Vault Process???

[phlyx]

We are just starting to dip our toes in the Vault world.  Had used it many years ago in a previous life but that's faded in the past.  We have not installed it yet but will to start testing soon.  Had a question on the process of revisions.  Here's the scene:

Part thispart1.ipt is used in assembly001.iam, assembly002.iam and assembly003.iam.  assembly001.iam is used on machine001.iam, assembly002.iam is used on machine002.iam and assembly003.iam is used on machine003.iam.  These are all the related files.

thispart1.ipt / thispart1.idw

assembly001.iam / assembly001.ipn / assembly001.idw

assembly002.iam / assembly002.ipn / assembly002.idw

assembly003.iam / assembly003.ipn / assembly003.idw

machine001.iam / machine001.ipn / machine001.idw

machine002.iam / machine002.ipn / machine002.idw

machine003.iam / machine003.ipn / machine003.idw

There is a sharp corner on thispart1.ipt and it's requested to chamfer it to prevent it from causing injury.  thispart1.ipt and thispart1.idw are checked out, updated, revision level bumped to "B", and checked back in.  Now that thispart1.ipt (and its drawing) have been updated to Rev "B", what is the process for updating all the assemblies it's used in, the presentation files and drawings?

[Gabriel_Watson]

You typically need to open each assembly/IPN/drawing that consumes it and update, save, and check in. You should open them in order of hierarchy lower to higher (assembly001 needs to be updated before you update machine001). Files at the same level can be updated in any order (assembly001, 002 and 003, for ex.) as long as you update those before you update the files that consume them (drawings/IPNs, etc. above).

[phlyx]

Thanks.  There is a school of thought with some engineers that if we update a part, it should not be revised, it should be made into a new part number and whatever assembly it is used in gets made into a new assembly number.  Thinking if anything, the assembly it's used in should be revised.    Others think you revise a part and it works in previous assemblies (form, fit, function) it just gets rev'ed.  And assemblies need to be updated (checked out, saved, checked in) but they do not need to be rev'ed as the rev level of a part is not really part of the BOM process in the assembly. 

[CGBenner]

@phlyx 

In a previous life, if we changed a part we rev'd the part and drawing using Vault's ECO process.  The part number did not change, but we had procedures in place (which didn't always get followed) that any copies of prints were to be collected and destroyed as a part of the ECO process (including those at outside shops).  The assemblies did not get rev'd unless the change was an actual new part, not just a change to the existing one.  We did, however, open those assemblies and update them.  We were discussing possibly rev'ing the assemblies and associated drawings and then adding a BOM column to reflect the part Revision... but as of when I left that had not been implemented.

So,... yeah.  There are many schools of thought.  I've always been of the opinion that the right procedure is the one that gets you the best quality parts and assemblies.  IOW, whatever works best for your company.

As you dip your toes in, feel free to load up the Vault forum with questions on setting up lifecycles and revisions in Vault, and good luck!  🙂  

[Gabriel_Watson]

Old school of thought does not work with Vault revisions, because a Vault revision can be simply a new annotation in the drawing or property changed. You can get back to the older designers and say that Vault revisions are PDM revisions, and you treat them as such even if there is no impact on the project.

The most important thing about this topic is that you should probably include (as my team has) a little sketch symbol box into every drawing with the Vault revision letter/number. We leave it at the bottom left of our drawings. That will tell manufacturing and procurement/suppliers which VAULT revision they are working with. As soon as you started using Vault you should stop creating new part numbers and files for different releases, and start working with revisions on top of the same file/item record.

Once you implement items in Vault you realize that ITEM revisions are more like the old school releases, where an ECO needs to be filled in and the project manager is aware of the change too. Vault FILE revisions though should be as common as the rain. Sometimes you add a fillet, and it doesn't mean your item should be re-issued. But the file is different and should be updated and re-drawn.