgroups, the free PDM package that is part of SolidWorks 2007 Office Professional, then no there isn't an automated counter like that built into the vault. If you're lucky enough to be using PDMWorks Enterprise, then yes this is done easily as part of a template set up on the back side of the software.

Joe Hasik, CSWP/SMTL
SW 08 x64, SP 4.0
SW 09 x64, SP 0.0
Dell T3400
Intel Core2 Quad
Q6700 2.66 GHz
3.93 GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600

 

[zirtapoz]

is not your file name also your part number?
Or is your part number an individual property in your file and you have a different file name?

 

[TimHat]

Thanks for the answers guys. Zirtapoz: The file name is descriptive for now, i.e. "x-y stage top plate.sldprt", but I would like to assign all the files a unique part number in their document properties. It would of course be possible to have an Excel sheet or similar with part numbers in and enter each part in as I check them into the vault. However, I can see situations where this would be error prone as it involves manually duplicating data. If there is an eligant way of doing this I would love to know about it.

 

[fcsuper]

Rules:
1. Use dumb numbers for part number (don't even be tempted to have commodity codes).
2. Use the part number as your file name.

Matt Lorono
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
and Mechnical.Engineering Yahoo! Group

 

[TimHat]

fcsuper: I agree, and this is the kind of thing I'm working towards. But... How to allocate the part numbers. Even if they are dumb it would be nice to have a fool proof system to ensure that parts didn't get duplicate numbers. Relying on someone filling in a spreadsheet, checking what the last allocated part number was, or other similar system, at the same time as they save the part will surely lead to human error sooner or later.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

I know this has been done to death before but I can't find a concice answer to this question..

That's because there isn't one.

One of the best threads on this topic is thread559-45542

... but it still doesn't give a concise answer. Develop a numbering system which is a good fit for your company, its products, and all the relevant users.

Good luck ... you going to need it.

 

[MadMango]

I worked at a company that issued sheets of 100 5-digit part numbers to each engineer and designer. As new parts were created, they pulled a number themselves. The sheet had two columns, one for the new part number and one for the description. When the sheet was full, they would turn it in and get a new sheet of blank numbers from Doc Control. It was a simple and effective system.

 

[TimHat]

Thanks for the replies folks. I'm starting to think that, as no one is leaping forwards with the solution, we're going to have to go down the Excel spread sheet route. Either that or get management for fork out for PDMWorks Enteprise. (Probably unlikely.)

 

[AnnaWood]

A Microsoft Access database will do the trick for you.

If you want to get more sophisticated look at a product called ARAS Innovator. It is a free, open source solution.

http://www.aras.com

Cheers,

Anna Wood
SW2008 SP4.0, Windows Vista SP1
IBM ThinkPad T61p, T7800, FX570M, 4 gigs of RAM

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/solidmuse

http://www.phxswug.com

 

[EEnd]

I have a dim memory of a thread where someone was working on an API solution for this, and had offered their solution when complete. However my attempts to find the thread with searches failed. Does anyone else remember such a thread?

Eric

 

[handleman]

Something like this would be easy to write, and indeed highly customize, for a specific organization's use. Not so easy to do a "one size fits all" implementation.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

 

[TimHat]

Have just been looking at Aras Anna. Looks very interesting and could be just the right thing for a company like ours which wouldn't want to splash out on "proper" PLM. I'm downloading it now to take it for a test drive. Do you have it set up to do part numbers as I discussed?

 

[DiegoLGraves]

Always an interesting topic, part numbering systems. One place I worked where we built water conditioning control valves, the part numbers were descriptive - mechanical vs electronic, automatic monitoring, etc, right down to the rate of flow controls. It was nice for an insider, but somewhat limited as the product line expanded.

I am very curious about Anna's reference to ARAS, whether this software would be suitable as a general document control system. A couple years ago we went paperless for job travelers and prints in our shop. That works great. Now we are investigating going paperless in the office. The would include anything we currently keep in file cabinets.

Any of your thoughts would be welcome, but perhaps this should be posted elsewhere.

tia, Diego

 

[handleman]

I tried out Aras a few months ago. Couldn't figure out how to do what I really wanted with it. Of course, I'm not familiar with PLM in general.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

 

[AnnaWood]

TimHat,

We use a different solution for our document management called VisualVault.

Cheers,

Anna Wood
SW2008 SP4.0, Windows Vista SP1
IBM ThinkPad T61p, T7800, FX570M, 4 gigs of RAM

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/solidmuse

http://www.phxswug.com