Here at StruMIS we are committed to helping young academics excel and provide them with a platform and insight into the working environment and enabling a bridge between education and workplace proving invaluable to the student.

This week, we were delighted to welcome Stuart Cameron Riddell a 14 year old student from Lees Brook Community School in Derby, UK and son of our global Support Manager Stuart Riddell. StruMIS had no hesitation in

offering Stuart Cameron a week’s work placement so he could learn more about our global leading software packages.

With a keen interest in Forensics and Criminology, Stuart Cameron quickly became familiar with the StruM.I.S interface and how the industry concepts apply such as Drawing / Mark / Mark Items / Phase / Lots.

Stuart Cameron excelled in importing material lists into StruM.I.S, pushing them through Lotting / Nesting (Linear & Plate) / Production Control and testing Beta versions on Windows 10 for when it gets released.

We wish Stuart Cameron all the best with his studies and future career plans.

Dealing with Invalid Marks during Model Import

The Cad Interfaces within StruM.I.S give the user the ability to import material lists either from a CAD generated report, a comma separated CSV file or a tab separated txt file. These Material Lists are generated using a third party application such as Tekla and ProSteel, etc and make the transfer of information from these programs seamless.

There are however occasions when the information within these files cause there to be invalid marks. This isn’t a difficult thing to overcome but can appear daunting to a customer the first time they encounter this so the purpose of this document is to equip you with the knowledge to cope when you find invalid marks.

Reasons you may have Invalid Marks

During the Import, items are put into 1 of 4 tabs; Valid Mark Items, Unrecognised Mark Items, Invalid Marks and Invalid Dimensions. This is shown above. It is done in this way so as to make life as easy as possible for the user in determining how to resolve Invalid Marks.

In an ideal world you would have all items in the Valid Mark Items tab. However, there are a variety of reasons why this may not be the case and it is the users’ task to either put this right during the import or go back to whoever issued the model and request that the data is re-issued correctly.

Below is a list of reasons why we may have Invalid Marks that is displayed if the user hovers the mouse over the invalid Marks tab.

This document has been created with the more common reasons there may be Invalid Marks at the top and the less common reasons at the bottom.
Starting at the top and working through this should resolve any invalid Marks but if you’re still experiencing Invalid Marks then contact StruM.I.S Support.

Unrecognised Items

In the above example I have 644 Valid Mark Items but 12 Invalid Marks. This has been caused by there being 12 Unrecognised Mark Items.
This example is the most common reason we may have invalid Marks. It is caused in this instance by the section UB406X178X54 being specified differently in the CAD package (using an * instead of an X to separate dimensions) to what it is in StruM.I.S.

This is easily and quickly resolved.

1. On the Unrecognised Mark Items tab, click on the ellipses button in the column “Import as Item”
2. This will open the Item Picker. Fill out the details as required and click ok

3. Click on the Revalidate Marks button (situated bottom right)
4. All Marks should now be valid and displayed as below

5. After clicking on Next but before clicking on Finish, ensure that the option “Persist Cross References” is checked. This will add a Cross reference to the database that means that it will remember 406*178*54UB should always automatically be mapped to UB406X178X54 in future without having to do the mapping again manually

Unrecognised Items caused by invalid Grade

In the above example I have only 60 Valid Mark Items but 231 Invalid Marks. This has been caused by there being 377 Unrecognised Mark Items.
This has been caused by the Steel Grade S275JR being specified as S_275JR in the CAD package.
We could simply repeat the same instructions as above for Unrecognised Items, but it in this case it is quicker to add a Cross Reference to the Grade library.
1. Cancel the Import and go into the Items and Inventory menu and open Grade as shown below

2. Double click on the Grade we are to cross reference. In this example S275JR
3. Add the Grade as it appears in the CAD file to the Grade Cross Reference as shown to the right

4. Re-run the import and now all 668 Marks will be valid

Invalid Dimensions

In the above example I have 584 Valid Mark Items but 35 Invalid Marks. This has been caused by there being 31 Invalid Dimensions.
All Mark Items that share a name must also share the same properties. In the above example, we have two Mark Items that have differing Lengths;

• Mark Item 1 has two instances of a length of 9065mm and one instance of a length of 9070mm
• Mark Item PLT1 has 27 instances of a length of 700mm and one instance of a length of 705mm

This will have been caused by there being a tolerance in the CAD package that has been set to allow components that vary up to and including 5mm to be marked the same.

Note: StruM.I.S has an option “CAD Interface Dimensions tolerance” that can be found under Contracts Management Options and also the option to round up or down. I’ve purposely left this set to 3mm for the purpose of this exercise but had this been set to 5mm Up, it would have made all Mark Item 1 9070mm and PLT1 705mm for me.

This is easily and quickly resolved.

