GlossaryKind of term: Manufacturing termPart
What is a part?
A part is a single item to be made, with its own part number, drawing and revision, that is not built up from other items.
The number may be a part number or a drawing number; together with the revision it identifies one specific version. In machining it usually comes from one piece of stock, such as bar, plate, a casting or a forging: a flange in 1.4404, a shaft in 42CrMo4, a frame from a block of EN AW-6082. Anything made from several items is an assembly. A weldment is a borderline case: it cannot be taken apart, but it is often treated as an assembly with item numbers of its own.
How does a part work in practice?
The estimate is built per part, because each part has its own material, route, setups and quantities. Two parts from the same request can share a material and still differ widely in price, for example because one carries a ⌀12 H7 bore that has to be reamed or bored and then measured. A single total per request hides that difference. Part number and revision are also how you recognise a part that comes back; the file name is not.
What is a part often confused with?
A part is not an assembly: an assembly consists of several parts, often bought-in parts too, plus work of its own such as fitting.
How do you see a part in Blake?
In Blake the part is where model, drawing and revisions come together. The drawing values sit there as proposals to confirm or correct, and the calculation gives an estimated cost per piece for each quantity asked. More on requests.
Frequently asked questions
Is a part the same as an item in my ERP?
Often, but not one to one. An ERP item can also be a bought-in part, a stock material or a service, and customer and supplier often use different numbers for the same part. Record both numbers.
How do I estimate two parts from the same request?
Separately. Each part has its own material, route and quantities, so its own cost. Split shared costs, such as one setup holding both parts or a joint anodising batch, deliberately, and record how you split them.
What if the customer asks for the same part at two revisions?
Then it is one part number at two revisions, and each revision gets its own estimate. Even when the geometry looks the same, a changed tolerance or finish can call for a different operation, setup or inspection.