PDXpert PLM Software
On-line Help Guide

This help topic describes the current PDXpert PLM release. Earlier releases may be different. To view your release's version of this topic, open PDXpert and press the F1 key or select the Help menu.

Materials import

This file defines how PDXpert materials – that is, chemical substances – are added to existing part records.

Each row in the import file represents an item record with a material name, and possible quantity and notes.

The import file adds, updates or deletes part-material relationships regardless of the parent item's iteration status (pending, released or canceled).

For important rules that affect this import, see the Item-level relational imports help topic.

Rows on the Materials list are added cumulatively. That is, you can import a different row (say, a newly-regulated substance) without affecting the current list. If you want to replace an existing materials list, clear the list using the DELETE-MATERIAL-LIST special value.

The Batch Importer tool can generate a CSV template file, which can be used to import your data. Select List: Materials from the dropdown list, click the Export button, and save the file to a convenient location.

Column name Data type Value if empty Description
Class string Part Part Must be a Part or remain empty.
Owner Organizations home organization Identifies the organization that is primarily responsible for the parent item's specification and which issues the item Number. If not specified, then the home organization is used.
Type Part Types default member If not specified, then the part is matched against the default Part Types collection member.
Number string row is skipped REQUIRED: Part number. If the value is empty, the row is not imported.
MaterialName Materials row is skipped REQUIRED: If the value is empty, the row is not imported. The special value DELETE-MATERIAL-LIST deletes the materials list from the part. Other rows in the import file can add new materials.
MaterialValue double ≥ 0 0.0 Material's mass quantity or a ratio of material to the total part mass.
MaterialUnit Units of Measure g (gram) If this value is
  • Matched within the UOM category of Mass (e.g., g or lbm), then MaterialValue is treated as a mass quantity.
  • Matched within the UOM category of Proportion (e.g., % or ppm), then MaterialValue mass is calculated using the part's total mass.
  • Empty, then the default mass unit of measure (gram) is applied.
MaterialLocation string no value Imported as the material's Location value.

Part mass and imported materials mass §

A part's mass is specified on the part's Materials page by the Part mass (weight) value. It can be entered manually or is imported using the Item Master import format values of Mass and MassUOM.

When the materials list is imported, the part's mass is compared to the sum of all materials imported into that part. The imported materials' MaterialUnit says how to use the MaterialValue value:

  • as a mass by using a mass unit of measure like g or mg, or

  • as a proportion by using a ratio unit of measure like % or ppm, which calculates each imported material's mass from the part's total mass.

Any Units of measure collection members in the Mass / weight or Proportion (ratio) categories can be used as a MaterialUnit value.

Part mass (weight) is… MaterialUnit category Calculation effect
0 (zero) Proportion The material's proportion of part mass can't be calculated, thus the MaterialValue is imported as 0.
Equal to the sum of MaterialValue Mass or Proportion The sum of imported values does not change the part mass, and is 100% of the part mass.
Less than the sum of MaterialValue Mass or Proportion

The part mass is changed to the sum of imported values. If the imported materials list is used to set the part mass, then the part mass should be 0 before importing.

If the list of imported materials is incomplete (for example, unregulated materials like water are not imported), then the part's mass in PDXpert is less than the actual part's mass. While each material's mass is correct, the material's proportion of the part is overstated.

 If the imported materials list is used to set the part mass, then change the part mass back to 0 before importing a replacement materials list.
Greater than the sum of MaterialValue Mass or Proportion

The sum of imported values does not change the part mass.

The sum of materials is less than 100% of the part mass. If the part's mass is correct, then each material's mass and proportion is correct, even if some materials (such as unregulated materials) are not included in the materials import list.

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