Tool requirements overview

A process planner uses tool requirements to describe the tools required for a process or operation. This can be in the form of a search criteria or a description of the tool in free text. A tool requirement is defined at the process or operation level in a generic BOP or product BOP. After definition, the requirement is resolved to an actual tool in the plant BOP.

You can assign multiple tool requirements to a process or operation line. You can copy a tool requirement from one operation to another. After copying, each tool requirement is considered as separate. There is no link maintained between them. The resolved tools (if any) from the source are carried over to the target. If you copy an operation with a tool requirement, a link between the original and copied tool requirements is maintained.

A tool requirement is resolved in the plant BOP after allocation. The default occurrence type used when resolving the tool requirement is specified in the MERelationTypeUsedEquipment preference. You can change this default in the Create Tool Requirement dialog box.

There are two types of tool requirements:

• Search criteria This is a valid search criterion that Teamcenter executes to find matching tools that automatically resolve the requirement.

• Free text description of the tool This is a description of the tool in free text format that you resolve manually.

Tool requirements are displayed in the Assignments view. You can create and edit them in the generic or product BOP and resolve them in the plant BOP. Additionally, you select which types of objects are displayed in the Assignments view by clicking the Filter button and selecting the desired objects from the list.

You may have business reasons for wanting to override existing tool requirement criteria and resolve the requirement manually with a tool that you select from the Classification view or copy from elsewhere. You can do so in the Edit Tool Requirement dialog box.