Ray asked: >> I'm looking for some suggestions on creating a part numberingsystem. >> I'll need part numbers for components, hardware, and drawing numbers. >> -Some idea's on the amount of characters and category listings to use? (yes I abriviated it) Part numbering systems depend greatly on the type of business that you are in. A connector manufacturer will put a _lot_ of inteligence into the part number that their _customer_ uses to order. This allows the "customizing" of a part without each version requiring a custom, and many times out of sync, numbering conventions. This is espically important when the basic part, or family can have _hundreds_ of variations. Most Mil companies use a basic 7 or 8 diget number, with a dash number for minor variations/special additional parts. the Rev letter is in addition, and can be even 2 or 3 digets (usually only 1) eg 1234567-1 Rev B Note that the part number does not include the rev when describing, but is used for inventory control & production. Most Material control programs can handel this. We don't build privious rev parts. Most Material Control Programs can handle "document only" changes, without requiring the part to be "rev'ed" to the latest letter (usefull when, say a note is re-worded for clarity, and this does not change the hardware.) Remember, numbers are cheep, systems can fail ;-) The max number of characters on our drawings is 15, including dashes. Sometimes we have to have a seprate document to define >15 diget part numbers In our company specific specs for these & other "spec'ed" parts are only 5 digets & we have been building (low volume, custom design) things for 30 years (or more) Our parts list has a seprate column for the "CAGE Code, which allows the 5 diget vendor ID to be entered. 30 characters for part description. The last two fields allow referenceing the spec the part is defined on (ours or Mil) but is largely empty (and redundant). Bill Gaines AeroJet (for $) 1100 Hollyvale, Azusa, Calif. 91702 IMAPS (for info) [log in to unmask], ishm.ee.vt.edu IHPVA (for speed) www.ihpva.org SCCA (for trophys) Solo II (818-988-RACE) =================================================== /| _ _ _ AeroJet /_||_ |_ | 1100 Hollyvale MS:8651 170-1f7 / ||_ _| |_ Azusa, Calif. 91702-0298 =================================================== ############################################################## TechNet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ############################################################## To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TECHNET <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TECHNET ############################################################## Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional information. For the technical support contact Dmitriy Sklyar at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.311 ##############################################################