Part Family and Classification - Mechanical Education

Part Family:

Part Family is nothing but a similar kind of properties like size, geometry etc.. this is also considered the process of manufacturing if there is a similar sequence in producing a product or similar steps are used in it. then they all are made into a member of there part family. Even there is some common points in between them, they have a difference at the time of manufacturing. This process helps to identify the same products which are manufacturing with related dimensions, manufacturing process etc. and helps to improves the production rate through this identification process.

Different methods of part family formation:

There are three types of methods they are

• Visual Inspection
• Production Flow Analysis
• Coding System

Visual Inspection:

This type of method is used to form a group with the help of physical parts. this type of arrangement gives less accuracy and less effective work. this is not an advanced one.

Production flow analysis:

The method used in production flow analysis is the procedure of routes sheets of a product. by this, the part family gets identified by this analysis of roots sheet, the grouping is done.

Coding system:

This type of method used nowadays this is an advanced type, but it takes more time than any other type but many of them prefer this type of system.

Part Design Attributes:

This also the same as the process of a part family, that consider as similar shapes, sizes etc by the help of design, similar parts are identified and coded into part families.This is useful at the time of the new product to be developed by using the old designs.This makes easy improvement in new designs.

Need for Grouping Parts in Part Families:

• This to standardize the design.
• This used to minimize the overall manufacturing cost.
• This can reduce a large number of setups.

Classification of parts:

This is based on design, manufacturing and by both of them.

• External and internal shapes of product.
• Depends on lengths, dimensions etc..
• Sequence in operations, the time taken by production.
• Surface finish, tolerance etc..