This procedure explains how to assign cables to multiple cable drums automatically using the Assign Drums to Cables Wizard. When assigning plant cables to drums automatically, the software optimizes the cable assignment. Smart Electrical optimizes this assignment based on the drum sizes, the maximum percentage of free cable length on the drums and the scrap cable length that you have defined for each reference cable that you select for drum assignment. See Optimization of Cable Drum Assignment and Define Manual Cable Cuts.
You perform automatic cable assignment by using the Assign Drums to Cables wizard. When using the wizard, you define the assignment parameters by selecting the following:
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All the available reference cables or just one specific reference cable.
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One or more pulling area.
The wizard will then assign all the plant cables that comply with these parameters. Furthermore, the software will optimize cable assignment to the drums based on the drum sizes, the maximum percentage of free cable lengths on the drums, and the scrap cable length that you have defined for each reference cable that you selected in the wizard.
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Select Actions > Cables > Assign Drums to Cables to open the Assign Drums to Cables Wizard.
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On the Welcome page, select Next.
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On the Drum and Cable Options page, select the check boxes as you require for the following options:
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Include cables already assigned to drums.
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Create new drums if needed.
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Delete empty drums.
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Select a single reference cable - beside Reference cable, select
, to open the Select Reference Cable Dialog . Or, select the Select all reference cables check box.
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From the Pulling area list, select a single pulling area. Or, select the Select all pulling areas check box.
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To exclude specific cable drums from the assignment, do the following:
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In the Drum exclusion filter group box, select Browse.
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Select a filter that has been defined to contain drum properties of cable drums that you want to exclude from the assignment.
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If you do not want to exclude any cable drums from the assignment, select Clear Filter.
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Select Next.
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On the Select Cables page, do one of the following:
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For each available cable or cable cut that you want to assign to a drum, select the Select check box beside the cable tag.
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To select all of the cables and cable cuts that are available for assignment, select the Select all check box.
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You can specify the order of the cables that have not been assigned yet and organize these cables either in a descending or alternate order. You set the sorting method on the General page in Options Manager. If you select the Descending method, the software sorts the cables starting with the longest cable and then goes down to the shortest one. If you select the Alternate method, the software starts with the longest cable, then with the shortest, then with the second longest and then back to the shortest again, and so on.
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You cannot select cables or cable cuts for which pulling area or cable length values are missing. To update the cable data, highlight the cable and select Common Properties.
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If you select any cables that have restricted access rights, the software does not assign them to drums, and the names of those cables appear in the error log.
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Select Next.
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On the Drum - Cable Assignment Summary page, view the details of the cables you have selected to assign to cable drums.
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Select Next.
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On the Completing the Assign Drums to Cables Wizard page, view summary data for the cable - drum assignment and select Finish to close the wizard.
If a cable exceeds the maximum cable drum capacity, the software automatically defines the required cable cuts for that cable. The Assign Drums to Cables Wizard specifies the lengths of the cable cuts on the Completing the Assign Drums to Cables Wizard page.