Debate FP: Methodology for organizing digital drawings and projects

 
Participate in this new debate promoted by Fábrica do Projeto on a subject directly linked to all engineering professionals, drawing and project: The Organization Methodology for Digital Drawings and Projects Files. The debate is based on the report and request of our colleague Rafael P. Benicio, Described below:
 
 
project-management
 
Our company manufactures agricultural machinery. We've been on the market for over 10 years and the designs are our own. However, since the creation of the company, we do not have a defined methodology on how to file our drawings in a logical way.. Every new designer that enters the company generates a series of conflicts, especially when there are changes in drawings. For example, a certain axis undergoes a change, however it is necessary to save the changed version in case an old customer requests it.We have a big deficiency in this part. There are cases where we send wrong parts to customers because the design has been altered and the previous version has been lost..
 
User participation and comments:
 

This question of logic for organizing drawings and projects, in my opinion, is very simple and at the same time complicated.. Simple in that you must create a rule for encoding (Numbering the drawings and linking them to the revisions).

For example, if the company manufactures special equipment for each customer it becomes easier, because you can link the numbers of drawings and revisions with the number of the manufacturing orders.

If the Company has pre-defined products and over time, improvements appear in the projects, a logical sequence must be adopted, this will require a lot of space for storing the equipment drawings. Follow model below:

  1. Create a folder with the Customer Name and the work order number.
  2. OfInside this folder allocate the equipment drawings with a logical encoding, for example:
    1. OF number;
    2. Acronym with the name of the equipment;
    3. Sequential number of drawings;
    4. And finally the Revision number.

Hope this helps a littleto is somewhat complex to explain by digital means.

Yours sincerely.

Everton Gonçalves


in my view, the issue of design nomenclature and subsequent way of organizing them, involves something very simple and at the same time complex, which leads us to believe, that the part that stands out in this context, and that is sometimes not taken so seriously, it's the discipline, combined with the team's commitment, will result in a system with lesser faults.

I believe, what an interesting way of archiving drawings, that initially it would be something difficult, but that with the insertion of the process in the daily life of all, would be easy to use, would be as follows, logical sequence: Ex.: "Plant/Area/Sector/Machine/Part design.".

This way,the system will be fed with data, facilitating later traceability, aiming for the best search situation, understanding that once registered, the next times, will be of better results, Where, each drawing/project will be divided, by areas,machines, Providers. The review of each drawing, will be registered in the file itself, discriminating what was and what was changed. With the need for a possible use of the design after the modification, could create a folder with obsolete drawings, containing the same hierarchical division, of the logical sequence tree.

We need to understand, that no form of filing, no matter how technological and modern it may be, will have effective success, if there is no total complicity and commitment from its users, and mainly the discipline allied to the organization.

Thank you all for the attention, and i hope i have contributed in some way.

Sds.

Leonardo Becker
Mechanic projectist
Joinville SC 


The biggest problem faced in these cases is the lack of a file management system. That's why I suggest researching about GED (Electronic document management), because there is a need for a database and management of the documents contained therein, which in these cases is the design, which could be the file itself (dwg, sldprt, others..) or what is safer, always make available a copy of this file in image format, which makes it more easily accessible in the process by others.
 
An internet search on the subject of GED will not be difficult to find a company specializing in GED.
 
I hope I've helped a bit.

PAULO FAUSTINO DO NASCIMENTO
Micro Entrepreneur
SBCAMPO


This subject is really always controversial in companies that do not have a system to control the documents, I have already worked in several companies where the control was done directly by the designers, others had a project management system, about coding, nomenclature or project code I believe to be the simplest, first there has to be a "internal standard for coding drawings" generated by the quality sector, and this standard should always be passed on to novice designers or validated with current, showing the "rule" to be followed.
about encoding, project nomenclature or code, it is enough for the company to decide which logical sequence "interna" must be followed, perhaps, baptize the machine models:
(Ex: ZSR);
Apply year of manufacture or design:
(Ex: ZSR - 2013);
Apply a sequence according to the constructive part of the equipment:
(Ex: ZSR-2013-A);
Apply a sequence according to the designed part, se chaparia C, if axes, E, if mounting M:
(Ex: ZSX-2013-A-C);
Apply a sequence according to review:
(Ex: ZSX-2013-A-C-01).

Hope this helps.

Hugs to all comrades.

Hildegardo Santos
Designer Designer
FORD TROLLER DIVISION


I once faced a situation like this., but, in an excel sheet, I created some codes in vb that helped me a lot.
1 - Allowed detailed design registration;
2 - Allowed duplication for changes, saving with different names, being that the new version was what differentiated the name of the files;
3 - Allowed to create an OS issuer, facilitating the inclusion of project information in the OS.

