Work Instructions & Documentation

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Overview

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What Nexus can help with

• Assembly work instructions — Step-by-step build documents with an exploded or staged view and a parts callout at each step.
• Inspection and first-article checklists — A dimension-by-dimension checklist pulled from the drawing’s tolerances and GD&T, with space for measured values.
• Shop travelers and cut sheets — Quick-reference documents for a machining or fabrication operation, listing setup, tooling, and key dimensions.
• Field service and maintenance docs — Disassembly/reassembly instructions for service procedures, built from the same assembly data.

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Example prompts

Generate a step-by-step assembly work instruction for C:/Projects/Pump/pump_asm_v2.SLDASM. One step per sub-assembly stage, each with an isometric screenshot showing only the components added in that step, and a numbered parts callout referencing the BOM item numbers. Target audience: shop-floor assembler, no CAD experience assumed.

Generate a first-article inspection checklist from C:/Projects/Bracket/bracket_v3.SLDDRW. List every dimension and GD&T callout on the drawing, its nominal value and tolerance, and a blank column for the measured value and pass/fail. Group by view.

Generate a shop traveler for this part: material, stock size, the operation sequence (turning, then milling, then deburr), key dimensions to hold at each operation, and required tooling. This will be printed and travel with the part through the shop.

Generate a disassembly and reassembly procedure for replacing the impeller in C:/Projects/Pump/pump_asm_v2.SLDASM. Include which fasteners to remove and in what order, any components that must be supported during removal, and required torque values on reassembly. Audience: field service technician.

Add PPE and safety notes to the work instruction we just generated: safety glasses for the press-fit step, torque wrench calibration note before the fastener steps, and a Loctite 243 callout on the four M6 screws in step 5.

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Tips for work instruction prompts

• Name the audience — a shop-floor operator, a field technician, and an engineer need different levels of detail and different assumed vocabulary. State who’s reading it.
• Specify the format — PDF, Word, or a specific internal template. If you have a template, attach it the same way you would a drawing template.
• Tell Nexus what’s pre-assembled — if some sub-assemblies ship already built, say so, or the instructions will include steps that don’t apply to your process.
• Ask for consumables and safety notes explicitly — torque values, adhesives, PPE, and calibration notes aren’t always in the model; state which ones matter and where.
• Review against the physical process once — a generated instruction reflects the CAD build order, which isn’t always the same as the physical assembly order. Confirm the sequence matches your actual process before releasing it.