A serial object is a physical object that can be re-located within the facility, whereas a functional object is tied to a particular location within a facility. A serial object can be used in one facility location, and then be transferred and used in a different facility location. A serial object can also be transferred to inventory.
A serial object can be created from IFS/Asset Design. This feature enables serial part information to be added to the design (functional) object during the critical design phase. It also enables IFS/Asset Design to create an object structure in IFS/Equipment, to give maintenance a head start on data registration.
To create a serial object, a part number is added to the design object in IFS/Asset Design, and an unused (or new) serial number is assigned to that part number. The design object's design status is changed within IFS/Asset Design. A serial object and an equipment object are created, and the serial object is related to the equipment object.
Installation of IFS Maintenance and Part Catalog is required to create serial objects in IFS/Asset Design. Refer to IFS/Equipment for information on how to use serial objects.
During the design phase, the design engineer adds a part number and a serial number to a design object. This serial part information is then saved on the design object. When the design object's design is finished, the object's design status is changed from Under Design to Planned for Operation or Completed. This design status change causes the following to happen:
A single serial object cannot be created from IFS/Asset Design. To do this, the serial object must have a connected equipment object. A single serial object can, however, be created from IFS/Equipment.
Adding serial part information to design objects in IFS/Asset Design is optional.
The fields for defining the serial object are Serial Object ID, Part Number, and Serial Number. The Part Number and Serial Number fields have Lists of Values. Entering and saving values in these two fields inserts a value into the Serial Object ID field. The Serial Object ID can also be modified or entered manually, assuming the part number and the serial number are entered.
The serial object ID can be created via two different methods: System-generated or Manual.
A serial object ID is created automatically by entering a valid part number and a new or existing serial number, and saving the record. The serial object ID is created as a composite of the part number and the serial number, with a hyphen separating the two values. For example:
A serial object ID is created manually by entering a valid part number, a new or existing serial number, and then manually entering a value for the serial object ID. The record is then saved. You can use the manual serial object ID creation method for customized serial object IDs.
Some general rules for adding a part number, adding or creating a serial number, and creating a serial object ID are as follows:
Issued – the serial object is created and
connected to the equipment object.
In Facility – the serial object exists and thus will not be
recreated. If the serial object does not have a parent equipment object, it
will be connected. If a serial object is already connected to a parent
equipment object, a repeat connection is not made.
In Repair Work Shop – the serial object already exists and will not
be recreated. The serial object will not be connected as it already has the
Repair Work Shop as its parent object. No alert or error message will occur.
In Inventory – the serial object will not be created nor connected.
An error message will result. Current Position may be set to Issued to
enable the serial object creation and connection.
Contained, Under Transportation, Unlocated – the
serial object will not be created nor connected. An error message will
result.
By changing the design status for a design object in IFS/Asset Design, a serial part can be created in the serial part catalog, and as a serial object in IFS/Equipment.
The following design status changes from IFS/Asset Design create and connect this serial object:
If both the equipment object and the serial object exist, but have no connection to each other, changing the design status for the design object within IFS/Asset Design can connect these two objects. The serial object will be connected as a child to the parent equipment object.
If the equipment object in IFS/Equipment has a connected serial object, a different serial object can be created and connected to the equipment object. For example, the following equipment object exists in IFS/Equipment and has a connected serial object:
PM-311-PA-001 (equipment object)
20900030-005 (connected serial object)
The design object in IFS/Asset Design undergoes a redesign, and a new serial object is added to the design object.
PM-311-PA-001 (design object)
10600010-001 (new serial object)
The design object's design status is changed to Completed, and the new serial object is created and connected to the equipment object in IFS/Equipment.
PM-311-PA-001 (equipment object)
20900030-005 (connected serial object)
10600010-001 (new serial object)
Note: An additional serial object can be connected to the equipment object from IFS/Asset Design. However, an existing connection between a serial object and an equipment object cannot be removed from IFS/Asset Design. A connection between an equipment object and a serial object must be removed manually from IFS/Equipment. In the above example, the connection with 20900030-005 is removed manually from IFS/Equipment.
A setting on the Object Levels tab (Equipment/Equipment Basic Date/Object Levels) defines which equipment objects are allowed to have a connected serial object. This setting, which is configured on the equipment object class level, is tested before a connection between the equipment object and the serial object is made. If the setting is set to Yes, an object structure is created. If the setting is set to No, an object structure is not created.
Only simple object structures can be created from IFS/Asset Design and transferred to IFS/Equipment. A simple structure consists of one serial object and one functional object. A structure with one functional object and multiple serial objects cannot be created from IFS/Asset Design and transferred to IFS/Equipment. Such complex serial structures would need to be built up from within IFS/Equipment.
PM-311-PA-001 Pump (functional object)
10600010-001 Pump 1 (serial object)
PM-31-1 Pump Station 1 (functional object)
10600010-001 Pump 1 (serial object)
20060234-001 Fan 1 (serial object)
324020560-001 Motor 1 (serial object)
356780567-001 Shaft 1 (serial object)
Once the design status is changed and the equipment object and the serial object are created, you can navigate to this object structure in IFS/Equipment. On the Tree View for the design object on the Business Object Explorer, expand the node for the design object, and expand the node for the equipment object to view the parent equipment object and its related serial object.
When creating serial objects, an event history is created and stored on the target object within IFS/Asset Design. A log record is created for the following events:
Refer to the Design Object's History for further information.
If IFS/Equipment is not installed, values for the part number and serial number can still be entered and saved on the object in IFS/Asset Design, but a serial object cannot be created from IFS/Asset Design. However, if IFS/Equipment is installed afterward, it is possible to create the serial object from IFS/Asset Design by changing the design object's design status.