Hi Tim,
Thanks for your posting in reply to my inquiry. I have many comments and much feedback. First, a little about me, my background, and what I am looking for. I am a “retired” electronics engineer with a BSEE degree in the field of radio frequency design. Most of my career was spent in what I call “sustaining engineering” in the avionics field. I have worked on the design side of things and much manufacturing support. I use GnuCash (a free software program) for financial record keeping and a program called Parts & Vendors 6.0 (P&V6) for keeping track of inventory, their sources, costs, and doing parts lists (PLs)/BOM(s). I was looking for a free software program to take the place of P&V6 as the outfit that produced that program has gone out of business.
I don’t think you have enough indentations in your “parts to create” list. I think it should be:
VICSPON – Victoria Sponge Cake
|_ SPOKAC – Sponge Cake Base
_|_ CASSUG – Caster Sugar
_|_ BUTTER – Butter
_|_ EGGS – Eggs
_|_ SELFLO – Self-raising flour
|_ VICFIL – Victoria Sponge Cake Filling
_|_ STRJAM – Strawberry jam
_|_ BUTTER – Butter
_|_ ICISUG – Icing sugar
There are three drawings/documents that specify an electrical/electronic assembly, they are: 1) A schematic diagram, 2) A parts list (PL)/BOM, and 3) An assembly drawing (ASSY DWG). If the assembly is only mechanical, or soft ingredients–no schematic diagram, there are only two documents: A PL and an ASSY DWG. The thread that holds the three drawings of an electronic assembly together is the reference designator of the electronic parts. I don’t see any column in your BOM for reference designators or item numbers.
I am familiar with ANSI/ISO/IEC/EN standards. In the United States the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is an overall standards organization made up of standards writing bodies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the American Welding Society (AWS), and many more.
In ANSI approved ASME standard Y14.34 “Associated Lists” defines
3.20 Parts List (PL)
parts list (PL): a tabulation of all parts and bulk materials
used in the item(s), except those materials that support
a process and are not retained, such as cleaning solvents
and masking materials.
NOTE: Other terms previously used to describe a parts list are
list of materials, bill of materials, stock list, and item list.
3.15 Find Number or Item Number
find number or item number: a reference number assigned
to designate an item on the field of the drawing, in
lieu of using the item’s part or identifying number. It is
entered as a cross-reference to the line of the parts list
where the item’s actual part or identifying number and
description are given.
NOTE: Reference designations for electrical and electronic parts
and equipment, in accordance with ASME Y14.44, may be used
as find numbers or item numbers.
There are, what I call, two types of PLs: 1) An engineering or design parts list where the electronic parts are usually listed individually in alpha numeric order of the reference designators and 2) A manufacturing or procurement list where like items from the design PL are combined for a total quantity required with the reference designators in alpha numeric order retained. This list is usually ordered in accordance with the assigned company part number. Your program should have the ability to readily go between these two types of lists.
I look forward to a continuation of this discussion.
–Regards, Larry
