Weldmnet/Saved bodies/Assembly vs. Multifeatured part/Relative View/Machined Configuration

We are a new company still setting up Standards andProcedures.

We had been doing our weldments like assemblies to begin withbecause OUr SW dealer didn't sell us on weldments because theytalked about it like structural members etc. and we are a heavyequipment manufacturer and our weldment consist of Heavy platesetc....very little structural members.

We subcontracted some work out and this guy suggested that we useweldments functionality to deal with our "weldment" We bought whathe was selling. I being the sw expert here....wtf right, I havelittle experience, can model and all that but only been using thisfor about 8 months.

So the structure that we figured we would use with this whole"weldment" Idea is:

Weldment - We will consider this the "finished Product", this wouldbe the model whtat will be seen in all upper level assemblies, itis you "visual'. This model will also be used to create yourmachining drrawing. Any changes mad at this level will change thepeice part and assebmly.

Under that level is Peice part Level - This is the actual steelpart to be cut or burnt. It is at this level that we would addbevels etc, any changes here will not change the weldment, but willchange the assy.

Then under that is the Assebmly Level - This would be like theProduction weldment, here is where you would see all themanufacturing info, welds et.

Okay so that is option 1 (Assebmly is not an option at all by theway) Option 2 is something I just leaned

You would have one file, which would include everything.

Multifieatured part, which would include a configuration of burntand machined. Then using relative view and selecting the featuresyou want, you are able to make drawings out of your features etc.This then eliminates the need for extra parts to manage,

I can see ups and down to both ways, one really big factor to us isthat when using method 1 (weldment style) is that we have weldmentwith like 50 plus peices in cases and if we start detailing and,then need to make a realm of changes and it starts changing partnumbers and not updating parts because the changes made are tooextensive then we are wasting time,

I have heard from a couple sources that can happen and blow mydetailing out of the water, I don't know about you guys, but I hatedetailing and the less the better. And being as we are creatingthis machine for the first time there is ALOT of changing going on,a blank page is alot of work...

Anyway, input on anything you can think of pros and cons of both,or....sobeit suggestions as to how you and your company do it.....Iam at a point where we can still make a change but I have to crapor get off the pot pretty quicklySolidworksGeneral