File Saving with PDMWorks

[toshga]

We are in the process of moving to Solidworks 2008 and PDMWorks. Would someone please share with me the process of saving to the PDM system. Does the designer create all models, assemblies and drawings on his local computer and when completed, move them to the PDM server? Do you manually create part numbers each time you begin a new part,ass'y or drawing? How do you keep track of the next file name to be assigned. If you also have any advice on file naming, that would be great too.

Thanks,

TS

 

[NL8]

File naming seems to be more of a convention created and followed from company to company, rather than something assigned in PDM. PDM will track the files you create and keep you from creating multiple copies of the same file name in different locations. Saving to the PDM system is a...I don't want to say a complicated process, but much more detail involved than simply saving a file to a network location. There are multiple fields to be filled out if they are mapped to SW properties and such. Users create files locally and load them into the PDM vault manually as they complete them, not including the bulk check-in process you can do when you first install the vault, which will take all of your current model and drawings and load them into the vault automatically.

Currently we use our inventory part number as file name, which is assigned in an 11 digit number. The first four digits determine what category of part it is; pipe, electrical fittings, valves, etc. the second four digits generally denote some sizing category; in valves it would be NPS of the valve, fuses would be rated Apms, etc. The last three digits are generally a counter to differentiate between components that share than same category and size; 000 for Brass construction, 001 for stainless steel, etc.

I think that covers everything, if in a disjointed method. Sorry about that.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Regarding file naming;
thread559-45542

 

[toshga]

Attached is the way we are naming files using autocad. The number 07 in the 0700 denotes "Dies". We also have other parts that may appear in a job. For instance, we may have another folder under "Die" called "Feedblock". Instead of 07, Feedblock number is 02 ...0200. Inside that folder is the same folder structure under "Die"(Assembly, Details, Electrical, etc...) Feedblock would look like this
0200 - Assembly
0201 - Details
0202 - Electrical and so on.
Feedblock number = 10060-0200-01 for Assembly
10060-0201-01 for Details and so on.
what do you think about this numbering system?

 

[Standing]

Also read:
PDM Rules to Live by: faq559-1227

Bradley
SolidWorks Pro 2008 x64 SP1.1
PDM Works, Dell XPS Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 5 GB RAM, Virtual memory 12577 MB, nVidia 3400
e-mail is Lotus Notes