Overview of reference designators

This topic is about reference designators, and you can use reference designators in LN.

A reference designator indicates the location to insert a component on an item, for example, where to mount an electronic component on a printed circuit board. Reference designators are often used in electronics, and can originate from a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) station.

Reference designators and (E)BOM

In LN, one or more reference designators can be linked to the items on a BOM or an EBOM line to indicate where the items must be inserted on the main item. You can do the following:

  • Link a single reference designator to a single (E)BOM line. One or more identical items on the (E)BOM line have the same reference designator.
  • Link multiple reference designators to a single (E)BOM line. The identical items on an (E)BOM line have different reference designators.
  • Link a single reference designator to multiple (E)BOM lines. Different items, on several (E)BOM lines have the same reference designator.
  • Link a single reference designator to multiple (E)BOM lines that contain the same item. In other words, identical items in multiple (E)BOMs have the same reference designator.

You can link reference designators to items in the BOM, as well as to engineering items in the EBOM. The following procedures describe how to link reference designators in LN:

Reference designators and mass BOM changes (MBCs)

In EBOMs, you can use mass BOM change (MBCs) to add, delete, or replace (engineering) items in the EBOM. If reference designators are linked to items in the EBOM, you can also add, delete, or replace the reference designators.

Refer to Reference designators and MBCs how to deal with MBCs when reference designators are involved.

Reference designators and estimated material

You can view and maintain reference designators for a production order's estimated material lines in the Reference Designators by Estimated Material (ticst0106m000) session, which you can start from the Estimated Materials (ticst0101m000) session.

If you defined reference designators for (E)BOM lines, those reference designators are automatically present in the Reference Designators by Estimated Material (ticst0106m000) session. You can also define new reference designators for estimated material.

Reference designators and microrouting

Operation steps, which are part of a microrouting, are linked to a routing operation in the Operation Steps (tirou1105m000) session. An operation step can contain a reference designator.

You can link stepwise information to the operation steps, for example, procedures and work instructions. This information, which can also relate to the reference designator, is printed on the operation notes, and can be used by operators on the shop floor to do their work. In the instructions, you can explain, for example, how work must be carried out when you mount a specific item on the location indicated by the reference designator.

Note that instructions are only printed on operation notes if the Print Instructions field in the Work Centers (tirou0101m000) session is Yes.

For more information about microroutings, refer to Microrouting.

Reference designators and as-built structure

If reference designators are defined in the (E)BOM of a serialized (engineering) item, the reference designators are present in the as-built structure in the Serial End Item - As-Built Components (timfc0111m000) session. ERP creates a seperate as-built component line for every reference designator. In case of reference designators, even for a non-serialized component in the (E)BOM, separate as-built component lines are created. You can view, maintain, and add reference designators.

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