After you set up units of measure, you can add attributes to parts in the Part Library. A part attribute is an acceptable value or range of values for a part. A part attribute may be electrical properties such as resistance, capacitance, or inductance, or it may be physical measurement data such as dimensions, mass, or volume. Once defined, you can validate part attribute data as part of a receiving process to ensure that all new parts fall within the desired specifications.

Create a part attribute

1. Log into the NPI client application.

2. Select Libraries  > Part Library.

3. Select an existing part for a receiving process or create a new one.
4. Select the Attributes tab on the right side of the Part Library window, then select the Manage button (the gear) in the upper-right corner of the window.
   
   
   
   
5. Select the New  button, then enter the Capacitance in the New Attribute dialog.
   
   
   
   
6. Select options for the Capacitance attribute: In most cases, the Value Type will be Numeric. The Number Options in the dialog include the number of decimal places in the numeric data collection and the Unit of Measure (in this case, Capacitance).
   
   
7. When you are finished setting up the new attribute select OK.
   
   The Capacitance attribute is assigned to the part you selected and the attribute is now available to associate with additional parts in the Part Library.

Associate a part attribute with a part

After you create and save a part attribute, you can associate the attribute with one or more parts in the Part Library.

1. Log into the NPI client application.

2. Select Libraries  > Part Library.

3. Select an existing part or create a new one.
4. Select the Attributes tab on the right side of the window.
5. Select the Capacitance attribute, then select OK to assign the Capacitance attribute to the selected part.
   
   

Specify the default unit of measure for data collection

The Attribute Details dialog lets you define the default unit of measure to be used in data collection activities during a receiving process. For example, for a 470-microfarad capacitor with a 5% tolerance, you would select microfarad as the unit of measure, enter 470 for the Nominal value, then select 5% to calculate and enter the upper and lower acceptable limits automatically. It is these part attributes that let you define a single receiving process to accommodate part measurements and inspection for any received part. 

1. In the Part Library window, select a part, then select the Attributes tab.
2. Select the Add Attribute  button.
   
   
   
   
3. Enter the attribute Unit.
4. Do one of the following:
   
   
   • Select All Values Acceptable if any value is acceptable for this unit of measure.
     
   • Specify the Acceptable Range for the unit of measure (Min, Nominal, and Max values) and a Tolerance % (if required).
5. Select OK.
   
   The value you specify becomes the default measurement for this component.