This topic describes the typical steps to define a new assembly using CAD data and shows you how to import and format a Bill of Materials (BOM). FactoryLogix uses a series of wizard pages to guide you through the steps to create a new product or assembly in the NPI client application. 

Create a new assembly

When you create a new assembly, only bold items are required (name, revision level, and process revision level). Other options allow you to assign a customer to the assembly and copy a BOM, CAD, and/or a process definition from an existing assembly if desired.

1. Log into the NPI client application.

2. Select Process Engineering  > New Assembly.
   
   
   

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3. Enter a name for the New Assembly, then enter a value for the New Assembly Revision level.

4. To associate a customer with this assembly, select a name from the Customer drop-down or select the Add button, enter a new customer name, then select OK.
   
   

5. If this assembly is a Configure-To-Order assembly, select the Is a Configurable Assembly (Will be a configure-to-order/CTO assembly) check box.

6. If this assembly is required to pass Restriction of Hazardous Materials (RoHS) compliance, select the RoHS check box.

7. Enter a Description for the assembly.
   
   

8. Select New BOM/CAD if you want to import a BOM file and CAD file for this assembly or select Copy From Existing Assembly to quickly reuse an existing BOM and CAD, then select the assembly from the list and select OK.

9. Enter a New Process Revision level.

10. Select New Process to create a new process definition for this assembly or select Copy from Existing Assembly to copy a process definition from an existing assembly, select the assembly name from the list that displays, then select OK.

11. Select Next.

Select new process options

If you selected New Process in the previous procedure, the wizard adds the New Process Options page automatically. On this page, you specify a template for the process definition, the product tracking mode, route enforcement options, a profile for post-release editing, and (if desired) a project to associate the new process definition with for the assembly.

1. On the New Process Options page, select a template for the process definition (if one is available), or select No Template if you plan to create a new process definition for this assembly.
   
   
   

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2. Select the Product Tracking Mode: Serialized, Non-Serialized, or Hybrid.
   
   

3. Determine if you need route enforcement for this assembly, then select Disabled, Warn, or Enabled.
   
   

4. If you plan to allow Post-Release Editing of this assembly, select a previously-defined Lock Down profile from the drop-down to apply it to the assembly or create a new profile: 

   • To create a Lock Down profile for this assembly, select the gear icon, select the Add button, enter a name for the profile, then select OK. 

   • Use the check boxes to select the parts of the process definition you want to lock down (that is, prevent others from editing), then select OK.

5. To associate this process definition with a project, select the Browse (...) button, locate and select the project, then select OK.

6. Select Finish.

Load design files

The Load Design Files page is where you select a BOM, CAD, and other supporting files for a new assembly. When you import files and folders, options at the top of the page are available to help you organize, select, and/or remove the necessary files and folders for the new assembly: View Item, Remove Item, Undo Delete, Select All, Remove All, Select Group, Remove Group. The available options depend on the files or folders selected on the page; use the check boxes to select or deselect specific files.

There are four general categories of files you can load:

• BOM

• ECAD

• Gerber

• Other

When you load design files, be sure to look in the File Type column and verify that each file type is identified correctly—especially BOM files that typically require cleaning and formatting. For example, a BOM may be loaded as an Unknown file type. Use the File Type drop-down to change design files to the appropriate (specific) file type for the product or assembly.

1. Under Importing File List on the right side of the page, select Add File, locate and select the BOM file for the new assembly, then select Open.
   
   

2. If the BOM file isn't recognized, it displays as type Other. To change the file type for the BOM, select BOM File and note the addition of a new button for BOM Formatting.
   
   

3. Select Add File, then select the CAD file for this assembly.
   
   FactoryLogix automatically recognizes most file types and adds the imported file to an ECAD category while adding a new step (page) named Set CAD Options.
   
   

4. Add the remaining files or folders that support this assembly build, then select Next.
   
   
   

Set CAD options

The options on the Set CAD Options page depend on the type of CAD file you imported on the Load Design Files page. Each CAD file format has different options for importing. For example, you can import mirrored pads, bottom looking rotations, BOM data, local fiducials, and so on.

