Managing the Control Plan
Create a Control Plan
You typically create a Control Plan during the planning and development stages of the production process before full-scale production begins. The Control Plan systematically outlines the necessary steps, inspections, and measures required to ensure product quality and compliance throughout the production process. A well-defined Control Plan helps in identifying potential issues early, standardizing processes, reducing variability, and ensuring that all quality requirements are consistently met.
You can create the following types of Control Plans:
First Article Inspection (FAI)
Used in manufacturing and engineering to ensure that a new or revised product meets the specified requirements before full-scale production begins. It is a detailed verification process for the first unit produced under specified conditions, often including a new production run or a change in design, materials, or manufacturing methods. The purpose of the FAI is to validate that product specifications and tolerances are being met and that the manufacturing process is capable of consistently producing parts that adhere to these requirements.
Prelaunch
Used in the manufacturing industry during the phase between the completion of the prototype stage and the start of full-scale production. This plan is critical for ensuring that the manufacturing process is capable of producing the new product at the required volumes. This must be done while maintaining quality standards before the product is officially launched in the market.
Production
Used to evaluate and mitigate risks associated with the design and manufacturing of a new product. It is implemented during the prototyping phase, where initial versions of a product, known as prototypes, are created to test various aspects of design, functionality, ability to manufacture, and performance. It outlines the methods and measures that will be used to ensure the prototype meets the intended design specifications and requirements, before proceeding to full-scale production.
Safe Launch
Used to ensure that the product meets all quality standards and specifications before full-scale production begins. This plan involves heightened monitoring, increased inspection, and additional controls to identify and address any potential issues early in the production process. It helps to minimize the risk of costly recalls, rework, and customer dissatisfaction by addressing issues during the initial production phase.
The following video shows how to create a Control Plan.
Procedure
In Explorer, navigate to the folder where you want to create the Control Plan.
Choose More Commands
New Add.
In the Add panel, from the Type list, select Quality Process.
In the Name box, type the name of the Control Plan.
Note If Teamcenter Copilot Quality is available, you can prompt it to create suggestions for your quality data.
In the Description box, describe the Control Plan.
From the Control Plan Type list, select the type of the Control Plan you want to create.
To assign projects to the Control Plan while creating it, do the following:
In the Projects section, click Add Project .
In the Projects panel, search for and select the required projects or subprojects, and click Assign.
To remove a project or subproject, select it, and click Remove Project .
- Click Add.
After creating the Control Plan, you must add the operations to be performed in the Control Plan. Note You can view the objects that reference the Control Plan in the Where Used tab. For example, if a checklist references the Control Plan, the checklist is displayed in this tab.
- To add attachments to a Control Plan as Files, Documents, Described by Document, and Drawing Source For, do the following:
Select the Control Plan, and click the Attachments tab.
In the required section, click Add .
In the Add panel, select the type of attachment and specify the required information to create the attachment.
You can also use the Palette area or the Search area to locate attachments.
Click Add.
- To add Remote Links to the Control Plan, do the following:
In the Remote Links section, click Create Remote Link .
You can create a remote link to view the external element within Teamcenter. For example, you can create a link from a Control Plan in Teamcenter to a software defect in the external application. Once this is done, you can view the software defect from Teamcenter.
Caution The administrator must install Linked Data Framework in the Teamcenter environment for you to be able to create a remote link.
From the Project list, select the required project.
Click the Existing option to link to an existing external application, or click New to link to a new external application.
To select a resource in the external application, click Add next to the Remote Reference label.
Log on to the external application if prompted, and select an existing resource in that application. This action takes you back to the Add panel.
From the Relation list, select the relation you want to create between Teamcenter and the external element.
Note If only one relation is applicable, this relation is used automatically. Manual selection is not required.
Click Add to create the link.
- To add the reference parts of the Control Plan, do the following:
Click the Reference Part tab. Click Add To , select Item, and enter the other properties as required.You can also use the Palette tab or the Search tab to locate the required reference parts.
- To view which bill of processes (BOP) use the Control Plan, do the following:
Click the Reference Part tab. The Reference Bill of Process section displays the BOPs that use the Control Plan.
To view a BOP that uses the Control Plan, select and open the BOP.
To view a linked work package of the BOP, select the required BOP, and click Open in Work Packages . If the BOP is used in a single work package, the BOP opens in the Easy Plan work package.
If the BOP is used in multiple work packages, the Linked Work Packages panel appears where you can select and open the required work package in Easy Plan.
- In Explorer, to assign projects to the Control Plan after creating it, do the following:
In Explorer, navigate to the folder where you created the Control Plan.
Select the Control Plan, and in the Projects section, click Projects .
In the Projects panel, search for and select the required projects or subprojects, and click Assign.
To remove a project or subproject, select it, and click Remove Project .
- To assign projects to the entire structure of the Control Plan or to a specific level, do the following:
In Explorer, navigate to the folder where you created the Control Plan.
Open the Control Plan.
Choose More Commands
Manage > Projects .
In the Projects panel, search for and select the required projects or subprojects, and click Add Project .
In the Apply Selected Project(s) To section, select Entire Structure to add the entire Control Plan structure to the selected projects. The selected projects are assigned to the child operations, Inspection Definitions and their quality actions, and control methods of the Control Plan.
To add a specified level of the Control Plan to the selected projects, select Level, and enter the required Control Plan level in the Level box. If you specify 1 in the Level box, the selected projects are assigned to the child operations. If you specify 2 in the Level box, the selected projects are assigned to the child operations and Inspection Definitions.
To remove a project or subproject, select it, and click Remove Project .
Click Save.
To remove a project or subproject from the entire Control Plan or a specified level of the Control Plan, do the following:
Choose More Commands
Manage > Projects . Select the required project or subproject, and click Remove Project . In the Apply Selected Project(s) To section, select Entire Structure to remove the entire Control Plan from the selected project or subproject. To remove the selected project or subproject from a specified level of the Control Plan, select Level, and enter the required Control Plan level in the Level box. Click Save.