Administrative Control Number
A number that looks like and is treated like a real Part Number, but isn’t one. Administrative control numbers can be used to “cover” groups of interchangeable items (see, for example, VICD) or can “cover” groups of items contributing to Make-on-Assembly CI’s. See also the CI Development Cycle (Intermediate).
Application (as in “Application Block”)
A combination of CI and position(s) in the purchasing sequence thereof. In the limit case, the position might be just a single delivery to a customer. The combination can be used to explicitly limit the range in a production stream at which a particular version of a production drawing is to be used. In certain... read more
ASME Y14.24
“Types and Applications of Engineering Drawings” (an American National Standard). This is the definitive industry source for what “drawings” are, what types there are, and how they are to be used. It should be studied thoroughly, because this is how the rest of the known universe expects us to communicate (except when we spend several months... read more
Configuration
1) A relative arrangement of parts or elements. The term can be applied in either the sense of a design or in the sense of an operational situation1. 2) An internally-consistent set of data collectively describing specific known (or desired) aspects of a project, usually a CI or group of related CI’s. The project is usually... read more
Dataset
The electronically stored analog of a drawing. All usages and constraints and variations thereof that apply to drawings also apply to datasets.
Design
As a verb: The act of thinking up (synthesizing) without reference to prior work of the same scope and detail. Modifying something without reference to prior work of the same scope and detail. The act of documenting Engineering intent in a manner sufficiently concrete that unambiguous manufacturing planning can be accomplished to repeatedly produce interchangeable... read more
Drawing
An engineering document (which can be in digital form) that discloses, whether directly or by reference, the physical and/or functional requirements for an item. In this business, the term “drawing” is synonymous with “Engineering Drawing” as defined by ASME Y14.24. The alert reader will note that the definition above, which is adapted from the referenced... read more
Firmware
Practical, but unofficial definition: data and instructions compiled, or capable of being compiled, into machine readable form such that it can execute without transfer (“loading”) from its on-device storage memory. (i.e., it executes in the same memory address space where it is stored). A computer’s BIOS is a good example of firmware.
Identification
Unfortunately, there are (at least) two senses in which this word is used. They are similar only in the abstract: In the context of manufacturing, the process of marking Part Numbers on parts as they are manufactured. In the context of System Engineering. See Configuration Identification.
Identifying Drawing
A drawing that can legitimately, in accordance with ASME Y14.24, be used to assign a Part Number, and is therefore a mandatory contributor to manufacturing of the Identified part.
Interchangeability
An abstract characteristic of two or more articles, both of which meet the Acceptance Requirements relative to the part’s use as intended by the developer. Interchangeability is the primary criterion for assignment of a single Part Number to a purported specimen of some specific design.
Make-on-Assembly
An item that never exists as a stand-alone P/N, but is only fabricated as its constituent elements are joined into its next-higher assembly.
Manufacturing Requirement
A type of requirement imposed on Manufacturing by Engineering. In most cases, a mandatory feature found on an identifying drawing.
Model Number
In common usage, a marketing fiction permitting a single (but not legally binding) description to remain constant for relatively long periods of time. Two items may carry the same model number and yet not be interchangeable. Contrast with Part Number.
Multi-Purpose Drawing
It is legitimate to have a single drawing that acts as more than a just one drawing type. A good example is to start with an existing item from any one of several different suppliers (see Vendor Item Control Drawing), screen the parts to get only the really good ones (see Selected Item Drawing), then... read more
Part Number (P/N)
A type of accession identifier uniquely identifying a single stockable item, all specimens of which are interchangeable for the purpose intended by the developer when creating the design. This is the number marked on the part, or on the container if the part’s surface or container if the part’s size or usage precludes direct marking.
Sheet size
The physical size of the paper on which documentation is printed as specified by ASME Y14.1 and (for metric) Y14.1M
Software
Practical, but unofficial definition: data and instructions compiled and linked, or capable of being compiled and linked, into machine readable form such that the resulting executable must be loaded into an OS-controlled memory space in order to run. (i.e., it executes in a different memory space than where it is stored).