Engineering drawings, data and document control systems
A profitable, high-quality product isn't possible until all engineering drawings and data
have been created, captured, approved and published.
Engineering drawings and engineering data
A good product, well-documented, is generally better
than an excellent product that's poorly documented. Why? Because
product profitability relies on efficient replication of the original
design.
While most
engineers enjoy the process of getting to the first working
model, few employers view that as sufficient.
Instead, engineers' efforts are useful only when the
design has been captured in engineering drawings and
supporting engineering data because:
- Engineering drawings describe how to consistently reproduce
the design. Consistent reproduction is key, since it forms
the basis for product improvements and production
efficiency.
- Engineering data proves that the product conforms to the
original design goals. Proof of conformance is important to
both internal stakeholders (marketing, accounting,
production) and external groups (distributors, customers,
service providers, regulatory agencies).
But simply creating engineering drawings and recording
engineering data is insufficient. To be useful, engineering
drawings and engineering data must be stored, reviewed and
approved, published and maintained. In other words,
engineering drawings and data require engineering document
control.
Document control for engineering drawings
Document control for engineering drawings is comprised of
both document attributes and a defined control process.
Engineering drawings, including technical documents such as
specifications, procedures, will usually have these
attributes:
- Owning organization, which is ultimately responsible for the
document content.
- Document identification through the use of a document
numbering system
- Title or description
-
Document revision or other indication of a specific design
iteration
- Author(s), reviewer(s) and/or others who created the
information
- And, of course, the appropriate technical information
necessary to fulfill their purpose
A document control process consists of a set of procedures
for creating and maintaining the attributes of engineering
drawings. Engineering drawing management processes include
business rules that define:
- Which engineering drawing types are supported, and the
contents and format of each type
- How engineering drawings are identified (e.g., owner,
number, revision, title)
- Who is responsible for creating, reviewing and approving
engineering drawings
- When engineering drawings may be released to interested
parties
- The conditions under which existing engineering drawings are
revised, replaced or canceled
- How obsolete obsolete engineering drawings are controlled,
recalled or destroyed
Engineering drawings that reflect a consistent set of
attributes, and are controlled using a documented set of
procedures, significantly reduce product costs by
simplifying design, sourcing, production, customer adoption
and field service. PDXpert PLM software offers these precise
advantages.
Engineering data management policies
In addition to managing the formal engineering drawings, a
complete engineering document control system will manage the
"background" information that is the basis for the
engineering drawings. This engineering data may include a
wide variety of electronic files which are saved in a file library (or
"vault"):
- Product capabilities & functional requirements
- Budget estimates, production volume assumptions, and
development schedules
- Suppliers' component datasheets
- Product performance tests and qualification results
- Alternative design data
- Notes, calculations and other written communications
A complete engineering drawing management environment
encourages archiving as much "organizational knowledge" as
possible. The ideal system captures all the data that would
allow performance analysis, field diagnostics, and
incremental design improvements over the entire product life
cycle.
Engineering document control using PDXpert PLM software
Engineering drawing management capabilities should include
efficient methods for creating design document and part data
records, managing assembly structures, storing electronic
file attachments, and processing engineering change forms.
PDXpert PLM software provides a comprehensive set of
engineering document control capabilities that in-house
solutions can't match. From revision-based electronic file
management in a centralized data library to change workflow
that encourages detailed design reviews, PDXpert PLM
software solves many of the document control challenges that
face growing companies.
PDXpert PLM software provides these engineering document
control capabilities:
- pre-defined, extensible part and drawing types with default
attributes
- fast, attribute-driven engineering drawing and part record
searches
- content searches of common file types such as Word, Excel, and PDF
- rules-based item number assignment, which support simple
sequential assignments, intelligent part numbers, and
tabulated drawing schemes
- flexible item revision rules, including optional pre- and
post-production formats
- drag-and-drop object construction for quickly defining
document relationships and building part assemblies
- engineering drawing, part, BOM and design file release
management with change approval workflow
These functions translate directly into real benefits
including increased sales revenue through faster engineering
drawing releases; lower product costs by instantly
displaying the most current engineering drawings and parts;
and lower administrative overhead by allowing users to
attach important supporting engineering data directly to
document records.
PDXpert PLM software: Controlling more than engineering
drawings & data
As engineering departments' requirements have expanded,
engineering drawing management solutions have become more
sophisticated. Product lifecycle management software is the
evolutionary descendant of simple "engineering drawing
control" software.
PDXpert PLM software provides the necessary engineering
drawing management capabilities and, equally important,
automates and enforces the many processes necessary for good
engineering data management. And, PDXpert PLM software goes
beyond just engineering document control by including the
functions essential for managing the complete product design
life cycle, such as part records, bills of materials,
engineering changes, and materials composition.
And it's all done within a simple and flexible software
application.
Learn how PDXpert PLM manages your engineering drawings
& data
PDXpert PLM software has been specifically designed for
growing companies making the transition from inefficient and
costly manual document control processes to a modern
engineering data management tool.
Discover how PDXpert PLM can handle your engineering
drawings and engineering data. We invite you to: