How to Use Item Families in Manufacturing

A production family is a group of individual items whose relationship is based on the similarity of their manufacturing processes. By forming production families, some items can be manufactured twice or more in one production, which will optimize material consumption.

In the Quantity field in the Family window, you enter the quantity that will be produced when the whole family has been manufactured once.

Example

In punching processes, four pieces of the same item can be produced from one sheet and 10 pieces of another, different, item at the same time. The punching machine will punch all 14 pieces in one step.

Forming production families reduces the scrap quantity because what would normally be leftover scrap, when producing big pieces, will be used instead to produce small items.

To set up a production family

Choose the icon, enter Families, and then choose the related link.
Fill in the fields as necessary. Choose a field to read a short description of the field or link to more information.

To produce based on a production family

Choose the icon, enter Firm Planned Prod. Orders, and then choose the related link.
Create a new production order. For more information, see How to: Create Production orders.
In the Source Type field, select Family.
In the Source No. field, select the relevant production family.

How to Use Item Families in Manufacturing

Example

To set up a production family

To produce based on a production family

See Also