1. Within the Cad Interface
grid, simply click on the length
or Width you wish to change
2. Type the desired dimension
3. Tab out of the field, and it will
Automatically update all
Instances of that Mark Item
4. Click on the Revalidate Marks
button (situated bottom right)
5. All Marks should now be valid and displayed as below

More than one Mark Item share the same name but have different properties

In the above example I have 584 Valid Mark Items but 84 Invalid Marks. This kind of Invalid Mark is a little more difficult to work out than the above examples as the incriminating Mark Items aren’t put onto a separate tab like the Unrecognised and Invalid Dimensions are.

However, when you know what to look for and how to find it, it becomes much easier.

1. Click on the “Grid Options” button and select “Group By”. This will make finding the Mark Items causing the Marks to be invalid easier

2. Group by the Mark Item. This is done by dragging the column header for Mark Item to the top of the screen as shown below

3. Now that we’re grouped by Mark Item, repeat the process but this time the second group will be the “Import as Item” column, as shown below

4. The import screen will now be grouped by both Criteria and will look like the image below. The benefit to doing it this way is that as you scroll down the list, you’re looking for a row that instead of saying “(1 Item)” says “(2 Items)” or more. It should jump out at you much more clearly than if you’re simply scrolling through the entire list

5. In this example, there is a Mark Item “PLT1” that has been incorrectly specified as a 120x10FLAT in one instance but in all other cases is specified as a 450x25FLAT.
The User in this instance can either edit the source file or liaise with the draughtsman who could either re-mark the 120x10FLAT or change it to match all other PLT1 Mark Items. In any case, the user knows exactly where the issue is and was able to find so quite easily using the group by feature.
6. Once the updated file is received, the user can re-run the import and all items should now be valid and displayed as below

Other Reasons there may be invalid Marks

There are other reasons besides the possible causes listed above

Invalid Lot or Phase

If the option is turned on within the contract to read Lot/Load and Phase/Zone information from the CAD file, then all Mark Items that make up a Mark must share the same Phase/Zone or Lot/Load information.
The example below shows the invalid Mark 5 which has become invalid due to all items being in Lot 3 besides the Mark Item PLT3.

This is resolved by using the “Re-Lot” option at the bottom of the screen.

1. Highlight the row you wish to re-lot (say PLT3 in this example), enter the desired lot as shown below and click OK.

As the option “Selected items only” is selected, this will only update this row.

2. Click on the Re-validate Marks button (situated bottom right) all Marks should now be valid and displayed as below

Note: The process to resolve an invalid Phase is identical to resolving an invalid Lot other than using the “Re-Phase” option which is situated to the left of the “Re-Lot” option

Quantity Set to 0

If there are invalid marks and the screen looks like below, then the wisest course of action is to liaise with the Draughtsman and have them issue a new report. This example has Mark Item 1 having no quantity.

Alternatively, you could edit the CAD file if you are certain you know the correct quantity but it’s always best to have an up to date model.

Invalid Cut Type

As previously mentioned, if there are multiple instances of a Mark Item, then all its physical properties must be the same.
This is true of its cut type.

In the example below, there are three instances of PLT3, two of which are Angle Cut but one of which is Straight Cut

Note: To find this easier, the user may wish to use the “Group By” method that was used during the explanation on “More than one Mark Item share the same name but have different properties”, only this time grouping first by “Mark Item” and then “Cut Type” looking for a Mark Item that has (2 items) listed next to it.

The user has 2 options here;

a) Go back to the draughtsman and have them correct the issue in the CAD Package and reissue the list
b) Turn off the option for Cut Type within the Cad Interface so that it imports all items as Straight Cut.

The second option is quickest, but will mean all items are imported as Straight Cut for all Marks.

No Main member specified

If there are still Invalid Marks at this point then it is likely a Mark does not have a main member specified. This occurs when Mark Items are created off of a Dummy member withing the CAD package and the Dummy member is set to be the Main member in error by the Draughtsman.

To check that this is the case, you must first turn on the column “SourceMainMember”

1. Click on Grid Options and choose the option “Show Hide Columns”

2. Ensure that the column “SourceMainMember” is checked

3. The SourceMainMember column displays a 0 for those not listed a main member, and a 1 for those that are. If there is no main member specified at all then this Mark becomes Invalid.
The above example shows Mark 1 as having no main member.
The only solution in this instance is to go back to the draughtsman and have them correct the issue in the CAD Package and reissue the list.

Manually Updating Contract Work Orders within Production Control

The Generate Contract Work Orders task within StruMIS gives the user the ability to easily select the best fabrication route for the selected Mark or Mark Item by utilizing the rules within Workstations and Templates created previously (See Chapter 7 of the StruMIS evolution training manual).

This is for the most part an automated process and will save the user a lot of time and effort.

However, there are occasions when the work orders may need to be adjusted and this might not be prior to the fabrication commencing. In these situations, the user would not want to un-issue the job from the workshop but would rather amend the planned work-flow. It is the purpose of this document to highlight some of the changes that may need making on occasion and the different methods with which the user can implement these changes.

Updating a single Work Order Manually

One of the most useful features of the Generate Contract Work Orders task is that it can utilise the NC data of a Mark Item to determine which processes are required. Below is an example of a Circular Hollow Section used as a beam with a Fin Plate style connection.

