Parts
The term Part is usually used to describe something that can be built or ordered and physically embodied in a manufactured product. In 4G:PLM, every part is identified by a unique Part Number. Parts can be divided into subclasses, e.g. there may be resistors and capacitors as parts, and they may be described using different attributes that your administrator has configured.
To create a New Part, select Part from New Objects menu. A dialog opens asking you specifically to create a New Part or to create a New Assembly
Figure 3.4.a: New Part Dialog
The term Assembly is often used for an item that contains other items, i.e. it has a bill of materials. In this dialog, you can choose the Part Type. The values you see will depend on your servers configuration. After you have chosen a part type, you can enter a new part number manually (this part number must not already exist in the database). Alternately, the administrator may configure automatic part number generation, in which case the Part Number may be pre-populated (you can request a new auto-number by clicking on the green icon next to the Part Number field). The, a dialog opens that lets you define the values for various attributes:
Figure 3.4.b: New Part Window
Notice that the parts attributes are organized on different tabs, which may have different names on your system. Depending on the attribute data type, you can enter free text, a number or choose from one or more pre-defined values. Some attributes, such as the Creation Date, cannot be modified by a user. If you feel you should be able to edit an attribute but cannot, it may be due to the access rights that the administrator has given you. Certain attributes have special meanings:
Attribute |
Explanation |
Part Number |
This must be unique in the database and cannot be changed after assignment |
Revision |
The initial default revision is 0. Revisions can only be set using a Change Order. Attributes of a released revision cannot (generally) be modified. |
Lifecycle Phase |
The lifecycle phase depends on what the administrator has defined, but generally starts out with Preliminary or something similar. It requires a change order to change this. Note that is also displayed prominently in the upper right-hand corner of the window. |
Document
A Document is usually used to describe either a physical document, such as a manual, or an electronic document, such as a specification in a word-processing format or designs in some CAD format. Both parts and documents are modeled in the same way in 4G:PLM: the administrator defines part and document subclasses as required and assigns attributes to them. Both parts and documents can contain physical file attachments, have bills of materials or be routed through a change process (covered later). To simplify discussing these functions, the term Item is used to speak of both Parts and Documents:
The term Assembly is often used for an item that contains other items, i.e. it has a bill of materials.