How to handle supersede parts in Solidworks PDM

[Jacomuller]

We have about 800 assemblies in our PDM. Most of these assemblies use some generic parts. From time to time we update these generic parts.

The challenge is to to keep the older generic parts in the PDM and keep using it in older designed assemblies, but to prevent designers to use these parts in new designs. I have created a state in the workflow called "Discontinued", but that still does not prevent designers to select these parts. Ideally, I want any part in the state of "Discontinued" not to be selectable by all designers apart from Engineering manager or supervisor.

If that is not possible, I want those files not to be visible to all but supervisor/ Manager

Thanks Jaco

[CarrieIves]

What happens if you uncheck the "Read file contents" check box for that state in your workflow for the groups that aren't the supervisors? The image below is the permissions the engineers group has for our template files. They can see them but that's all. Or you may want to remove that group from that state entirely. We have a "No longer employed" group. That group has no permissions for any of our workflow states.

[Craig Schultz]

^^^ That's what we do with obsolete parts as well. It's the easiest way to limit visibility.

[jcapriotti]

@Jacomuller

You could check the children state on a transition. This wouldn't prevent users from seeing and adding it to their assembly, but you could prevent them from sending the assembly on to be released.

[Jacomuller]

I have tried the method recommended by @CarrieIves, but it still the "discontinued" part can still be selected by the designers. Not sure if I did something wrong.
I was hoping that all existing assemblies with the discontinued parts will still work as before, but designers should not be able to select a discontinued part to drop into a new assembly. Unfortunately, they can still grab the part and use it.

Second option would be for discontinued parts not to be visible to designers at all. that way they cannot select it - I hope.

[IndianaDave]

This is not nearly as sophisticated, and requires your designers to pay attention, but we add to the actual description "Superceded by".
We also add "Replaces xxxxxx" to the new number.
This allows purchasing to order by the new number, but if, for some reason, he can't find that part, he might still find someone with inventory of the old number.
With the way the supply chain is, we need to be able to buy the parts, regardless of what part number is on the box.