Schematic Poll: First page

Rson

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Jun 2017
Location
Michigan
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There are so many different ways to tackle the first sheet of the schematics.

I've seen some people with a cover sheet, followed by several index sheets (larger projects, I'm sure)

Some start schematics right on sheet 1 with no cover sheet or index.

Others I've seen have the index on the first page with no other information.

What is your preference?
 
If it's a package for new equipment, it's nice to have a cover sheet and/or index. If the drawings are numbered in a reasonable way, it's not the end of the world if there's no cover sheet or index though. I don't think I've ever seen a drawing package for a plant that was ever all in one place, but if that unicorn exists, an index would be nice for that as well.
 
I should note that I've also seen the index/cover sheet start at zero so the first page of the schematic can be '1'.

Didn't make a ton of sense to me though, since the title block would state 'sheet 0 of 32'.
 
If there are only a few sheets to the schematic, there isn't much need for an index. The number of sheets that triggers the need is the real question. I've seen schematics with as few as five sheets that had an index as well as schematics with as many as 20 sheets and no index.
Although I don't think I've ever seen a schematic that claimed to depict an entire facility that didn't have an index.
 
A good reason to always have an index for every system or print set is so workers will know if they have EVERY page.

I also like to have a cover sheet every time. The cover sheet can include a detailed description of the system. Sometimes the title block doesn’t allow enough space.

There’s nothing like spending hours troubleshooting only to discover these aren’t the correct drawings.
 
I typically create my prints with the following pages, in this order:

1. Cover Sheet. Use large bold font in the center of the page describing what the prints are for. ie...."Stamping Machine 1"

2. Index/Table of Contents.

3. A "How To Read This Print" page. I've seen so many different styles of schematics from different drawing softwares. There is not a set standard of course. My first time reading a print for a machine from Italy, I struggled with trying to understand how to even read it, before I figured it out. Of course that was many years ago, but still, that stuck and prompted me to always include a "How To Read This Print" page.

4. Symbols Legend. Include only the symbols that are used within that particular print package.

5. CAD drawing of the panel layout with all components labeled with an identifying number. This helps to quickly match a component in the panel to the print when doing maintenance, troubleshooting, etc..
 
I typically create my prints with the following pages, in this order:

1. Cover Sheet. Use large bold font in the center of the page describing what the prints are for. ie...."Stamping Machine 1"

2. Index/Table of Contents.

3. A "How To Read This Print" page. I've seen so many different styles of schematics from different drawing softwares. There is not a set standard of course. My first time reading a print for a machine from Italy, I struggled with trying to understand how to even read it, before I figured it out. Of course that was many years ago, but still, that stuck and prompted me to always include a "How To Read This Print" page.

4. Symbols Legend. Include only the symbols that are used within that particular print package.

5. CAD drawing of the panel layout with all components labeled with an identifying number. This helps to quickly match a component in the panel to the print when doing maintenance, troubleshooting, etc..


Interesting. So do you put the panel drawings before the schematic drawings? What page number does your typical schematic start at?
 
My approach is similar to busarider.

Each control panel will have a drawing set following this structure:
Sheet 000: Cover page. Gives details on wire colours, wire numbers, wire sizes, reference drawings, terminal locations, etc.
Sheet DL: Drawing List/index (DL1/DL2/DLn on large projects)
Sheet 001: Main switch and start of power distribution schematics
Sheets 002-299: Schematics
Sheets 300-399: Cable Schedules
Sheets 400-499: Termination Schedules
The structure means that my drawings are largely self-referencing. If I draw a motor on sheet 010, the control circuit for that motor will be on sheet 110, the cable schedule on sheet 310, and the termination schedule on sheet 410. If the motor has a valve associated with it (e.g. inlet and outlet valves for a pump), they'll be shown on the same pages. So, you find that pump, and immediately you find everything else to do with that pump.


Then I have a separate "system overview" drawing set which details all control panels:
Sheet 000: Cover page. Gives details on what the overall system actually is
Sheet DL: Drawing List/index
Sheets 001-009: Network detail (ethernet/devicenet/controlnet/serial/whatever)
Sheets 010-019: Control panel 1 sheetmetal detail, internal arrangement detail, terminal layouts, operator interface layouts, label details, etc
Sheets 020-029: Control panel 2 details as above
Sheets 030-039...you get the idea
 
Last edited:
Never really worked on huge entire plant control systems but for small to midsize machines this system seems to work well.

00 - Title page
01 - Table of contents
02 - symbols/definitions/disclaimers
03 - pneumatic overview (no specs/details, just where electrical connections are)
04 - hydraulic overview (no specs/details, just where electrical connections are)
05 - network layout
06 - box/cable flow chart
07 - box location on machine with cable tray layout
08 - spare
09 - spare
10-19 - power wiring (600/480)
20-29 - power wiring (120)
40-44 - 24vdc distribution
45-49 - safety circuits
50- main plc system overview
51-59 - rack 1 slot 1-9
60-69 - remote racks/IO blocks
70-89 - device specific details
90 - mcp enclosure layout
91 - mcp backplane
92 - mcp bom
93-96 - other panels layout / bom
97-98 - field devices and cables bom
 
Never really worked on huge entire plant control systems but for small to midsize machines this system seems to work well.

00 - Title page
01 - Table of contents
02 - symbols/definitions/disclaimers
03 - pneumatic overview (no specs/details, just where electrical connections are)
04 - hydraulic overview (no specs/details, just where electrical connections are)
05 - network layout
06 - box/cable flow chart
07 - box location on machine with cable tray layout
08 - spare
09 - spare
10-19 - power wiring (600/480)
20-29 - power wiring (120)
40-44 - 24vdc distribution
45-49 - safety circuits
50- main plc system overview
51-59 - rack 1 slot 1-9
60-69 - remote racks/IO blocks
70-89 - device specific details
90 - mcp enclosure layout
91 - mcp backplane
92 - mcp bom
93-96 - other panels layout / bom
97-98 - field devices and cables bom

Your layout is great except for using a page number “00”. The reason is some title blocks have a Page X of Y field. If there is a page “00” and there are 25 total physical pages the last page # is then 24 or 25????? It confuses me anyway.

Otherwise it looks great.
 
Interesting. So do you put the panel drawings before the schematic drawings? What page number does your typical schematic start at?

I suppose it doesn't matter where in the print package the panel layout drawings are - towards the front or the end of the print package. As long as they are in there.

The actual wiring schematic starts wherever the front pages of the aforementioned items end. So maybe the panel layout drawings may be two or more pages long. Wherever that ends, place a "This page intentionally left blank" page after that, then start the wiring schematic on the following page. I'll do that too - use "This page intentionally left blank" as a separator of some sections of the print package. It also helps in some cases with the software I use.

I should also note that I do not list the items on the index page until after the entire prints are completed. Then I go through the package, and fill out the items on the index/table of contents page so that everything on the index page lines up.
 
First page holds name of customer, machine, city, country. An indication of date (at least a year). Name of the cabinet builder, as we outsource that part.


Second page is usually a 3D cad image of the machine so it is clear right away which machine (or collection of machines) the schematic applies to. From there on I don't know the things by head. Ends with list of parts, layout of the panel, terminal and cable diagrams with gauge and nr of wires in each cable, colours and the like.
 

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