Prepare template structure for transfer to manufacturing sites

Explanation

This activity is used to prepare a template structure for its transfer to a site in IFS Manufacturing. The IFS/Complex Assembly MRO solution uses a service structure in IFS/Manufacturing Standards. To create this service structure, we need to transfer and transform a template structure from Fleet and Asset Management to a product structure in IFS/Manufacturing Standards. The transfer of a template structure that consists of real parts and all its alternates to a product structure which is solely made up of position parts can be divided into the following sub processes:

1. Transfer the template structure to a temporary transfer table. This process is initiated and controlled from Fleet and Asset Management. All the parts for the template will be transformed to position parts during this transfer process.

• Position parts will be created using the given transfer prefix and the catalog number for the template part. All the parts in the structure must have a unique catalog number in order to generate position parts. The generated position part number is automatically entered in the Part window. 
• These position parts are also entered in the Part/Position Part tab, with the top part revision as its owner. The template part revision will point to the structure position in the current template. 
• All branches of the top part's structure is broken down to lower levels. In addition, all alternates are also broken down to lower levels. These alternates can have different structures (different number of positions). Therefore, the final structure in IFS/Manufacturing Standards will represent all the possible configurations of the engine or object.

2. Retrieve the template structure from the temporary transfer table and create the product structure for the required sites in IFS/Manufacturing Standards. This process is initiated and controlled from IFS Manufacturing.

• Through relevant functionalities in IFS/Manufacturing Standards the position parts are entered into the inventory part and the product structure is created. 
• For each position part in the structure transfer, all the modifications will be pulled. Furthermore, for each modification, all the affected parts are retrieved.  
• The history log for the transferring of structures to sites in IFS/Manufacturing can be viewed in Transfer Template Structure/Template Transfer History tab.

3. Automatic part transfer. Additions to a template structure can be transferred automatically to manufacturing.

The configuration of a template structure can change during it's lifecycle. For instance, structure positions may be added or removed as a result of an embodied modification or an internal requirement. It is possible to control how new structure positions are to be transferred to manufacturing with the AUTO_TRANSFER_STR object property.

If the property value is set to FALSE, you need to perform a manual transfer of the entire structure which will create new revisions of product structures with the latest template configuration as described in sub processes 1 and 2. If the property value is set to TRUE, which is the default setting, new structure positions will be transferred automatically to manufacturing for all valid sites. Valid sites are all sites to which the parent template is already transferred and to which the user is allowed. An automatic part transfer will not create new revisions of the product structures. Instead, the latest product structure revision of the parent part will be updated with the new position. For example, if you have added a motor to a pump, the latest disassembly and assembly structure revisions of the pump will be updated with a new component line for the motor. In addition, product structures and routings, such as disposition and repair, will be generated for the new structure position. Automatic transfer is initiated when the new structure position is activated.

Following will occur as part of an automatic part transfer:

• A position part is generated for the structure position at all user-allowed sites to which the parent template is successfully transferred. This includes all instances where the structure position is valid for use.
• The phase in date of the position part is set to the latest phase in date of the parent part.
• For all relevant top parts, the temporary transfer table is updated with the new position part and corresponding real and alternate parts.
• Modifications applicable for the new structure position are transferred to manufacturing for user-allowed sites. That is, active modifications where the given part is defined as an assigned part revision, where affected parts are defined, and the modification is not yet transferred.
• The position part is added as a component line to the latest Disassembly and Assembly structures of the parent position part. In addition, if the position part has a structure, Disassembly and Assembly structures are created for the position part.
• Disposition and repair structures and routings are created for the position part (and its structure). 
• A record is generated in the template transfer history to indicate the success or failure of the part transfer.

If automatic part transfer is enabled (AUTO_TRANSFER_STR = TRUE), and a structure position is removed from a transferred template, the corresponding position part will be removed automatically from the temporary transfer table. The position part will not be removed automatically from the relevant manufacturing structures.

A position part is generated by retrieving,

1. the transfer prefix from the top part
2. the delimiter from object properties
3. the catalog number for the structure position

Prerequisites

• The template structure must be complete. In other words, valid alternates must have been defined for the template, and all structure positions of the template structures in use must have a catalog number. Furthermore, when the catalog number for the components in an alternate part structure is the same as the catalog number for the prime part structure, the structure position for the two structure must also be the same. This integration between the two structures is required in order to set components to alternate parts at a later stage. For more information on the required setup for template alternates, refer the document Define Alternates Parts in a Template structure.
• The template structure must also be in the Active status.
• The top part revision (that is to be transferred to an IFS Manufacturing site) must be connected to a product and model in IFS/PDM-Configuration.

System Effects

• The prepared structure can be viewed in the Template Structure Prepared for Transfer to Manufacturing/Temporary Transfer tab.
• Position parts are entered in IFS/Part Catalog (in the Part/Position Part tab).
• The total structure for the selected top part which includes all templates and all alternates on all levels is included in the temporary transfer table (in the Template Structure Prepared for Transfer to Manufacturing/Temporary Transfer tab).
• Position parts are entered in IFS/Part Catalog (in the Part/Position Part tab).
• The Transfer Prepared Date and Transfer Prepared By fields are updated for the selected template (in the Template Part and Template Parts windows).
• The prepared template structure, in the temporary transfer table, is available for transfer to IFS Manufacturing sites.
• If catalog numbers are missing in the template structure or the structure has not been set active, an error log is generated. The number of error logs for the template structure is shown in the No of Errors field (in the Template Part and Template Parts windows).
• Error logs are generated in the Error Log Entries window. Once the template transfer is successful, these error logs can be removed from the system.

Window

Template Part
Template Parts
Template Structure Prepared for Transfer to Manufacturing
Serial Structure Template
Template Structure Navigator

Related Window Descriptions

Template Part
Template Part/General 
Template Parts 
Serial Structure Template
Serial Structure Template/General 
Template Structure Navigator
Template Structure Navigator/General   
Template Structure Prepared for Transfer to Manufacturing
Template Structure Prepared for Transfer to Manufacturing/Temporary Transfer 
Part/Position Part 
Error Log Entries

1. Open the Template Part window and query (F3) for the necessary template part. This activity may also be performed using any of the following windows:

• Template Parts
• Serial Structure Template
• Serial Structure Template/General
• Template Structure Navigator/General

2. Right-click and click Prepare Template for Transfer to Manufacturing. The Template Structures Prepared for Transfer window opens.
3. Verify the information in the window and tabs before you continue with this procedure.
4. Right-click anywhere in the header, and then click Prepare Transfer to Manufacturing. The Transfer Options dialog box opens.
5. Select the Run in Background check box if you want to transfer the template structure through a background job. This check box is selected by default, but may be cleared if necessary.
6. If you are transferring a top part revision for the first time, you must enter a suitable prefix in the Transfer Prefix field. This will be the prefix for the generated position parts.
7. Click OK.
8. Alternatively, if you want to continue with the transfer to manufacturing sites, right-click anywhere in the header of the Template Structures Prepared for Transfer window, and then click Transfer Template Structure. The Transfer Template Structure window opens. Follow the procedure detailed in Transfer Template Structure to Site to perform the actual transfer.

Note: You must first make sure that the MRO Enabled check box is selected for the site to which you want the template structure transferred (in the Site/Manufacturing/MRO tab).