Structure Gaps 

Definition

Placeholder for a missing part in the actual configuration of a technical object.

Use

Structure gaps play an important role for maintenance processes within the Configuration Control component.

●      In conjunction with configuration changes, a structure gap is automatically created during the removal of a piece of equipment or equipment BOM item, and automatically deleted during the installation of a piece of equipment or equipment BOM item.

●      In the Configuration Control Workbench you can:

○       Display the actual configuration

○       Display the existing structure gaps of a technical object.

○       Manually create and delete structure gaps, for example, to adapt the actual configuration of the respective object to the results of a configuration check.

The configuration check of a technical object could determine that there is no equipment or equipment BOM item as a counterpart to an iPPE structure node of the master parts list. In this case, you can manually create a structure gap in the actual configuration.

However, the check could also lead to the result that there are no iPPE nodes in the master parts list for a structure gap in the actual configuration. In this case you can manually delete the corresponding structure gap.

●      If a piece of equipment or equipment BOM item has a function identifier and if it is removed from a superordinate technical object, the structure gap created inherits the FID of the removed piece of equipment or equipment BOM item. This information can be used for the later installation of a piece of equipment in this structure gap.

●      If a piece of equipment or equipment BOM item is installed in a structure gap underneath a superordinate piece of equipment or functional location, the equipment inherits the FID of the structure gap that was deleted with the installation.

For equipment BOM items only during installation it is also checked whether the material number already exists in the equipment BOM. This can be checked from the existing equipment BOM items or structure gaps.

Integration

Structure gaps are only supported in the Configuration Control Workbench.

See also:

Creating and Deleting Structure Gaps