Skip to content

Vendor and Manufacturer Parts Integration

Summary

Explores how to represent and integrate manufacturer/supplier parts in Filare so harness BOMs can carry rich metadata (technical attributes, sourcing, pricing, alternates, families). Covers common part types (connectors, terminals/crimps, tools, wires/cables, coverings, labels, protection) and suggests fields to track per type.

Use Cases for Filare

  • Generate procurement-ready BOMs with manufacturer/supplier links, pricing, and approved alternates.
  • Validate part compatibility (wire gauge to terminal, connector family to accessories).
  • Support service/field teams with consistent part IDs, datasheets, and ordering links.
  • Enable future inventory overlays (stock counts, preferred supplier) without breaking schema.

Technical Evaluation

  • Part types to model:
  • Connectors (housings, genders, pin count, family, accessories/back-shells).
  • Terminals/crimps and seals/plugs (wire gauge range, plating, tool spec).
  • Tools (crimp tools, applicators, extraction tools).
  • Wires (single conductor): gauge, insulation, color, stranding, temp rating, voltage rating, roll length, OD, approvals.
  • Cables (bundles): wire count, color map, shield/twist/grouping, impedance/spec (Ethernet, SpaceWire, CameraLink), jacket, bend radius, OD.
  • Coverings: conduit/braid/tape/heat-shrink, ID/OD range, shrink ratio, temp rating.
  • Labels/markers: size, material, printable format.
  • Protection: fuses/breakers inline; boots/backshells; grommets.
  • Families/kits: connector families (D-sub, MicroFit, Deutsch), matched terminals/seals, accessory sets.
  • Common fields (core):
  • category, type/subtype, family.
  • pn, mpn, manufacturer, datasheet_url, description.
  • Supplier entries: supplier, spn, url, price, currency, qty_break, moq, lead_time.
  • alternates: list of equivalent mpn/supplier refs with notes.
  • notes, status (active/EOL/NRND), lifecycle_source.
  • Technical fields by type:
  • Connectors: pin_count, gender, keying, mount (panel/in-line), termination (crimp/solder/poke), accessories (backshell/boot/cap), family, seal_rating, temp_rating, current_rating, voltage_rating, mating_cycles.
  • Terminals/seals/plugs: wire_gauge_range, material/plating, insulation_support, crimp_tool, extraction_tool, seal_size, cavity_family.
  • Tools: tool_type (crimp/applicator/extractor), compatible_families, gauge_range, die/locator.
  • Wires: gauge (AWG/mm2), stranding, color, insulation_material, temp_rating, voltage_rating, outer_diameter, roll_length, standards (UL/ISO), shield (bool/type/drain).
  • Cables: wire_count, colors, twist (pairing), shield (type/coverage/drain), impedance, category/protocol (Ethernet Cat5e/Cat6, SpaceWire, CameraLink), jacket_material, outer_diameter, min_bend_radius, length_unit, approval.
  • Coverings: inner_diameter, outer_diameter, shrink_ratio, temp_rating, material, color, length_unit.
  • Labels: size, material, adhesive, print_method.
  • Protection/accessories: current_rating (fuse/breaker), ingress (cap/boot), backshell_thread, grommet_size.
  • Data links:
  • URLs: datasheet_url, manufacturer_url, supplier_urls (list with price/qty).
  • Families/aliases: family, series, accessories referencing other part records.
  • Alternates: list with mpn, manufacturer, supplier entry, notes.
  • Pricing:
  • Optional per supplier: price, currency, qty_break/moq, lead_time.
  • Keep as informational; avoid computations in core schema.
  • Inventory (optional future):
  • Separate overlay: location, on_hand, lot, expires, reserved; keep out of core part definition to avoid coupling usage with stock.

Complexity Score (1–5)

3 — Adds structured part metadata and supplier/alternate links; schema extensions and BOM rendering changes are needed but no deep architectural change.

Maintenance Risk

  • Part data changes often (pricing/availability); risk mitigated by treating supplier info as optional and by allowing alternates.
  • Families and compatibility tables need maintenance but change slowly.
  • URL rot; need permissive handling when links are absent.

Industry / Business Usage

  • OEM and supplier BOMs list MPN, supplier SKU, alternates, pricing breaks, lifecycle status.
  • Harness teams track gauge/tool compatibility for crimps and terminals.
  • Procurement/service need datasheet links and clear family naming (e.g., D-sub, MicroFit, Deutsch DT/DRC).

Who Uses It & Why It Works for Them

  • Procurement: sourcing links, alternates, pricing.
  • Manufacturing/QA: crimp/tool compatibility, gauge ranges, accessories.
  • Service: clear part IDs, families, and URLs for replacements.

Feasibility

  • Feasible as optional part metadata extensions and richer additional_components/BOM rendering; inventory can stay a separate overlay.

Required Work

  • REWORK tasks: Define part data model (common fields + type-specific attributes); align with existing BOM/additional_components shape.
  • FEATURE tasks: Extend schema to accept part metadata and alternates; add supplier list support; display key fields in BOM and HTML outputs; allow part families/aliases.
  • TOOLS tasks: Optional part library ingestion (CSV/JSON) and validation for compatibility (gauge vs terminal); optional URL checker.
  • DOCUMENTATION tasks: Syntax examples for part metadata, alternates, supplier/pricing fields; guidance on families and accessories.
  • COVERAGE tasks: Regression YAMLs with parts spanning connectors, terminals, wires, cables, coverings, and alternates; verify BOM output.

Recommendation

ADOPT_LATER — Add optional part metadata, supplier/alternate fields, and families, keeping inventory as a future overlay.

Models (Suggested)

  • Core Part Model:
  • category, type/subtype, family/series, pn/mpn/manufacturer, description, datasheet_url, manufacturer_url, status/lifecycle.
  • Supplier list: [ {supplier, spn, url, price, currency, qty_break, moq, lead_time} ].
  • alternates: [ {mpn, manufacturer, supplier?, spn?, notes} ].
  • notes.
  • Type-specific extensions:
  • Connector: pin_count, gender, keying, mount, termination, seal_rating, temp_rating, current_rating, voltage_rating, mating_cycles, accessories.
  • Terminal/Seal/Plug: wire_gauge_range, material/plating, insulation_support, crimp_tool, extraction_tool, seal_size, cavity_family.
  • Tool: tool_type, compatible_families, gauge_range, die/locator.
  • Wire: gauge, stranding, color, insulation_material, temp_rating, voltage_rating, outer_diameter, roll_length, standards, shield.
  • Cable: wire_count, colors, twist/pairs, shield (type/coverage/drain), impedance, protocol/category, jacket_material, outer_diameter, min_bend_radius, length_unit.
  • Covering: inner_diameter, outer_diameter, shrink_ratio, temp_rating, material, color, length_unit.
  • Label: size, material, adhesive, print_method.
  • Protection/accessory: current_rating, ingress, backshell_thread, grommet_size.
  • Correlations:
  • Connectors ↔ terminals/seals via family/cavity_family.
  • Terminals ↔ wires via wire_gauge_range.
  • Accessories (backshells/boots/grommets) ↔ connectors via family/thread.
  • Protocol cables ↔ logical signals via protocol/category.

References

  • Typical OEM/Supplier BOM fields (MPN, supplier SKU, lifecycle, alternates, pricing).
  • Crimp/terminal selection guides (gauge/tool compatibility).
  • Ethernet/SpaceWire/CameraLink cable specs (impedance, shielding, twist).

Optional Appendix

  • Inventory overlay suggestion: keep inventory as a separate dataset keyed by part id (location, on_hand, lot, expires) to avoid coupling stock with design files.