If material availability causes a change in the middle of an order, the order number is typically modified.įigure 6.23. They usually identify the unit with the order number and use the ship date of the order for warranty control. Thus, a non-interchangeable change affects all of an order, and all higher order numbers. Make-to-order and engineer-to-order environments typically trace changes to the order. Log the incorporated engineering change orders (ECOs) into a traveler (with each unit) and capture the SN/ECO relationship when the SN is assigned. This method is used with or without a mod or version number. Use of a manufacturing control number with later assignment of the serial number. Analysis of the best point in the manufacturing process to assign serial numbers may lead to: 1.Įarly assignment and use of a modifier to overcome the serial number effective “mix” problem, that is, units with a change are mixed up in the production process.

All the factors discussed earlier need to be considered, as well as other factors, such as correlating test data to an individual unit. There are several trade-offs that CM and manufacturing need to consider and agree upon with regard to when the serial number is assigned, and how changes will be tracked. The manufacturing organization may have to assign a control number to, or have a “traveler” record with, each product in order to trace non-interchangeable changes to a serial, which is assigned later in the production process. This letter should be reflected on a released document – the nameplate drawing or a separate document referenced on the nameplate drawing.

CM must assure that all necessary parties agree to and are aware of the assignment of such serial number blocks.Īn alternate method is to have each plant prefix the serial with a letter assigned by CM. At this point, the blocks of serials used by each plant must be controlled in order to avoid duplication.

Manufacturing normally assigns the serial numbers to each product.Īs companies grow, they may decide to build products in the same family in more than one plant. They are usually assigned in sequence per product or product family. The serial number is sometimes used only for warranty control and sometimes used for both warranty control and for version control. Watts, in Engineering Documentation Control Handbook, 2012 Serial NumbersĪ serial number (SN) is a number assigned to each individual product in order to distinguish that product from all others.

Diptrace serial number