Production stations and routes define the steps that an item in production goes through in the fabrication process. Stations and routes are also used for tracking labor time, the date a station is completed, and the batch ID for parts to be fabricated in the job.

A station is typically a specific operation or area of the production workflow that you wish to record as each assembly or part passes through. This allows you to record who did the work, when it was done, and how long it took them.

Assigning labor groups to a station can help you apply your own specific determinations for labor applications. When you assign labor groups to a station, Tekla PowerFab assigns all labor time from the assigned labor groups in the linked estimating job to the station.

For example, if the labor time for cutting includes bringing the material into the shop, labor groups GetPc (get piece) and Move can be assigned to the Cut/Saw station. In this case, Tekla PowerFab would gather the labor time for all these labor groups from the linked estimating job and use the labor time in the project schedule.

A route is a specific list of stations that determine what work is required and the order in which it should be done in a particular set of circumstances. Routes are applied to the production control bill of materials, which in turn dictates what stations a given assembly or part is required to pass through in order for it to be complete.

You can create new routes and stations, or modify and delete the existing ones.