Item: Part

A part record contains information for modeling a physical part's structure. Part records include common item elements for identification and iteration control, custom attributes, references, file attachments, tasks and other common elements.

The part class also has:

• Attributes such as unit of measure, unit cost, mass, lead time, etc. that are useful when exporting your product data to computer systems like MRP/ERP.
• Materials content and end-of-life recycling data.
• A single-level parts list that, when used with other parts, can show a multi-level bill of materials.
• A list of approved manufacturers for purchased parts.

Materials §

The Materials list shows the chemical substances that are used to make the part. Each line item consists of

• a substance name or identification,
• the quantity and its unit of measure,
• a calculated proportion (based on the part mass), and
• the location or application of hazardous or controlled material.

The constituents of a part, as well as a complete product, can be summed and reported.

Bill of materials (BOM) §

A bill of materials ("BOM") is a list of the physical parts required to build a manufactured assembly. (It may also be a list of chemicals in a formula or ingredients in a recipe.) Each row on the BOM is uniquely identified by its find number; the row identifies a physical part with quantity, unit of measure and possibly application notes, procedure instructions or reference designators.

An indented BOM report shows all of the direct parts, and those parts' lower-level components, that are required to construct an assembly. All items that directly report to the assembly are considered as one level deep; items that directly report to first-level items are two levels deep; and so on. (The top assembly has a depth of zero.) Complex products can have as many as 10 levels, although simpler BOMs are much easier and less expensive to manage, particularly in modern continuous-flow production environments.

To protect the product, child items should be added and removed only after careful review and approval. An item must be released on an executing change, and a child item must also be added on or taken off an item BOM. The BOM: Markup list tracks these changes. Once you've added or deleted the appropriate child items, releasing the item iteration also implements those markup items. The final BOM is shown on the BOM: Current list.

Find-item numbers §

A find-item number is a child item's location on the BOM and provides:

• A point of reference between iterations (and specifically technical revisions), or between similar parent items.
• A way to identify items depicted on a drawing without including the actual item number on the drawing, thereby abstracting the item's purpose from its identification.

To show the differences between two consecutive revisions of a parent item, BOM markups refer to a particular find number, and reference that find number in removing one item and adding a different item. To ensure traceability between revisions, find numbers cannot be modified after the parent item's initial revision has been released.

Sources §

Rather than designing every part that your products use, your organization may purchase parts from one or more approved vendor source. The source list is sometimes called an Approved Manufacturer List ("AML") or Approved Vendor List ("AVL").

Only a part record can be the source for a part. You can't drop a document record onto the Sources: Markup list.

The rank number shows the designer's preference of one supplier over a different supplier.

Your own organization can be the source for an item. This is useful if you are switching to a different numbering system, or have discovered multiple inventory numbers for the identical item, or are merging two different companies' identification schemes.

Related topics

• Part record
• How to work with parts
• Part Types collection

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