Part classes: Nine steps for more efficient manufacturing from the bottom up

Part classes are standards making them ideal for time-savings of up to 95% across all process stations. If you consider that standardizing by just 20% significantly increases efficiency in manufacturing, you’ll see that this approach can lead to quick and impactful results.

→ Why subdivide parts into classes?
→ The nonindustry-specific principle of part classes
→ Features you can use to classify parts
→ More refined classification = greater efficiency potential
→ Part classes improve cost effectiveness
→ What you need to know before classifying parts: Nine steps of part classification

What do dies for a rear hatch and a side door have in common in manufacturing? Not much, at first glance; the results appear to be completely different. This impression is reinforced by the individual hand notes in CAD preparation and CAM programming: some quick and pragmatic, others artistically elegant or clumsily improvised. It appears as though nothing could be standardized – but appearances can be deceptive. Even in single-part and small-series manufacturing, there are similarities and commonalities in parts.

For the simplified example of the image of a cube, this means: Whether the trapezoid is larger or smaller and has two or five holes, or whether the star has five or eight points – these small differences will only make minimal differences in the manufacturing process. We can take advantage of this principle to manufacture more efficiently With this example, my colleague has clearly pointed out that just one CAD template is required to automatically prepare similar parts based on their similarities.I'll go one step further and show you how to find and structure these part classes.

Why classify parts? Every increase in efficiency provides competitive benefits and increases your future viability. Part classes or part families are powerful tools that have a positive impact on efficiency across the entire manufacturing process. There's more: Part classes as standards are THE vehicle on the path to automation – in the future.

Classifying by materials is a first step. To increase efficiency, you'll need to look for additional similarities and recurring relationships. The secret lies in recognizing finer patters and using relationships so you can use variants. The combination of individual patterns often plays a decisive role in creating more efficient manufacturing processes.

I've seen countless possibilities and ways that build on each other for manufacturers to cluster their parts in a wide range of industries. From the geometry to the tool or the part: The principle of part classes works as a standard across industries. What’s important is for the classes to be adapted to your specific processes and manufacturing portfolio. You’re the one who knows these best.

Finer classification = greater potential for efficiency

The way you generate your classes also affects efficiency. This is neither good nor bad; it all depends on the goal you want to achieve. Part classes with more in-depth commonalities, like similarities in design and geometry or the same machining sequences. Repetitive procedures can also be standardized with CAD and CAM templates. Identify common features that allow you to easily detect similar parts to establish standardized processes.

Without standardization, optimal processes are based entirely on chance: Individual processes that can’t be repeated lead to wasted time and money. In contrast, standardized processes always include the same sequence of actions that are generally recognized and achieve the same result.

And it's beneficial to develop your standardization step by step so you can capture quick wins. Standardizing even 20% of processes can significantly enhance efficiency boosting the overall cost-effectiveness of your manufacturing. As a general rule, standardization of 60 to 80% in a company is considered outstanding.