solidworks pdm implementation

PDM Workgroup : Implementation made easy

Eric Bright, PDM/PLM Application Engineer Ebright@CADDEdge.comCSWP, CSWST, CSWI, CWPDM, CEPDM, CPDMP, CSWP-FEA, CSPST, CSWSI, CSELITE

SolidWorks PDM Data Matrix

• PDMWorks Workgroup

Included with the SolidWorks Premium and SolidWorks Professional design packages.

SolidWorks Workgroup PDM software helps individuals and small workgroups manage projects and control their design revisions.

• SolidWorks Enterprise PDM

SolidWorks Enterprise Product Data Management (EPDM) is a full-featured data management solution for any size organization.

Topics

• What is PDMW?

• Who Needs a PDMW System?

• PDMW Scope

• PDMW - Architecture

• PDMW - Components

• PDMW - File Methodology

• Pre-Implementation Basic rules

• Installation Server - Core vault

Client - Solidworks

• Client Specification

• PDMW Admin Tool - Options

• PDMW Client - Options

The PDM Myth

“To solve all of your data management problems all you have to do is install the software”

What is PDM

• Workgroup collaboration• Controlling document access (Read/Write-View)• Searching for documents• Determining document relationships• Check-in/Check-out of documents • Automated revision control• SW Property control• Concurrent work by several users on project• History tracking• Report generation ( Limited)

Who Needs a PDM System

• Where did I put that file?

• Is this the latest revision of the file?

• I’m sure I changed that part. Jon’s last change must have overwritten it!

• I opened the assembly. Where are the part files?

• Who is working on that file?

• Where is this part used? If I change it what assemblies will I impact?

• Why is it so slow? (working with shared drives over the network)

PDMW Scope

• PDMWorks will address areas such as File Administration

−Revision Control

−Security/Backup

File Searching−Time spent looking for files

Rework−Wrong revisions being used to buy and build

−Over-writing of existing files

Team Coordination−Access to data

−Same data not being used by all team members

PDMW Scope

• PDMWorks will not address areas such as Standards

−File naming

−Revision Scheme

−Part, assembly and drawing practices

Bad habits−Saving to local drives outside the vault

−Personal naming schemes

−Not following revision schemes ( Jumping )

Training - Implementation−CAD Standards

−PDM Standards

PDMW - Architecture

PDMW Components

• SolidWorks Client

Installed as part of the client install

SolidWorks Add-In ( Pro – Pre)

Can check-in all file types

• Standalone Client

Installed as part of the client install

Can NOT check-in SolidWorks files

Can check-in all other file types seen in windows explorer.

PDMW Web Portal

PDMWorks Web Portal provides web based access to the PDMWorks vault.

Login

Browse

View, print, download…

PDMW - File Methodology

Collaboration – SolidWorks Only

PDMW - File Methodology

Collaboration – PDMW Local Work Area

Pre-Implementation Basic Rules

• Administration• File Names ( Unique )• Project Names ( Folder – Unique)• File Storage• Revision Scheme• Ownership/Revision• Lifecycle Scheme• Common Templates• References ( Toolbox – Non rev hardware)• Where is the vault going to be installed?• What Combination of clients?• Define the Meta Data to be used

Meta Data

• Used for BOM, Part, Assy and Drawing Properties…etc

• Part number, number, part no• Description, Descrip• Material• Finish• Weight• Drawn By / Date• Model By / Date• Approvals• Gauge• Revision, Rev• Cage Code

Meta Data

Meta Data

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SolidWorks\SolidWorks 2011\lang\english\properties.txt

Installation - Client

Installation - Client

Installation - Client

• SolidWorks Installation Manager• This can be done as a modify or new installation• Admin – You can add this to an admin image

Installation - Client

• SolidWorks Installation Manager• No serial number needed if you have SolidWorks Pro or Pre

Installation - Client

• SolidWorks Installation Manager• You can upgrade or continue, typically this is a no.• When you want to upgrade there should be a game plan if multiple seats

and PDM are used.

Installation - Client

• SolidWorks Installation Manager• Summary – Select the “Change” from the product selection

Installation - Client

• SolidWorks Installation Manager• PDMW is embedded with the SW Explorer select:• SolidWorks Workgroup PDM Client Add-in• SolidWorks Workgroup PDM VaultAdmin

Installation - Client

• SolidWorks Installation Manager• PDMW is embedded with the SW Explorer select:• SolidWorks Workgroup PDM Client Add-in• SolidWorks Workgroup PDM VaultAdmin

Installation - Client

• SolidWorks Installation Manager• No other settings need to modified• Installation ready

Installation - Client

• SolidWorks Installation Manager• What’s New Option• How to improve the SW installation Experience• SolidWorks Customer Experience• Finish

Installation - Client

• Open SolidWorks• Verify the ADD IN has been installed. Tools > add-ins

PDMW Client - Options

PDMW Client

PDMW Client - Options

SolidWorks and the SW Explorer option are the same.

PDMW Client - Options

SW Task Pane must be enabled

PDMW Client - Options

This is for each client…It can be distributed - copy options wizard

PDMW Client - Options

PDMW Client - Options

PDMW Client - Options

PDMW Client - Options

Option – SW Task Pane for Non – Rev documents/ Easy access

PDMW Client - Options

Click and drag of parts form the task pane into assembly

PDMW Client - Options

PDMW Client - Options

PDMW Client - Options

PDMW Client - Options

PDMW Client - Options

PDMW General Rules

VersionsThe vault and the clients must use the same Workgroup PDM major version. However, we recommend that that service pack levels do match.

File namesFile names must be unique. Project namesBoth project names and project descriptions must be unique, although a project name and project description can be the same. File storageOnly one copy of a document is stored in the vault, no matter how many other documents reference it. RevisionsRevision numbers can only go forward. Each revision of a document is kept in the vault.

PDMW General Rules

OwnershipWhen you own a document, you can modify it and check it into the vault. Only the owner can check a modified version of a document into the vault. Ownership does not guarantee that you can check a document into the vault; lifecycle status, for example, could prevent it.

Only one person can own a document at a time.

When you check a document out of the vault, the document must have no owner. References and AttachmentsReferences are logical links between SolidWorks documents, from a parent assembly to child part and drawing documents, for example.

Attachments are logical links from non-SolidWorks documents to either SolidWorks or other non-SolidWorks documents.

PDMW General Rules

Backing up the Vault

Back Up the entire vault folder, which contains both project documents and Workgroup PDM configuration information. You should do the backup operation when no one is modifying the vault (checking in documents, changing ownership, and so on). To ensure no one is accessing the vault, first lock the vault or stop the service.

Back up the vault regularly, and test the backup occasionally to be sure your backup procedure is valid. Store the backup on a server different from the one where the vault resides (in case the vault computer is lost).

Maximizing Vault PerformanceA large number of documents in a project degrades performance. More projects with fewer documents (fewer than 1000 or 2000 documents per project) results in better performance.Clients can hide projects to improve performance.

If you operate over a network, network performance affects Workgroup PDM performance.

Workgroup PDM cannot make a slow network faster.

PDMW General Rules

Users Leaving the Project or the CompanyWhen a user leaves a project permanently, use one of the following approaches:

• Modify the existing user account so a new person can immediately take ownership of the previous user's documents.

• Delete the old user. All files owned by that user now have no owner and can be assigned to any users. ( Restart the Vault Service on the Server)

• View the web portal for the use of Life Cycles….

PDMW General Rules

Thank You