3 Recommendations for Revision Control Best Practice

In manufacturing, revision control is a topic that rarely creates issues because both manufacturers and engineers take it so seriously. But when best practices break down even in small ways, they can create risk for everyone involved.

At Focused on Machining, we have strong systems in place to catch revision issues before they reach the shop floor. Even so, we have a few recommendations for revision control best practices to keep the manufacturing process clear from the beginning.

1. Don’t Restart at Rev A for an Existing Part Number

This is a rare issue, but it’s one we’ve seen happen after acquisitions or rebrands. A new team may inherit an existing part number and want to treat the current design as its new baseline. To them, restarting at Rev A is logical.

We understand the idea, but from a manufacturer’s point of view, that creates serious risk. If we have already made that same part number through Rev A, Rev B, Rev C, and beyond, our ERP system already has those revisions in its history. The current revision may be Rev J or Rev N, while the previous versions are archived. If a customer sends the same part number back to Rev A, there are now two different Rev A versions connected to the same part number.

We have extensive safeguards in place to prevent rev control issues, but this still creates an avoidable risk of confusion. If an order is entered against the incorrect Rev A, the incorrect part could be manufactured and delivered before anyone realizes the issue. At that point, both sides have lost time and money.

2. Be Clear With Your Manufacturing Partner About What Changed in a New Revision

When you send us a new revision, it’s helpful to identify specifically what has changed from the previous version. We are able to compare prints and work through the differences, but that process takes time. We may have to review the print callout by callout to be sure we didn’t miss anything.

A simple summary can make a major difference. When you give us context, we can quote the revision faster and plan the work more efficiently. Without it, we may need to treat the job almost like a brand-new part because we can’t afford to assume anything remains unchanged.

3. Treat Every Change as a New Revision

Even small changes should be controlled through a new revision. Customers may inform us that they slightly altered the hole size but didn’t change the rev. That change may seem minor, but it can affect tooling, setup, inspection, and the way the job is processed. If the print still says Rev A, but the part is no longer the same Rev A we made before, the risk of a mix-up increases.

This most commonly occurs with notes on the print. Even when the geometry does not change, updates to the notes should still be handled as a new revision. A different finish, material requirement, inspection requirement, or outside process can affect what needs to happen after precision machining. The part will not be the same from a manufacturing standpoint.

If anything at all changes on the print, the safest thing to do is issue a new revision.

Good Revision Control Protects Your Timeline

Strong revision control allows us to quote faster and deliver the correct parts on schedule. Our ERP system and review processes help us catch many potential issues, but following best practices can also help prevent any confusion.

If you’re updating an existing part and creating a new revision, talk to our Colorado machine shop about how we can help!