SPCOmponent and the Component Data

In addition to these specifying attributes, each SPCOM contains a pointer to a Piping Component (COMP), which meets all the listed specifications, in a Catalog (CATA) element. It is this pointer, known as the Catalog Reference (CATREF), which forms the key to correct component selection when new pipework is being designed.

Each SPCOM also contains pointers to detailing text (DETAIL points to DTEXT), material text (MATXT points to MTEXT), bolting requirements (BLTREF points to BLTAB), component properties (CMPREF points to CMPT in a Properties Dateabase (DB)) and part requirements (PRTREF).

There are two essential links which make sure that an appropriate component is selected during the design of new pipework or a new structure, namely:

• Design Component to Specification

• Specification to Catalog Component

Thus, when a new pipe component is to be selected for inclusion in a Design DB, the following sequence is applied:

• The design component is allocated a Specification Reference (SPREF) which is selected from the required Specification (SPEC). You usually define the Pipe Specification (PSPEC) as soon as you create a new pipe, and this is then applied to all components which the Pipe owns unless you override it.

• The SPREF points to an SPCOM (in the Catalog DB).

• The SPCOM points to a suitable Catalog component (COMP) via the CATREF pointer.

(The SPCOM also points to a DTEXT via the DETAIL pointer, an MTEXT via the MATXT pointer, a BLTAB element via the BLTREF pointer, and a CMPT element in a Properties DB via the Component Properties (CMPREF) pointer, as appropriate.) This is illustrated below.

The links between Design Data, Specifications and Catalog

Example

As an illustration of the principles of the selection process, consider the following question and answer sequence which might apply when choosing a valve from the /RF300 Specification represented in the Part of a typical Specification for piping components image:

SELEC_1 TYPE?

Answer VALV, which leads to the next question ...

SELEC_2 PBOR0?

Answer 25.0, which leads to a choice of three STYPs

SELEC_3 STYP?

Answer GA, which in this example offers only one choice for SHOP

SELEC_4 SHOP?

Answer TRUE

The resulting combination of SELEC answers, namely a 25mm bore Gate Valve with its SHOP attribute set to TRUE, is represented in the SPEC by one, and only one, SPCOM, namely */25GA. This points to the component in the Catalog which completely matches the specification, via the CATREF /VGAFF. The corresponding descriptive DTEXT is pointed to by the DETAIL /DGA.V.SW, and so on. Note that the CATREF is unique within this SPEC, whereas the same DETAIL applies to other components such as */20GA.