An object is a function with requirements data to satisfy a certain process. For example, a pump object moving feed water from one tank to another would have requirements data of temperature, pressure, capacity, and material, among others. This data is based on the process requirements of a pump moving 25 liters of water per minute 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. This object is registered within IFS/Asset Design and the requirements data is saved along with it. Often a design part (e.g., a physical pump meeting the object's process requirements) holding technical data from a supplier is registered in IFS/Asset Design and related to the object.
Objects are the focal point within a design. An object is the hub for relations to other IFS/Asset Design information sources. For example, a pump object might have relations for a design part (pump), the motor that drives it, documents (CAD drawings and technical specifications), and other objects involved within a process (such as tanks and pipes).
There are three types of general objects:
Note: Classes are defined to allow functional and/or locational relations. An object inherits this designation by belonging to the class. Class properties can be set to display functional and/or locational class relational structures on object tree views within the Business Object Explorer. You will register and work with objects in much the same manner, whether their class allows functional and/or locational relations.
An object is designed to fulfill a technical function. To ensure that this technical data meets the necessary demands of the design, an object's technical data is subject to approval. Each object has a demand status that is set to approved before the object's design can be completed.
An object's technical attributes are applied on a per-class basis. All objects within a class share the same attribute data. Attributes are defined and grouped by class in Application Services/Characteristics. A technical class is connected to the object class on the Class window. An object class must have an assigned technical class before its demand status can be approved.
An object has a design status that controls the object's workflow in IFS/Asset Design. When the object is designed and purchased, its design status is changed to reflect this. Object data created in IFS/Asset Design can be transferred to IFS Maintenance. This data transfer occurs during the changing of the object's design status where an equipment object is created in IFS/Equipment and populated with the design object's data.
An ID model is comprised of a name and the values that display for the different object ID fields. Values for ID model fields (Primary 01, Primary 02, Secondary 01 and Secondary 02 fields, among others) determine the field label text for the object ID information in Design Object windows. ID models are created for an object and each model is related to a class.
Relations are IFS/Asset Design's method to show the connections between equipment as they exist within the facility or process. For example, a motor driving a pump has this physical connection represented by defining a relation between the motor and the pump.
For the most part, objects will have a design part relation, a parent relation, and several other relations showing the object's inter-connectedness within the facility.
Objects with certain class properties can be updated with data from their related design parts. These class properties affect all objects in the class. Object properties allow you to make these same changes, but on one object at a time.
To define object properties, highlight an object and right-click to select Property Settings. The Object Properties dialog box opens and selecting a property's check box will cause that object to be updated from its related design part. The following object properties may be updated:
An object property can be set to On or Off. If multiple objects are selected, an object property setting's check mark may be light gray. This may occur because the selected objects have differing object property settings. For example, you have a motor object and a motor design part that both have the Can Have Terminals class property. This means that each can create terminals. The Update Terminal from Part class property enables the object's terminals to be updated with the design part's terminals. This class property would be especially helpful if the design part is connected to 20 objects. However, if two of these objects are special cases, you can protect two objects from design part updates while the other 18 objects receive design part terminal updates by setting the Update Terminal from Parts class property on the 18 objects and not setting the property on the two special-case objects.
Here are the two ways you will work with objects within IFS/Asset Design:
Create an object in IFS/Asset Design that is involved in a certain process and has certain requirements to meet. This process is spelled out with data requirements that are registered directly to the object. In the case of a pump, requirements data would be temperature, pressure, capacity, and so on. This object process information is sent to a supplier, who then suggests suitable design parts that meet the object's requirements.
This supplier information is returned, saved under a registered design part, and the design part is related to the object. The original object process requirements are saved and the data from the design part is connected and saved along with it. This is the most common approach for working with objects/design parts within IFS/Asset Design.
Create an object in IFS/Asset Design that is involved in a certain process and has certain requirements to meet. This process is spelled out with data requirements that are registered directly to the object. In the case of a heat exchanger, requirements data would be temperature, pressure, and capacity and so on. This object information is sent to a supplier, who then suggests a suitable piece of equipment that meets the object's requirements.
This supplier information is returned and saved under the registered object. This means that the original object requirements data is lost unless a revision management functionality is implemented. However, a design part does not have to be created and maintained. This type of object is common with unique chemical process & mechanical objects, such as tanks, columns, and pressure vessels.
There are two ways to connect a design part to an object:
Select an object and enter a design part ID in the Design Part field by typing the ID or use a List of Values to select and insert.
On a design object tree view in the Business Object Explorer, drag & drop can be used to connect a design part to the object. Drag the design part and drop it to connect it to the object.
Design codes are entered on the object for the purpose of matching and automatically connecting a suitable design part. These codes describe aspects of design parts, such as material, dimension, color and capacity, among others.
To connect the design part to the object, open the object, right-click and select Allocate Design Parts. This command is available on a per object basis from the Business Object Explorer and for multiple objects on design object overview windows.
A design part will not be automatically connected to the object if:
Updating properties from parts enables the update of objects from their related design parts. There are several settings that allow you to control how these updates occur. The settings described below can be used when making manual, one-time changes between the design part and the object. To update an object's properties from it's part, highlight an object, right-click and select Update Properties from Design Part. Settings can be made to update Nozzles, Terminals, and Wires as follows:
When working with objects, you can take advantage of several IFS/Asset Design features that help speed up your work. You can allow objects to inherit the parent object's structure based on Class settings. You can also easily copy or delete part or all of an object's relational structure.
Additional parts are design parts connected to an object for purchasing and documentation purposes. You can transfer additional parts to IFS/Equipment where they become spare parts.
Additional parts may be automatically inherited by the object (when the design part with additional parts is initially connected to the object) or manually from the object.