Part numbers
Where your numbers come from and what to do if one is wrong.
Your company defines how part numbers are formed. When you create a part, the next number is generated for you.
Common schemes
- Sequential — a running number, optionally padded:
1002015 - Category prefixed — the category determines the leading characters
- Project prefixed — the programme or project leads
- Custom — a pattern your company has defined
Different categories can use different schemes, which is why a fastener and an assembly may look nothing alike.
If a number looks wrong
Renaming a part number after creation is possible but disruptive — it affects drawings, supplier records and anything already issued. Prefer creating the part correctly. If you must change one, raise it with your administrator so it happens in a controlled way.
Once consumed, a part number is retired permanently, even if the part is deleted. This protects historical records, drawings and supplier orders that already reference it.
Email [email protected] and a person will pick it up. Include the part number and what you were doing — it saves a round trip.