Note how the Plate PLT15 has holes but PLT14 does not. Because of this, StruMIS would route both plates to the same cutting station but once cutting has been undertaken, PLT15 will move onto the Drill and PLT14 will move onto Complete.

This means that the user does not have to progress items through processes that the Mark Items do not actually need to go through. However, occasionally the operator will know that they will need to override the suggested path that the items have been routed down.

E.g. If the above assembly needs to be galvanized then it will require drainage holes in the cap plates (PLT14). Ideally the draughtsman will have detailed the plate with the galvanisation in mind but this is not always the case and so instead it is up to a user in the production office do this.

1) Locate the Item in the Production Control grid. Below shows all the items that are currently at the process Cutting and specifically at the Workstation Guillotine.

Note: The Next Process column shows as being Complete for the Mark Item PLT14 as previously mentioned and that PLT15 is due to move onto Holemaking.

2) Either double-click on the line or click on Actions then select View Work Order whilst the line is highlighted. Either way, this will open the Work Order and allow the user to modify it.

3) Click onto the Processes tab, this will show all the existing processes for this Mark Item which in this example would only be Cutting.

4) To add a new process click into the drop down menu beneath the existing Processes as shown below.

5) Once the Process is added, the user can also amend the Workstation at which this process is to be undertaken and also the Planned times.

Note: It is within the Processes tab that the user could also make adjustments to an existing Process. E.g. Change the Workstation at which Cutting is to be done or remove a Process that is no longer required.

6) When you are happy with the changes, click on Save and then Close. When the user returns to the Production Control grid and clicks on Refresh, they will notice that the Next Process is now Holemaking. This is shown below.

Batch-Updating multiple Work Orders

The above example of opening a Work Order and making changes to it is great if the user is updating only a few lines. However, there may be occasions where the user has to update a large number of lines and making the same change to each of them.
In these situations it would be frustrating to the user to have to open each line one at time and make the same change over and over so instead it’s better to use the Batch Update option.

The Batch Update button is situated at the bottom of the Production Control grid and has the following options;

• Add Work Order Processes – Allows the user to add a brand new process to a selection of Work Orders.
• Update Work Order Processes – Allows the user to make a change to an existing Process that appears within their work orders. Examples of this could be changing the workstation at which cutting is performed at or increasing / decreasing the planned time it takes to undertake this process.
• Remove Work Order Processes – Deletes a Process that is no longer required from the Work Order.

Examples of each are shown below.

Batch Update to Add Work Order Process

Below is a list of fittings required for Contract C-0155.

Note: PLT14 and PLT15 will be cut at the Guillotine then move onto Holemaking but PLT8 will be Complete upon being cut.

To introduce a new Process after cutting:

1) Highlight all items currently at the Guillotine.

2) Click on the Batch Update button and choose the option Add Work Order Process.

3) The Add Processes form will be displayed.

4) Adding an inspection process that will take 5 minutes after the process of Cutting.

5) Click OK to commit the changes.

Note: If this process change became permanent in your production flow then it would be a good idea to amend the Production Template.

Now when the user checks the Production Control grid, they will notice that the Next Process after cutting is now Pre-Fabrication Inspection. This will also show on the Work Order should the user choose to open it. See Below:

Batch Update to Update Work Order Process

Below are the beams for one of the Lots required for Contract C-0155.

Mark Item 29 only needs to be cut, Mark Items 26 & 27 will need to be Profile Cut and Mark Item 30 requires Holes. We do not want to change any of the Processes but we will work under the assumption that these Beams cannot be accommodated at the Kaltenbach Saw. This could be due to the Workstation having scheduled maintenance or simply because there is already a large workload at the normally preferred Kaltenbach Saw and we wish to process this Lot quickly and therefore will use a different machine. In any case, updating a Process is simple and done as follows;

1) Highlight the lines that need to be changed. (In this example we will highlight all items currently at the Kaltenbach Saw).

2) Click on the Batch Update button and choose the option Update Work Order Process.

3) This will open the following window. Make the adjustments as required.

4) Click OK to commit changes.

Now when the user checks the Production Control grid, they will notice that Mark Items 26 & 27 are no longer at the Kaltenbach Saw and have been moved to the Flame Cutting Workstation.
See Below:

Batch Update to Remove Work Order Process

Below are some of the Marks for one of the Lots required for Contract C-0155.

You can see down the left hand side the production flow that these assemblies could take to become completed i.e. erected on site. For the purpose of this exercise we will remove Shop Paint from the Work Order as a process that these items must go through.

1) Highlight the lines that are to be changed (In this example we will highlight all items currently at the process Assembly / Welding).

2) Click on the Batch Update button and choose the option Remove Work Order Process.

3) This will open the following window. Select Shop Paint from the For All Production Processes drop-down menu.

4) Click OK to commit changes.

Now when the user checks the Production Control grid, they will notice that the process Shop Paint is no longer the Next Process but Final Inspection is. This will also be reflected within the Work Order should the user choose to open it. See Below: