How to Use CMPRO for PLM (Part 5) – Parts Lists, Part Masters and Product Definitions

Last month we covered When and How to use Baselines in CMPRO.  Baselines in CMPRO aggregate all of the data—including documents, drawings, released software, and change control records— needed to define a product at a given point in time. In this issue we will discuss how more granular product definition data can be generated as part of managing a product with the Drawing Repository, Parts List, Part Master, and Product Definition Modules in CMPRO.

The Drawing Repository, Parts List, and Part Master modules in CMPRO work together to manage the creation and revision of drawings and parts lists (also known as Bills of Material).  Data managed in these modules can be used to provide Product Definitions for the building and maintenance of end-items and assemblies.

Drawing Repository

The Drawing Repository provides centralized storage for engineering drawings and revision control and feeds the Parts List, Part Master, and Product Definition modules in CMPRO to manage the creation and revision of drawings and parts lists to provide data that is useful for the building and maintenance of end items and assemblies. How to use the Drawing Repository was covered in Part 3 of How to Use CMPRO for PLM.

Parts List

The Parts List Module and related processes provide functionality that many DoD and commercial companies employ when creating parts lists. CMPRO meets or exceeds MIL-STD (Military Standard) drawing requirements as well as published ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) standards for drawing and parts list reporting.

Parts Lists that are correctly entered and maintained are very powerful when combined with the Product Definitions, Work Orders, and As-Built modules in CMPRO. Additionally, Part Trees and bills of material (BOMs) can be produced from information recorded in a drawing Parts Lists.

The Parts List screen allows components to be added or updated and the parts in an assembly or sub-assembly to be viewed.

When creating and working with Parts Lists in CMPRO, a fundamental decision must be made as to how they will be managed from their controlling Drawing Repository record.  There are two ways to manage parts lists in the Drawing Repository: PL sheets and Integrated Parts List (parts list maintained on Sheet 1). The PL Sheet or Sheet 1 can both be accessed from the Drawing Detail Screen.

Drawings are separated into sheets per common drawing management practices. If a change only affects one sheet, then only that sheet, and—if the drawing is managed using military practices—Sheet 1 would be edited (Sheet 1 keeps the revision history section updated on military drawings).

Parts List Sheets (PL Sheets)

To manage a parts list using a PL Sheet, a “PL” sheet entry is created and is revision controlled just like any other sheet on the drawing. Having a PL Sheet in a Drawing can trigger an automated Parts List generation function in CMPRO to generate a PDF and attach it to the PL Sheet. The preferred method for storing a parts list is using a PL Sheet in part because it can be modified independently of the drawing when needed.

Integrated Parts Lists

Many users display the parts list directly on Sheet 1 of the drawing, this is referred to as an Integrated Parts List in CMPRO. The Integrated Parts List is a tabular representation of the parts required for the drawing. With Integrated Parts Lists, you build the electronic Parts List (same as with a PL Sheet), but when the DCN is released the Integrated Parts List does not create a PDF and any time Sheet 1 is revised, the Parts List may also be revised.

Note: Sites that wish to use Integrated Parts Lists must set the business rule REQUIRE SEPARATE PL to “NO”. This enables the Parts List link on the DCN or the Drawing (if no DCN is used).

Part Master

The Part Master Detail screen is where all of the information about a part is stored including: Part Information, Vendor Information, General Information, Drawing Information, Substitute Part Numbers, and Product and Cost Information.

 

The information in the Part Master directly impacts the generation of PD-Part BOMs (Product Definition – Part Bills of Material) and PD-Part Trees. By default, if a part is in the Part Master and is a created part derived from an assembly in a Drawing Parts List, the Make/Buy setting will be either “Empty” or “Make”. This value can be manually set to “Buy” if it is a vendor-supplied part. A PD-Part Tree or BOM that includes a Buy part will not expand any further than the indenture of that assembly.  This allows the decision of buying or making major assemblies to be made without changing the engineering data on a parts list.

If the Part Master Validation Rules have been turned on, then all parts on the parts list must be entered into the Part Master database, and be approved for use.  While the Validation Rules are on, CMPRO displays any parts that are not in the Part Master in red and displays the message “Part Not Approved”.

The Part Master Status on the Parts List displays either a Create link (if the part is not in the Part Master) or a View Part Master link.

Product Definitions

The Product Definition (PD) Module is used to build and view a product’s indentured part structure as defined by one or more Parts Lists managed in the Drawing Repository, or to build and view a product’s hierarchical drawing structure as defined by next-higher assembly information.

A Product Definition includes Drawing Trees, Part Trees (indentured part breakdowns) and Bills of Material (BOMs).  These definitions combine to provide robust functionality for supporting the complex processes associated with designing and managing products, models, systems, subsystems and their associated assemblies and components.

The Product Definition Module in CMPRO is found by going to the Menu and searching for “PD”, from here Drawing Trees, Part BOMs, and Part Trees can be created or searched.

Drawing Trees

A drawing tree is a hierarchical breakdown of the drawings based on next-higher drawing information (sometimes referred to as application information). Drawing trees can be produced starting from any drawing that has other drawings referring to it as a next-higher drawing. If the application information for drawings is correctly entered and maintained, CMPRO will generate Drawing Trees on demand, in real time.

Part Trees (Indentured Part Breakdowns)

After a Parts List has been released, a product structure for any assembly part can be built and displayed as a Part Tree.  Creating a Part Tree with the Product Definition Module will breakdown the part structure to the lowest level assembly. All Part Trees are built using current Drawing Parts List data and are permanently saved as a snapshot in time of the part structure they represent. If the used-on information for parts is correctly entered and maintained, CMPRO will generate part trees on demand, in real time.

Part Bill of Material (BOM)

A Part Bill of Material (BOM) is built using the same criteria as a Part Tree, but the resulting output is a flat listing of parts. This represents the list of parts required to build the assembly requested, but all parts are only listed once, with the total quantities for each part rolled up across the entire parts listing. If the used-on information for parts is correctly entered and maintained, CMPRO will generate Part BOMs on demand, in real time.

Conclusion

The product lifecycle management process is continued with the Drawing Repository, Parts List, Part Masters, and Product Definition Modules by bringing all of the components of an assembly together for reporting, manufacturing, and maintenance of end items. Next month we will explore how all of the information from these modules feeds the Inventory Module in CMPRO.

This is part five of the series How to Use CMPRO for Product Lifecycle Management if you would like to receive updates to this series please Sign Up for Our Newsletter.