Happy Friday dear people.
Firstly, apologies, I'm sure this has been asked before.
I would just like to ask a question. When you create a sheet metal part with inserts, do you give one part number for the blank, another for part with inserts? or one part number?
Your input is appreciated.
EDIT:
Thanks for all your input. Just to clarify, the particular scenario I'm interested in is one piece of sheetmetal with any number of inserts to create a single part.
Message was edited by: Bjorn Hulman
In fact, the sheet metal part with inserts is assembly.
So you need one number for the part itself and the another for assembly with inserts.
IMHO, it shouldn't matter how you manufacture it. An assembly is an assembly...
We give the blank a PN and the Assembly another PN and if I'm real good, those will be sequential.
Steve C
Steve Calvert wrote:
IMHO, it shouldn't matter how you manufacture it. An assembly is an assembly...
We give the blank a PN and the Assembly another PN and if I'm real good, those will be sequential.
Steve C
What Steve said....
Separate part numbers for all components. Assemblies to tie them together.
It may be easy to keep track of the misc. details like that in a small shop, but I’ve seen many companies go through the growing pains of proper documentation, and it’s good to see sooner than later that all parts have their own drawing and drawing number, are all entered and/or linked in the business software accordingly, and assemblies are properly entered with links to those bom parts etc. Multiply the size of the company, array of part types, outside sources, inside operations, variations in finishes (paint, no paint, electrocoat), new employees without proper tribal knowledge, it gets to be a mess fast – and the only real solution is to do it right – separate part numbers.
John Christensen wrote:
Separate part numbers for all components. Assemblies to tie them together.
It may be easy to keep track of the misc. details like that in a small shop, but I’ve seen many companies go through the growing pains of proper documentation, and it’s good to see sooner than later that all parts have their own drawing and drawing number, are all entered and/or linked in the business software accordingly, and assemblies are properly entered with links to those bom parts etc. Multiply the size of the company, array of part types, outside sources, inside operations, variations in finishes (paint, no paint, electrocoat), new employees without proper tribal knowledge, it gets to be a mess fast – and the only real solution is to do it right – separate part numbers.
And what John said as well....
I suspect both John and Steve have the scars from not dealing with an assembly correctly within a manufacturing environment.
Develop the proper workflows for assemblies early and you will reap more rewards than headaches.
Yeah! What they all said...
I work for a smaller shop now, but have worked for a larger manufacturing company and they had part numbers and separate drawings for every part that came through the shop. It's a lot easier to track it that way when you have a magnitude of different parts to complete a full assembly.
The the way we do things here, it all depends on how in depth (how many sheet metal parts) it takes to make the full completed part/assembly. Now with that being said if there are weld nuts, inserts, etc added to a sheet metal part, I draw that part (single sheet metal part) as its own part. Then open an assembly drawing to insert any "hardware" so that it shows up in the BOM. I do not use SW Smart Fastners. I download the SW part from McMaster Carr and insert it into my assembly. That way when it shows up in the BOM it has McMaster's part number already inserted into the BOM for purchasing to simply look and order. If I am making a multi bodied sheet metal part, I draw the whole, multi-bodied part in one part drawing (I do this to ensure proper alignment of sheet metal parts and its easier for me to keep track of rather than making each individual sheet metal part then assembling the final in an assembly file and checking fitemtn of parts), then open an assembly and add "hardware". Usually when this happens I separate my BOM between "hardware" in its own table and Sheet Metal parts in its own table. That way when purchasing goes to order hardware needed its easier to read/order and Laser/punch operator doesn't have to sift through hardware in the BOM to see his part numbers for parts to be run.
Also our parts here are labeled as a finished product in the system, single bodied or mulit-bodied. The parts are deciphered with independent part numbers in the drawing file. Parts are saved to DXF's with their separate part numbers for laser/punch file purposes. I modify the part number in the main BOM and each parts perspective drawing sheet within the packet with its designated part number for assembly.
The below example of a BOM does include Riv Nuts in the main BOM since its the only "hardware" that goes along with the finished product. The completed part number is in our system as CM1111317-Box. The part numbers attached to parts (strictly in the BOM) to make the complete assembly do not have their own drawing outside of this packet.
Example:
I know other companies do it different but this is the way we try and do things here. What i have explained is what i do for sheet metal parts/assemblies only. When there are sheet metal parts involved with weldments (tubing, angle iron, etc) and machined parts. each part gets its own part file then gets its own sheet in the complete drawing file packet.
That's my 2 cents and how we approach things here at a smaller fabrication job shop.
In my opinion it depends on how you manage the manufacture process. If you buy the bare sheet metal and add insert afterwards it's better to assign separate part numbers. If you get the sheet metal with inserts on, you can assign just a single p.n.. If you manufacture the sheet metal inside, you can choose... It's related to the BOM needed to the buyer, therefore the manufacture drawing you need to issue.