In IFS/Asset Design, a physical piece of equipment is registered as a design part, and technical data is assigned to it. Design parts represent physical items that can be ordered directly from the warehouse (for example, pumps, cables and tanks). A design part's technical data includes capacity, dimensions and materials, among others. This technical data ranges from the simple to the complex, depending on the needs of the design part and the design part's associated technical class.
Design parts are connected to objects. The object carries the required process data, while the design part complements it with technical data describing the physical equipment. Often the needed design part is decided upon in consultation with a supplier or manufacturer.
One design part can be connected to multiple objects. This may occur, for example, because one type of pump may be used in several places within the facility. By keeping the one design part up-to-date, the multiple connected objects can easily inherit the design part data.
One object may have several connected design parts that satisfy its process requirements. When the first design part is worn out, the other design part can be substituted in its place, both physically and within IFS/Asset Design. Because the two design parts share the same technical data, the switch is easily made while the object and its process data remain the same.
Design parts belong to a design part standard, which is basically a dimensioning and numbering convention.
To help you attach the right design parts to objects, IFS/Asset Design allows you to define design parts with extensive technical data. You can also use version control, status control, and design part code features. A part number can be defined and attached to the design part to enable the design part to be integrated with other IFS Applications components.
A design part's technical data is the requirement data for a specific piece of equipment. For example, common technical data for a motor includes:
Technical data is configurable for design parts by defining a technical class for the design part class. Technical data is logically grouped within the design part to simplify data registration.
Design parts can serve as templates to help keep objects updated with information. Often, design parts hold data for nozzles, channels, wires, and terminals. This data can be changed on the design part and then inherited by the connected object(s) automatically or manually, helping to streamline the design process.
Additional parts are another way that the design part can serve as a template for the object. Additional parts can provide:
Design part codes simplify the selection of suitable design parts for objects. Up to four descriptive codes are used in place of an exact design part ID and technical data. Codes, defined for design parts, are entered on the object to help identify and allocate a suitable design part.
Design part versions enable you to track a design part's history by saving a snapshot of a design part. If a supplier or manufacturer changes a design part's general information (e.g., identification number), but the equipment's technical information is unchanged, a new design part version is created to separate the old from the new. If the technical information (e.g., production capacity) changes, a new design part ID is warranted.
Each time the design part ID is created or recreated, the version number is indexed by +1. The first time the design part ID is created the version is set to 1. A new version of that design part becomes version 2.
Other design part version features include:
10600020-3, Pump Centrifugal APP20 (version 3)
When a new design part version is created, the following elements are copied from the earlier version:
The following elements are not copied:
You can use the design part status management to turn a design part version on and off, thus making its status Available and UnAvailable to the design, respectively. UnAvailable design parts do not display within the Lists of Values unless explicitly selected.
A new design part is automatically set to Available. A new version of a design part (e.g., version 2) would also be automatically set to Available. In this case both version 1 and version 2 would be set to Available. If version 1 should no longer be used, manually set it to Unavailable. All versions can be set to Available to enable purchase or usage of each of the versions.
When design parts with the Unavailable status are attached to an object as a design part, additional part, and/or gasket part, a message displays alerting you to the design part's Unavailable status. This same message displays when the record(s) are saved.
A design part's status can be changed from Available to Unavailable and back to Available. Navigational models can be set up based on design part status. Design part status does not apply outside of IFS/Asset Design.
When a design part is created in IFS/Asset Design, it may or may not receive a part number. If it does receive a part number (that is, an existing part number is assigned to the design part through the List of Values or a new part number is manually entered), parallel part records are automatically created in the part catalog and purchase part records (if the associated IFS Applications components are installed). When defining the part number, you also have the chance to enable or disable the creation of the part number as an inventory part.
A design part outside of IFS/Asset Design is referred to as a part. If a design part is not assigned a part number, the design part cannot be used outside of IFS/Asset Design and is considered a construction design part only.
Design parts are integrated with inventory parts thus providing information during the design process. A design part can inherit data from the inventory part's Type Designation and Dimension/Quality fields. Data is inherited by the design part by defining these values on the inventory part and then by adding the part number to the design part.
The part number must also be created as an inventory part for this data to be transferred. The List of Values dialog box, which is used to select design parts for the connection to objects, shows you whether the part number is created as an inventory part and whether the inventory part has data defined for these fields.
A design part is a piece of equipment that serves as a complement to an object. The goal with design parts is to define and register them, connect them to their object(s), begin estimating costs, and eventually purchase the equipment. Design parts are used throughout the design process, although mostly during the basic engineering and detail engineering phases.
During basic engineering, requests are sent out to suppliers for help with the definition and completion of technical data. During the detail engineering phase, design parts are imported from the supplier back to IFS/Asset Design and connected to their objects.
During basic design, an existing design part may be connected directly to its object. This may occur during a redesign if the design part was used previously. A purchase requisition could then be created for the design part in the early design stages.
A design part may already exist that satisfies the object's process requirements. Such design parts can be searched for and connected to the object using design codes. This occurs most often during the basic engineering phase. Purchase requisitions for the equipment are then created to help with costing and purchasing.
New design parts are created as needed to satisfy the design's requirements. Once the objects are designed, design parts are created. The most common method to find the right design parts is to contact different suppliers and have them suggest design parts based on the object requirements data.
Once the design part exists within IFS/Asset Design, it can be be automatically allocated to the object using design part codes. Purchase requisitions for the equipment are then created to help with costing and purchasing.
To help with short-run data registration and costing, placeholder design parts can be registered during the basic design phase. You can set up these placeholder design parts, even though they may exist only on paper. The design part can then be completed with the necessary information, with the help from suppliers, manufacturers or internal sources.