Hi there! We use a pick and place machine in our production line. Our machine can hold up to 122 unique components at one time. Different products require different components to be loaded onto the machine.
We’re attempting to tie a BOM list into our Stock system, to automatically balance our stock levels as our production process is run. Each of our component reels are uniquely identified, meaning that if we run out of a component we will replace it with another reel (with a different ID, but same internal part number). We currently track the components used for each product with a Batch ID, which contains a list of all unique component IDs.
Our BOM is currently laid out in Tulip as shown below. (PN is Part Number, RN is Required Number of that part).
To complicate matters, we also have a list of alternate parts that can be substituted in. We feel that the best way to deal with this is to list various product configurations, along with the required number of parts per panel. We’re happy to be proven wrong though!
| ID | Product Name | Product Variation | 01 PN | 01 RN | 02 PN | 02 RN | 03 PN | 03 RN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOM-prodA | Product A | Standard | 01 | 2 | 02 | 2 | 03 | 2 |
| BOM-prodA-1 | Product A | Alternate | 02 | 2 | 03 | 2 | 04 | 2 |
| BOM-prodB | Product B | Standard | 05 | 3 | 06 | 1 | 07 | 3 |
We’re struggling with translating this structure into an efficient stock-deduction system. I believe the steps are along the lines of:
- Collect all values of RN and PN for a product configuration (perhaps using a Connector function) into an array.
- Check array for every PN that is loaded on the machine. Get index location of that part number, and then store the RN in Machine table (see below).
- Store current stock value of component (from Stock table) into 4th column of Machine table.
- On completion, use an aggregation count of the Executions table to identify how many units were produced. Take that number, multiply it by the RN for each component, then reduce “Current Stock” by that number.
- Update Stock table with new stock number.
| Machine Location | Internal Part Number | RN | Current Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| F01 | 01 | 2 | 500 |
| F02 | 02 | 2 | 200 |
| F03 | 03 | 2 | 300 |
For this number of parts, I feel the number of trigger steps required to update the Stock table in real-time would be too time-intensive, thus doing most of the work on completion.
I’m unsure if the better approach is starting with the BOM and manually matching parts somehow. Happy to hear any ideas!
We have some experience with the Looper custom widget, connector functions, etc. but are yet to look too deeply into Objects, Automations, etc., so if there is a simpler way of doing this we’d love to know!
All the best,
Preston Fisher
