BOM Balloons: Part name instead of just a number?

[MMike1]

Like the title says, is it possible for the BOM leader to call out the part name instead of the BOM item number?

I tried convincing our mfg guys that it would not be THAT hard for them to switch the "balloon method" on our drawings. But they will have none of it. They want to have the full call-out on the drawing.I'd like to maintain the automatic-ness of the BOM that Solidworks provides.......


Thanks.

 

[ctopher]

Do a search for "balloon" here or see faq559-289.
The problem with showing "Part name" and not "item number" is if the BOM changes the drawing will have to change.
I have never worked with a company that used "part name".

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 2.0
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated 10-07-07)

 

[brengine]

I have worked for 3 companies and they all had very customized styles they wanted their balloons in. One wanted Part Name, Quantity, Vendor, and Vendor Part Number all in there for each purchased part. 2 of them did not want to insert a BoM in the drawing, so they didn't even have Item Numbers (just Purchased Part info. and Manufacturing Part Numbers/Names).

In a balloon you can easily link one Custom Property, and even a second if you are ok with a split balloon.

A possible alternative is a custom Annotation that "looks" like a balloon. It will be fully associative. You can add those to the Design Library and drag-and-drop them onto your model.

Anything more than that will probably involve API programming.

Ken

 

[fcsuper]

MMike1,

I think the problem may be resolved by employing the use of Work Instructions and Work Orders properly, instead of cluttering the drawing up with all that redundant information. Are you guys using any PLM or ERP system? If so, under ISO-9001, it may actually create documentation risk to have part numbers on drawings. Just a thought.

Matt Lorono
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
and Mechnical.Engineering Yahoo! Group

 

[MMike1]

No ERP yet...not a good one anyway. Working on it.

And I've seen drawings done like this elsewhere. I've worked for 8 different companies, and it's pretty evenly split.

Pratt and Whitney uses the bubbles. Boeing (and related STC vendors), Bell Helicopter spell out the call-outs fully.

ie: NAS1801-3-44 SCREW (3)

It's really not THAT unusual (in aerospace anyway)

The argument is that we have enough issues in the shop without "forcing" the guy working to the dwg to move his eyes from one page to another. It's one more possible source for mistakes. (Their opinion, not mine).

I do see their logic. But to me it's not a deal breaker. So now the call has been made. I'm done stewing about it. Now I gotta deal with it.

I'll try the proposed solutions above......or more accurately. I'm a manager. I'll have my guy (who is THIS close to his CSWP) do it...and I'll go back to building schedules that will be ignored.

Thanks all.......