Create a Parts Kit
As mentioned in the Add a New Part article, a Parts Kit is for building a part that has sub components required for a larger assembly.
Add the component parts and the quantity needed and link a procedure for the assembly of the main part.
Click into the main part from the Parts dictionary, and click Run to start the linked procedure.
Add Bill of Materials and Kitting to Procedures
Bill of Materials
Adding a Bill of Materials (BOM) will bring in a list of the Component Parts and Quantities required to construct, manufacture, or repair a product.
The Serial or Lot tracking of specific parts used in a build are part of the Kitting and are not included in the BOM.
When selecting a part for the BOM the subcomponents are pulled in from the parts dictionary.
You are able to add or remove parts or adjust quantities for this build.
NOTE: Adding or removing parts or adjusting the quantities only affects this procedure and does not change the component list in the parts dictionary.
Kitting
Give operators the ability to enter the specific component parts used in a run / build by adding Kitting to a step when building the procedure.
The Kitting will pre-populate with components for the part selected in the BOM.
Note: If no BOM is added, the component parts will need to be added individually to the kitting using the Search Parts field.
Kitting can be added to multiple steps with the list edited to only display the parts used in that step.
When running the procedure the operator will be able to select the specific item used from existing inventory using the Search Inventory drop down menu.
When running the procedure the inventory count will not be adjusted until the step is signed off, so AT LEAST ONE sign off is required for this step in order for the inventory to be adjusted.
Parts Tracking
When adding a part to the Parts dictionary, you can specify tracking by either Serial or Lot #.
When adding parts to Inventory you will see the associated Serial # or Lot # input fields based on the setting selected in the Parts dictionary.
Note: If Serial or Lot tracking is designated for a part, those fields are required when adding the part into inventory.
Barcodes
A barcode is automatically generated for any tracked parts in inventory.
Click the barcode to view or print.
Tip! Reduce errors by scanning the item's barcode when kitting or checking in inventory!
If a Part Kit is included in a procedure, an operator can select the Serial # or Lot # associated with the components part(s) during a run to have them decremented from inventory once that step is signed off.
Note: The items will not be decremented from inventory until the step has been signed off.
Part Usage
Keep track of various usage types like cycles, flights, hours etc for different parts in your inventory.
Add Usage Type Tracking to a Part
Edit a part from the parts overview screen.
Select a type from the Usage Types drop down. If the type you are looking for does not exist yet, simply type the name and hit enter or click create.
Multiple Usage Types can be added to each part by clicking Add Usage Type in the part edit screen.
Each usage type can optionally have a Usage limit set to it.
Click Save.
The inventory item will show the current usage and the % of the limit used.
If the usage limit has been exceeded, the usage will be displayed as red in the inventory item, as well as when selecting that item in a run.
Add Parts Usage in a Procedure
Navigate to a draft of a procedure you would like to include Parts Usage.
Add the Usage content block to any step within the procedure.
Select the desired part and usage type from the drop down menus to pre-populate the Part and Usage type in the run(1) or leave the Part Usage block blank to allow the operator to select the part and usage during the run(2).
Note: The usage type has to be added to the part in the Parts Dictionary for it to be available in the drop down menu.
You will only be able to move into Review if either no part is selected, or all of the fields for Part, Revision, and Usage Type are filled in.
Record Part Usage During a Procedure Run
When running a procedure with a Part Usage step, use the Item drop down menu or type to search the available inventory for the selected part, by lot or serial number.
Enter the usage amount for the specific procedure run.
Note: The usage will not be recorded until the step is signed off.
If no Part is displayed for the Part Usage block, the Operator will need to select the Part from the Search parts drop down, select the Revision, usage type, and item from the drop down menus, and then enter the usage value.
Click into a specific part from the Inventory screen to view all recorded usage.
We support APIs for communicating back to external systems. For more information, reach out to Epsilon3 Support!
Inventory Check In / Check Out
Inventory items can be Checked In or Out during a run using the Check In Part and Check Out Part content blocks.
Use the Check In Part content block to the procedure to check the newly assembled part and/or any non-consumable parts back into inventory.
If there is a Bill of Materials and Kitting added to the procedure, then the component parts selected from inventory will be associated with the newly constructed part being checked in for traceability.
For example: Non-consumable parts or re-usable parts can be “checked out” of inventory at the top of the procedure and “returned” at the end.
When running the procedure the inventory will not be adjusted until the step is signed off, so AT LEAST ONE part is required for this step in order for the inventory to be adjusted.
Unavailable Parts
Parts that have been Checked Out during a run but have not been checked back in will be marked as Unavailable.
Parts that have been Checked Out during a run but have not been checked back in will be marked as Unavailable.
Unavailable parts are not listed on the Parts Inventory screen or in the drop down to be check out later in the procedure or in another procedure.
You can see which parts are marked as Unavailable by going to the Parts Detail screen and clicking into the Unavailable tab.
To move a part from Unavailable back to Inventory, the part will need to be added to a Parts Check In step in a run and the step must be signed off.
Click into the Serial Number from the Unavailable tab to view the Inventory Detail screen and Procedure Run History.
Run Sidebar Visualization
See all inventory items and tool instances that are actively checked out in that run to easily visualize what needs to be checked back in.
The sidebar updates in realtime, giving an up-to-date snapshot of all parts consumed to create an assembly, or all tools currently in use.
Tools Check In / Check Out
Check Tool Instances in or out during procedure runs to track which instances are available for use.
The Tool and Tool Instance must be created created before it can be used in a run.
Check In Tool and Check Out Tool are Content Block options when building steps in a procedure.
For more information about adding Content Block check out our Anatomy of a Step Help Center article!
When the content block is added, a Search Tools drop down will appear.
Select which Tool will be checked In or Out during the run, and the Operator will select the Tool Instance during the run.
You must select a Tool from the drop down when building the procedure.
For more information about Tools check out this Help Center Article: Tools for Builds
Batch Builds
Build multiple assemblies concurrently (in the same run) using the Batch Builds feature. Here's a short demo video:
Any procedure with a Bill of Materials can be configured to have batch steps.
Enable this by toggling on "Batch Step" while creating or editing the procedure.
Select the number of parts you wish to build after clicking on "Run Procedure"
Batch steps allow you to run multiple concurrent instances of a step in the same run. This includes steps related to part and tool usage.
Map which components go into each assembly using the numbered tabs in each batch step.
Check-in each part assembly with a unique Serial / Lot #