• Under Import Options, review and select the CAD file options and attributes that you want to import for this assembly, then select Next.
  
  
  

BOM text formatting

When you import a text-based BOM file to use for a new process definition, the BOM Text Formatting page displays in the Process Definition wizard.

1. Under Parsing Options, do one of the following to format the text file:
   
   

   • Select Fixed Width to create fixed-width columns for the BOM data, then enter the desired column width.

   • Select Delimited, then use the drop-down to select the delimiter used in the BOM file to separate the various data values (comma, semicolon, colon, bar, tab, double tab, space, or double space). If a delimiter character isn't listed, you can enter it in the Delimited drop-down.

2. To save your text formatting for use with other text-based BOM files you import, select the Save  button, enter a Template Name, then select OK.
   
   
   

   
   
   

3. When you finish formatting the BOM text, select Next to move to the BOM Formatting page where you can make additional modifications.

BOM worksheet selection

When you import a worksheet-based BOM file containing more than one tab/worksheet to use for a new process definition, the BOM Worksheet Selection option displays in the Process Definition wizard.

1. After you select a BOM worksheet file for importing, select BOM Worksheet Selection on the left side of the wizard page.
   
   
   

   
   
   The BOM Worksheet Selection page displays, allowing you to select the desired BOM worksheet for this assembly. The following illustration shows an Excel file BOM with two worksheets: AEGIS_CONSOLE$ and Sheet 1$.
   
   
   

   
   
   

2. Under Worksheets, select the worksheet that contains the BOM data for this assembly.
   
   The Preview pane on the right side of the window shows you what the worksheet BOM looks like before further editing.
   
   

3. Select Next to move to the next wizard page.

BOM formatting

When you create a new part or assembly in FactoryLogix NPI, the BOM Formatting page of the wizard lets you process complex BOM information into a more usable and organized format. The main goal of BOM cleaning is to define the fields (columns) to import from the BOM and remove unnecessary information to make the BOM more readable before you publish it. 

FactoryLogix has powerful tools to help you clean BOM files of non-essential information and add formatting to make the BOM easier to read and use. When you format one type of BOM, FactoryLogix has the ability to "remember" the cleaning process—that cleaning process can be applied automatically in the future for similar BOM files, saving you valuable time and effort. 

1. On the BOM Formatting page, right-click a row, then select an editing option (Add Text, Edit Reference, Merge, Filter, and so on).

2. Right-click a column, then select a new column definition or remove a selected definition from the BOM.
   
   
   

   
   
   

3. Select the row containing the column headers, then select the Map Row to Column Headers tool.

4. In the Map Column Headers dialog, select BOM rows to map to specific columns.

5. (Optional) After the columns are assigned, you can delete the header row automatically by selecting the Delete Header Row check box in the lower-left corner of the window.
   
   

   
   
   

   
   
   

6. After you finish making the desired column mapping changes, select OK.
   
   
   

   
   
   

7. When you finish formatting the BOM file, select Next.

BOM cleaning tools and editing options

There are multiple tools and editing options available to help you format and clean up imported BOM data.

Edit rows

Edit columns

Use the Action Recorder

During the BOM cleaning process, each change you make to the BOM is tracked and recorded automatically in the Action Recorder at the bottom of the BOM Formatting page. You can repeat previous actions on selected rows or columns using the commands in the Action Recorder (see the following table).

Finish the import

After cleaning and formatting the BOM and resolving BOM errors, you're ready to finish importing the data for the new assembly. 

1. Use the Back and Next buttons to review your selections for the assembly.

2. When you are finished making changes and you are ready to import the files for the new assembly, select Import.
   
   
   

   
   
   

   The CAD and BOM are imported and the BOM node of the Process Tree is selected in the Process Definition window. Any BOM validation errors or warnings are displayed at the bottom of the screen.