Store Part Inspection Records in Windchill?

[ahamblett]

Was curious if anyone out there stores Part Inspection records in Windchill?  If so, what has been your experience?  Should these be Reference Docs vs. Describe By docs of a Windchill WT/Part?  Or neither? 

[BjoernRueegg]

Are you aware of configurable links? Those links are what you're looking for.

Part inspection are being created after the part is already released. So you need a way to add them to a released part. With 10.2 M030 it's possible to add a version specific WTDocument to a version specific WTPart without a new iteration.

Unfortunately to enable those configurable links there is a very small customization needed ( actions and a resource bundle). Have a look in the customization guide or in the Windchill help.

[MikeLockwood]

Configurable Links are a great idea. Reference Docs will also work for adding to a Released WTPart - if the Ref Doc is there before releasing the Part. Just have to iterate and then change state on the Ref Doc that holds the Part inspection record.

[ahamblett]

Re: Ref Docs... Aren't those version indpendent? In other words, if the WTPart is revised, doesn't the Ref Doc link remain associated to the new Rev?  I would think that would not be ideal as the Inspection Record is for a specific revision.  Not certain we'd want it as a Described By doc, however.  Regardless, Thanks for the input!

[ahamblett]

No, I was not aware of "configurable links".  Thank you for the Tip!   We will look into it.  Other than customization, are there any Pros or Cons to be aware of, to help our decision making?  Thanks again!

[ahamblett]

Also, with regards to a new WTDoc addition [to the WT Part] would it be worth routing these through a sub-routine, or process, to affect their State?

[MikeLockwood]

Good point. From a WTPart, the system selects the version of a - Document that was current when the WTPart was checked in - Reference Document which is latest Released So - Can't iterate a Document and have the WTPart show it - Can evolve a Ref Doc and have it always show latest But - As you say, the insp. reports should be tied to a Part Rev and Ref Doc's don't really solve the issue. For First Articles which only happen once it may be ok. So - Configurable links are probably best.

[tbaltes]

Hi Adam -

I agree that configurable links are a great option.  I've uploaded The Power of the Configurable Link (a presentation from the PTC Live Global 2013 conference) that discusses the different types of Configurable Links and walks through an example that uses Configurable Links to link different types of inspection documents to parts.  I hope you find the information helpful - let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information.

[kpritchard]

IMO the Part Instance is the natural data object to link inspection reports and other QC documentation, which captures a specific configuration (including Revision).

[ChrisPLM]

Hello

very interesting discussion. I am afraid to say I do not have a solution or suggestion just questions.

I think we have to consider two scenarios.  One off inspection records (ie first production only), and inspection records for each production batch

Are those configurable links always visible in the product structure. I trust they can be filtered out.

If I have a released WTpart which is being produced and for each product batch, I need an Inspection report/record, it would mean that after a few months/years I may end up with many records attached to the WTpart. . Furthermore, what does an inspection record tell you ? 

If it says,  inspection passed,  you store the info and forget about it.

If inspection failed, you want to take correction action. Who does it ? Manufacturing people along with Quality.  If a design fault is proven, then it is fedback to the design team.

In any case, I do not see the value, so far, in storing such information in Windchill even if production and quality could access it.  To me part of the information of my inspection records should feedback my SPC system. So storing in Windchill does not feed my SPC system....

What is the reason for wanting to store such records when they are created for each production batch.

Thanks

PS: I hope I do not sound like a beginner 😮

Best regards

[tbaltes]

Chris C wrote:

Are those configurable links always visible in the product structure. I trust they can be filtered out.

[...]

What is the reason for wanting to store such records when they are created for each production batch.

HI Chris -

The Configurable Links do not show up in product structure.  Typically these are displayed on the "Related Objects" tab (if you choose to...)

One of the reasons we are storing inspection/verification data in Windchill is to automatically promote WTParts to "Production" once all inspection/verification processes have been successfully completed (based on the dicument life cycle state.)

[estarkman]

Todd Baltes  mentions SRAM storing inspection/verification data in Windchill to automatically promote WTParts, a solution his team developed.  If you're interested in learning more about how SRAM manages Production Qualification in Windchill, please see a presentation Mike Johnson and I gave at PTCLive 2014.  The slides are in the 2014 Customer zip file at http://portal.ptcuser.org/p/do/sd/sid=2455&type=0 , filename is "CUST121_WC_Part-centricPLM_Johnson,Patel,Starkman.pdf ".  If you have trouble downloading, drop me a note, I'm happy to send or can repost on this site.

[BjoernRueegg]

And unfortunately also collectors doesn't work. I don't know if something will change in Windchill 11.

[MikeLockwood]

There are actually a whole lot of topics here... - If you have a custom injection molded part in production and then build a new mold, it will require first article, etc.  You may choose to add this info to the existing released WTPart in parallel with info from the existing mold.  In this case, it's the new mold that is released to production, not the part design. - You may have new training instructions on how to inspect the part, maybe with a CMM that it's own program.  Each of these has to go thru some type of process to get "released" into production, independent of releasing the product design. Key question on these and many more is whether you want them related to product data, and whether they can get added to the product data (linked to a WTPart) and then later evolved after the product data has been released.

[ChrisPLM]

Hello everyone,

OK so I understand it is really suited for first production batch but not to run inspections for each batch if there is no change in the design or process.