Industry Standard Part Definition - Introduction to Standard Parts

This video is a brief introduction to Standard Parts. We cover the common definition of Standard Parts (Industry Standard Part Definition) definition and how expanding that definition to include three-part types is the key to greater engineering efficiency.

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Transcript:

When engineers talk about standard parts, they are often referring to fasteners, and more specifically off-the-shelf fasteners or industry-standard fasteners. In this video, we are going to discuss a broader definition of standard parts. Think of standard parts like LEGOs. They are versatile building blocks, which can be used to efficiently aid your design process.

A standard part is any part that can be reused or “standardized” across an assembly or multiple assemblies. Standard parts include fasteners, but also can be brackets, cylinders, or even entire assemblies. As you will see, broadening the way you think about standard parts, and their application can revolutionize your efficiency and design speed as an engineer.

Many engineers think of “standards” as industry-standard fasteners; but in reality, there are three types of standard parts for most engineering teams. Understanding these types of standards is the basis for engineering reuse.

The three types of standard parts are:

•Industry Standard Parts

•Commercial Standard Parts

•And Company Standard Parts

We are going to take a closer look at each of the three types and how they fit into a part reuse strategy.

Industry standards are part specifications mandated by law in specific industries. Industry Standard Parts are components regulated by a standards body. These parts meet standards that have been tested for safety and reliability. For instance, Department of Defense projects are usually regulated by military MIL-SPEC specifications or other military standards. Regulated parts are inspected for conformance by U.S. Government standards bodies.

Standards catalogs are an authoritative digital representation of physical-industry standard parts. For example, AIA NAS standards catalogs are used in the aerospace industry. SAE standards catalogs represent automotive and aerospace parts. Your industry may have specific standards you are used to following.

In most projects, you will have parts you source from suppliers. These parts are often called commercial standard parts, supplier standard parts, or COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) parts. Commercial standard parts get used alongside the parts you design within your CAD program but are externally sourced from a manufacturer. Common commercial standard parts include fasteners, brackets, bearings, motors, cylinders, connectors, as well as any other off-the-shelf parts.

Commercial standard parts are often found in part catalogs from manufacturers. Part catalogs are a list of parts and specifications available from a manufacturer. Traditionally catalogs were physical, but today many are digital as well. These digital catalogs provide selectable rules which enable the engineer to configure the exact component they need.

One crucial role you have as a design engineer is to identify which parts should come from a supplier. Using more commercial standard parts can save a lot of time and resources, especially if the supplier has downloadable CAD files that you can drop directly into the design.

Company standard parts are internal designs your company has already created for reuse. Most likely, your company has an extensive collection of internally created parts from past projects. For these parts to be considered “standard parts” they need to be reusable across multiple designs.

Reusing or repurposing company standard parts multiplies the effective use of your company’s intellectual property. It is an effective way to harness the power and resources your company used to create these parts in the past. Using company standard parts is one of the easiest ways to accelerate design time, cut redundant documentation, and increase profitability.

In the next video, we will talk about how thinking in standard parts is the key to unlocking greater engineering efficiency.

Download the 'How to Reuse Parts' eBook here:

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