Obs: Because it's a VB programming, left me free to create other functions that would make my life easier later on.

still, any kind of attitude we take in these cases, designers involved in future changes must comply with protocols in a way that does not alter the functioning of a system developed by the company.

Hope this helps.

Léo Benzion
Freelance Designer/Designer
Count/MG


In projects I did for a roofing company in SolidWorks, I used the table that is generated within solid, where you can create this variation and store the old parts and related assembly, and if the axis changed, according to your email, just create it and add it to the assembly with the new reference and then make all the changes without creating confusion with the change of designers.

Cristiano Tisott
Supervisor / Designer
Gedoz Iron trade
Caxias do Sul - RS


There are various engineering documentation and drawing control systems.
Although, not on how to effectively exercise this control without bureaucratizing.
So the solution is to seek as little bureaucracy as possible.
First, a logical numbering is defined, to identify parts, versions, company area, or any other necessary link.
And much more important is to have an area, or person responsible for concentrating and receiving the drawings. And this person will log the receipt, will number the file, as well as the pages that make up the project, will make a CAPA identifying the project containing the list of everything that makes up (drawings, descriptive memorials, report, etc), and finally she will do the archiving, and will make it available for company employees to consult.

Joaquim Pinheiro de Oliveira Neto
Engineer
BRASILIA


 
years have passed, and certain professionals were not aware that it is necessary beyond interpersonal relationships at work,contribute and have common sense when solving certain issues, after all he is being paid to do so, not to make it difficult or think it has to be how he wants, trying to apply the same method you acquired in the previous company.
I agree with PAULO FAUSTINO, the system is similar to the one applied at Petrobras, where I served for more than 7 years old.
Meeting with the project team is necessary to define the best method to resolve the situation, After all, it's not a seven-headed beast, what's missing is just the whole team having the same goal, make a profit for the company, working without conflicts, so as not to generate low income and grudges among colleagues.Thank you, I hope you collaborated.
 
Raimundo Jose dos Santos
Senior Designer
Salvador, Bahia

 

I very much agree with Mr.. Raimundo. Not only the design team, but all employees must work in a way pre-established by the company to maintain a standard of quality and performance. Imagine every new welder having to change all the mounting jigs, or with each new turner having to acquire new clearance tolerances, just to meet the "whims" from "professionals full of bard". When you get in a car, it's to drive with its conditions, with or without air or power steering, etc. I don't know if the method used by our company is the best, we work with Solidworks and we back up before any changes, "prepare and send", and save in .zip, every part is saved in a specific group and with codes that never, are never reused. When we need old drawings, we simply close all open drawings and open only the backup file. If a backup code is not used on another part,there's no way to give a problem.
This is our method, if we change designers 10.000 times, the latter MUST repeat this process. as they say around: In team that is winning does not move.

Carlos
Krepool
Industrial director
RATTLESNAKE


 
I've been through this situation.
At the company I worked for, we hired the GED (Electronic document management) SAPROD DOC. It stores all revisions and projects are saved in the cloud, can be downloaded from any computer with internet access.
I believe this program can help. If you don't want to buy a software, organizing projects by review also facilitates.
 
Thamires Carvalho

I have already worked with some ways of organizing technical documentation generated through cad software, more specifically working with SolidWorks. I believe that each company should use the method that best meets its needs., as well as the manufacturing process of a particular part, as for the way to group the drawings, etc.. I worked with a drawing numbering template, which it was possible to identify the sector to which the item responds, the manufacturing process that this item undergoes, a classification of the series of equipment sold and developed in this company, a sequential numbering and revision identification. In this way, it was possible to know to which sector the design belongs., makes it possible to group manufacturing processes of the same equipment, in addition to having control of the revision history of the drawings, enabling an engineering that does not use management software to organize itself efficiently in its engineering.
I hope you collaborated.

Wilson Seidel
Mechanical Engineer
wilsonseidel.eng@outlook.com 


 

I would like to share your experience? Participate in this debate detailing how you organize your company's drawings and projects! Describe the methodology used, rules, review and change policies, forms of filing and organization. Through your collaboration we will be able to form a guide to improve the organization and the project sector of several companies spread in our Brazil and abroad.!
 
 
Use the form below to submit your experience. We will be updating the article with the content received.

Be sure to check the following two materials that can serve as guides for organizing files and projects, aimed at managing the areas of architecture and documents.
 

Debate FP: Methodology for organizing digital drawings and projects
scroll to top