A process plan is the detailed description of what needs to be done on the shop floor in order to produce, inspect, assemble, repair or maintain a given part or assembly.

Process plans contain the operations to be performed, the standard processes used to perform these operations, the sequence in which they must be done, the parts related to the operation, and the physical and human resources required to complete the operation. Included in a process plan are any document references or descriptions that could aid the worker, and a process plan can be used to evaluate time and cost requirements.  

There are three ways to create a process plan:

• Using the Manufacturing Product Structure Explorer, open up a part and create a process plan that is automatically associated with it.
• Using the Process Plan Explorer, create a standalone process plan that is not linked to any part. Parts can then be linked to this process plan at later dates.
• Duplicate an existing process plan

The following types of process plans are available:

• Production: Use when documenting instructions that describe how to produce parts
• Quality: Use when documenting instructions that describe how to inspect parts for quality
• Maintenance: Use when documenting instructions that describe how to maintain products
• Repair: Use when documenting instructions that describe how to service and repair products

The following example highlights the steps in creating a Manufacturing Process Plan utilizing the Process Plan Create Wizard:

1. Create New Process Plan Selection

File New -> New Process Plan: Creates a new process plan, which can be opened in a new window, or replace the current explorer content. (Figure 1)

2. Define the Process -> Plan Context: Type and Name (Product or Library)

The second step of the Process Plan Create Wizard allows for the selection of the Context for the Plan, either a Library or Product and the Name of the Context. The type of Process Plan needs to be selected. The user has the option to check-out the Process Plan upon creation and open the Plan in a new window. (Figure 2)

3. Define Process Details: (Category, Name, Number, View, Location, Unit, Trace, Standard)

The third step in the Process Plan Create Wizard is where more specific information is defined. Category: defines the type of Process Plan (Production, Quality, Maintenance, or Repair).

• Name: Process Plan Name
• Number: Process Plan Number (can be auto generated)
• View: View Filter (i.e. Engineering, Manufacturing, etc.)
• Unit: Unit-Of-Measure (i.e. Each, As-Needed, etc.)
• Default Trace Code: Define Trace Code (Lot, Lot/Serial, Serial, Untraced)
• Standard: Is this Process Plan part of a Manufacturing Standard (True or False) (Figure 3)

Upon creation of the Manufacturing Process Plan additional information can be associated to the Plan. The following section highlights the addition information that can be added to the Process Plan via the Tab Selections on the Process Plan Explorer.

Process Plan Explorer

The Process Plan Explorer consists of a dual-pane panel: the left pane is the structure pane, and displays the process plan in a tree table, the right pane displays information about the object selected in the structure pane. The top object of the tree lists the selected Process Plan. (Figure 4)

The task tabs on the right pane of the Process Plan Explorer display information pertaining to the process plan selected in the structure pane on the left. Each Manufacturing Process Plan consists of:

• Information tab: view or change the attributes of an object selected in the structure pane
• Operations tab: view the operations that make up the selected object
• Documentation tab: view, add, change, or remove document associations of the object selected in the structure pane on the left.
• Related tab: view, add, change, or remove manufacturing capabilities, standard procedure and constrained operations associations from the operation selected in the structure pane on the left.
• Plants tab: associate manufacturing facilities with process plan objects
• Part Selection tab: used to select specific parts for re-use in the current process plan, or operation.
• Manufacturing Standard Selection tab: select specific manufacturing standards for re-use in the current process plan, or to associate with a resource.
• Resource Selection tab is used select specific resources for re-use in the current process plan
• Resource tab: view, add, change, or remove resource associations to the operation selected in the structure pane on the left.
• Part Allocation tab: view, add, change, or remove allocated parts, and operated on parts to the operation selected in the structure pane on the left.

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