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From Tribon documentation we know that "Specifications are used to control the selection of components. A specification defines a subset of components allowed in a certain type of pipe system or for a certain type of usage or quality level."

Also one of the best way to describe Tribon Pipe Specification is as a bunch of rules that "tell" what component from Components' database [SBE_GENCMPDB] is to be used into specific system, for a given pipeline/surrounding part(s) size.

Specification uses 3 kinds of categories of data:

1. Intervals (the complete name is "Pipe intervals");
2. Functions (the complete name is "General functions component data");
3. Sequences (new from M2, fully available from M3).

A pipe interval is practically a pipe size (referring to one pipe component, type code 70xx). This category establishes which are the system’s pipes (as material, sizes and other technical/dimensional aspects).

General function component data contains component groups having the same technical and functional meaning, but with different sizes.
Let’s take an example: for a certain system (let’s call it BL - ballast system) we have to use all flat flanges PN16, acc. to DIN, from DN25 to DN200. For this we have to create a function, having a long name (e.g. "DIN flanges PN16") and a short name (e.g. "FPN16"). After that for any interval that have as nominal diameter DN25 up to DN200 we have to add reference to the proper flange component (using Select Component), and so we are creating following rule:
For the system BL, for pipe size 114.3x7.1 (DN100) the flat PN16 flange is DIN.F.PN16-100 (the component name for our flange is given here arbitrary).
Actually that’s the way Specification works.

Regarding sequences: imagine that the above-described function is like a command. Then the sequence is like a macro-command. Into sequences user declares the chain of functions (no component is declared here, only functions via sort name) in order to be added/inserted into model. The result is speeding up the modelling process when multiple parts are added/inserted.

Now let’s take the first part of the last phrase: "The result is speeding up the modelling process...". That’s actually the aim of specification - to make Tribon pipe modelling faster. As a bonus the specification helps avoiding errors too.

Looking into Tribon Pipe Specification, some people ask "Why to spend time creating specification, instead to open directly Diagram or Pipe Modelling applications?"

This is actually the only disadvantage of Specification. On the other hand, as advantages can be counted:

• the modeling process is governed by rules imposed the system (its place on ship, the fluid carried by its pipelines, etc.), and so lesser errors can be made when choosing a component to add/insert into current pipeline;
• the choice of components, when using specification, is much faster than using directly Components DB (no need for extra checks and the number of components to browse are dramatically reduced from hundred of even thousands in db to a number having only one digit);
• users may check latter the "origin" of the part, i.e. how the part was chosen (specification, function name, size etc.), having as help for this Search criteria;
• one of the most powerful function of the modelling, Resize/Respecify can be used later on at a ‘full blast’ only if all parts into pipeline were added/inserted using specification.

If it seems that the effort to make Tribon pipe specification is a little bit too big, lets remember that it is possible to have a standard specification, for all projects or used as starting points for project-dependant specifications, we can copy specifications and edit them, and it is possible to export/import specifications also.

Article written by Dragos Patilea