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The outstanding advantage of standard components, especially for CAD applications, is their rapid availability. There are two crucial aspects here: firstly, it must be possible to incorporate the standard components in a particular system without difficulty and secondly, ways must be provided of locating standard or repeat parts quickly and systematically.
The introduction of a harmonized classification principle based on the characteristics table method described in DIN 4000/4001 and ISO 13584 for all standard and company-standard parts utilized in CAD design is an essential prerequisite of a powerful parts management system which allows repeat parts to be used easily. In combination with the extensive research functions, it provides the key to a significant reduction in part variety as well as to productive use of the variant method. The MetaKON CL module also facilitates parts management for special parts and supports custom product developments. An additional rationalization potential results from the reduction in the number of tools and resources due to the use of standard CL-controlled form features (e.g. tapped hole) for various production methods, combined with the ability to save technology data for manufacturing and work planning. The consistent introduction and application of the above-mentioned classification technology is effectively supported by the CL module. The alphanumeric CL data and the graphical CAD data are made available to the design engineer with the aid of MetaKON, using specific interface components to activate the subsystem functions (e.g. CAD interface). Other alphanumeric data in the design environment, such as the part master record, the drawing master record and the parts list, are made available to the design engineer by other MetaKON modules. A significant improvement in the quality of the technical documentation is achieved through the implementation of the master drawing principle. A master drawing, in which all the data belonging to a particular drawing (geometry, dimensions, technology, organization) is optimized, is saved for each geometry variant. All the other dimensional variants are then derived from this master drawing, simply by selecting the appropriate row in the CL table. This "zero defects" concept enables the costs of faults to be drastically reduced. The design engineer is thus provided with a tool which ensures that the following goals are achieved without fail:
The MetaKON CL module subdivides standard and company-standard parts into the following groups according to the classification of characteristics tables in DIN 4000/4001 and ISO 13584:
There is an CL table for each CL key. This table and the characteristics it contains enable the geometry that belongs to an CL key to be described in full, together with any additional information. All other dimensional variants are derived by means of the entries in the table rows. If the CL tables contain entries for single parts and assemblies, the user is automatically prompted to create the associated PMR. It is also possible to enter rows for preliminary drafts without linking them to part master records. MetaKON supports the interactive creation of a parts family and its member parts by linking characteristics from the characteristics pool to the desired CL key. The characteristics and their designations for all parts families and parts are managed in the characteristics pool. A data dictionary prevents entries of redundant terms and thus an uncontrolled proliferation of designations. In addition to the descriptive characteristics (numbers, texts, algorithms), a characteristics table can also contain reference columns, facilitating CL-controlled part links, e.g. for modelling assemblies.
In addition to creation and maintenance of repeat parts, the MetaKON CL module also incorporates various functions for locating and selecting parts. The entry level for search operations can be defined by the user according to requirements. It is possible, for example, to search for all nuts and bolts at the article groups level or for all reamed bolts at the parts family level. In addition, columns and value ranges can be explicitly preselected in order to reduce the size of the CL table and simplify the selection of the parts. CL objects, such as part views, models, CAD tables, master drawings and symbol images, are linked directly to the CL key object. They are then valid for all the variants of the CL table. In conjunction with the CAD interface, it is possible to export views, models and master drawings to the appropriate CAD system for a selected variant. Symbol images can be called up directly from the table or via the CL key link in order to simplify the selection of the parts. The entries in the table rows are linked to the associated PMRs. The PMR belonging to a particular table row entry can be represented via this relation. The overall concept of MetaKON, and the CL module in particular, thus represents a powerful technical information system for efficient management of standard components on all product structure levels.
WAMware and its affiliates are authorized resellers of MetaKON, a product developed by ECS GmbH, Germany. WAMware is a registered trademark of WAMware Ltd., MetaKON a registered trademark of ECS GmbH, and Metaphase a registered trademark of Metaphase Technology, Inc. Drawing Management | Document Management | Parts Management | Bill-of-Material | Interfaces | MetaKON main page |
